Black But Not American: The Racial Awakening and Alienation of Ifemelu in Adichie’s Americanah

Anushya M.
Research Scholar, Reg: No: 22113134012001,
Department of English, Pioneer Kumaraswamy College,
(Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli-627012, Tamil Nadu, India.)

Dr. K. Kalaiarasi
Research Supervisor, Assistant Professor of English, Pioneer Kumaraswamy College
(Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli-627012, Tamil Nadu, India.)

Abstract
Seeing something with different eyes is not the same. Every individual has their own way of pointing and gazing. The happy mode of space makes the place happier than ever, if the view of space is seen in the mode of sadness, then the attire will change to be sad, the phase of view changes for every matter. The article examines Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel Americanah, which focuses on the colour, that follows the race. The protagonist, a Nigerian immigrant in America, experiences racial discrimination. Americanah sheds light on the nuanced experiences of Black immigrants, whose struggles with race and vulnerability are often overshadowed by dominant narratives of racial identity. Through sharp and witty observations, it highlights the contradictions of liberal white Americans who claim to be colour blind, the performative nature of racial allyship, and how African Americans and African immigrants differently experience race. This article argues that Ifemelu’s racial awakening and subsequent alienation reveal the limitations of American multiculturalism and the persistence of racial hierarchy.

Keywords: Identity, Love, Self, Sacrifice.