Americanah: Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

Ifemelu, a Nigerian woman living in Princeton, New Jersey, must travel to another town to get her hair braided properly. She likes Princeton, but its population is mostly white and so there are no hairdressers there who know how to braid her hair. She gets on the train and looks around at the passengers, wondering if they would make good subjects for the lifestyle blog she used to run, which was called “Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black.” She used to interview random people she encountered on public transportation about racial issues and their opinions.

Her blog became very popular, but Ifemelu has recently decided to quit writing it. She wonders if this was a good decision. As the train leaves Princeton and arrives in Trenton, many more black passengers get on. She noticed something similar when she took the New York Subway system, how some places were full of slim white people and others with “fat” black people. Ifemelu thinks about how she has stopped saying “fat” since living in America. Recently a man at the grocery store called Ifemelu fat, and later she looked in the mirror and accepted that this was true.

Ifemelu had recently become dissatisfied with her successful blog, her healthy relationship with her boyfriend Blaine, and her general life in America. She found herself longing for Nigeria, and thinking about her first love, her old boyfriend Obinze. After the rude stranger at the supermarket insulted her, Ifemelu found herself goaded into action. When her academic fellowship at Princeton ended, she told Blaine that she was moving back home to Nigeria.

Ifemelu and Blaine had been together for three years, especially bonding over their shared enthusiasm for Barack Obama. Blaine could only ask “why” when she told him she was leaving, despite the fact that he is a professor who always looks for the complex reasons behind things. Ifemelu felt guilty, but had always known that Blaine could not give her what she needed in life.

Back in the present, Ifemelu gets off the train and takes a taxi to the hair braiding salon. She is relieved that her taxi driver isn’t Nigerian, as Nigerian taxi drivers always like to boast about their success in America to her, or else look resentful that she seems so successful. Ifemelu has never been to this salon before, but she knows it will look like all the other African hair braiding salons she has been to.

They arrive and Ifemelu goes into the salon. The three women working there are Mariama, Halima, and Aisha. Ifemelu haggles with Mariama and Mariama says that Aisha will do her hair. It is very hot inside and there is no air conditioning. A Nigerian movie is playing on the TV. Mariama says that she and Halima are from Mali, while Aisha is from Senegal. Halima gives Ifemelu the special smile that Ifemelu recognizes as being only for fellow Africans.

Ifemelu tries to read the novel she has brought, but it’s too hot to concentrate. Mariama apologizes and says that the air conditioner broke yesterday, but Ifemelu knows that this isn’t true – it probably broke long before, or never worked at all. Aisha finishes the customer she’s working on. She asks Ifemelu what color of hair attachments she wants, and disapproves when Ifemelu requests a more natural color than the usual pure black.

Aisha asks Ifemelu why she doesn’t relax her hair with chemicals, and Ifemelu finds herself preaching (as she often does to black women) about keeping her hair “the way God made it,” and how it can be combed if it’s properly moisturized. Ifemelu brought her own comb and combs her hair herself. Aisha snorts derisively, and then starts to braid Ifemelu’s hair. They watch the TV and Aisha asks if Ifemelu knows the Nigerian actors. Ifemelu says she doesn’t.

Aisha says that Nigerian films (Nollywood) used to be bad but now are good, and Ifemelu is pleased to hear Nigeria praised. She has been looking for good omens about her decision to return home, as everyone she knows seems to think she is making a bad decision. Only her old friend in Lagos, Ranyinudo, seemed pleased. Ranyinudo was the one who had told Ifemelu about Obinze’s marriage, newfound wealth, and child. Ifemelu, overcome with emotion, had then sent Obinze an email after years of silence between them. He had responded, but she hadn’t answered back.

Aisha asks Ifemelu if she is Yoruba, and is surprised to hear that she is Igbo (two of the three main ethnic groups in Nigeria). Aisha says she is dating two Igbo men right now, and she wants to marry either one, but they both say that Igbo people can only marry other Igbo. Ifemelu is amused by this, and says that Igbo people marry all kinds of people. Aisha talks more, and in describing her sister she says “Africa” instead of a specific country. Ifemelu points this out, and Aisha says that she has learned to just say “Africa” or else Americans will be confused.

Aisha asks how long Ifemelu has been in America, but Ifemelu decides then that she doesn’t like Aisha, so she ignores the question and checks her phone. She feels suddenly reckless and composes an email to Obinze, sending it off without rereading it. Aisha refuses to be discouraged and repeats her question. Ifemelu says fifteen years—it has only been thirteen, but she is used to lying about this because most Africans in America respect you more the longer you’ve been there—and Aisha is impressed.

Aisha ask where Ifemelu lives, and then looks intimidated when she says Princeton. Ifemelu takes a “perverse pleasure” in this. She tells Aisha that she is moving back to Nigeria next week, but Aisha can’t understand why she would do this after fifteen years in America. Ifemelu thinks of how her family and friends have wondered if she can “cope” with living in Nigeria again, as if America has fundamentally changed her. She hasn’t told her parents that she broke up with Blaine, instead saying that he would be following her after a few weeks.

Ifemelu lies to Aisha and says that she is going to Nigeria to see “her man,” and Aisha finally accepts this as a good reason. Aisha then declares that she will invite her two boyfriends to come talk to Ifemelu, so Ifemelu can tell them that Igbo people don’t always have to marry other Igbo. Ifemelu tries to dissuade her, but Aisha is persistent. Ifemelu thinks about how this would be a good subject for a blog post about “How the Pressures of Immigrant Life Can Make You Act Crazy.”