The Conundrum of Ethnic Discrimination and Identity Crisis in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah

Abstract

The issue of Racial discrimination has emerged as a pressing concern worldwide in general and in the United States in particular in recent times, posing a significant challenge to human rights. Racial discrimination constitutes a grave violation of human rights, which encompasses a broad spectrum of human rights violations, including the adoption of discriminatory practices, the marginalization of domestic issues, and the unjust targeting of ethnic or religious minorities, refugees, and immigrants, often branding them as criminals, either intentionally or inadvertently (Smith & Johnson, n.d.). In this context, the present study aims to examine the facet of ethnic and racial discrimination that is meted out against the African immigrant community in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah. This study tries to investigate the instances of racial discrimination that are orchestrated on the protagonist Ifemelu and her deep longing for ethnic identity after she migrated from Nigeria to America. This research paper also examines the myriad forms of racial politics and myths of sexism and racism prevalent in the American discourses in the light of Intersectionality theory.