An issue of ethnocentrism in americanah new
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Is one particular society superior to another?
Ethnocentrism is identified as the judging of another culture exclusively by the values and standards of ones own traditions. Although Ethnocentrism is discussed in a unfavorable manner, you will find few instances where ethnocentrism acs within a positive fashion. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian author, of critically celebrated novel Americanah, displays just how ethnocentrism is present in the United States today. Americanah is actually a novel of a young Nigerian women, Ifemelu, who travels to America to go to college. Ifemelu, among the protagonists of Americanah, experience life in America head in her trip. Ifemelu encounters the hardships of ethnocentrism throughout her life in the us because the girl with from Nigeria. Adichie uses Ifemelu and the novel to engage readers with an auld question: should certainly immigrants in america be by a disadvantage because their traditions is not American? Through this paper I will provide an examination of Americanah by evaluating the ways Us citizens use ethnocentrism negatively towards African international locations and immigrants in the United States.
To achieve this aim, I have prepared my daily news into three main areas, two of which have sub-sections. Inside the first section, I will present how ethnocentrism plays a role in the hinderance of African migrants. I will demonstrate this by making use of textual support from Americanah and by employing research via F. Nii-Amoo Dodoo and Polibio Diaz. In the second section, I will provide a refutation source. This refutation resource will be supported by Donald T. Campbells study: Theories of Conflict, Cultural Attitudes, and Group Patterns. I will end my newspaper with a third section that delivers even greater support for my personal thesis. The next section will contain textual support along with research by Richard Shiraev and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I also include a Works Reported page which has all the options I have used.
In the story, Americanah, ethnocentrism is present through the entire protagonists your life in the United States. Immigrants find obtaining jobs in America difficult since the qualifications they obtain off their nation can be perceived never to be up to criteria in America. Ifemelu encounters these kinds of hardships not directly when she is waiting for a taxi. While waiting in the taxi series, Ifemelu starts to express her dissatisfaction with Nigerian taxi cab drivers: “She hoped her driver may not be Nigerian, because once he observed her feature, he would either be aggressively eager to tell her that he had a master’s degree, the taxi was obviously a second task, and his girl was within the deans list at Rutgers” (Adichie 10). This estimate from Americanah is very effective because it reveals the issues many of these immigrants have had to withstand. This cab driver faces ethnocentrism due to where he can be from. He has received a masters degree yet because it was not in America it will not hold the same value. Despite the fact that this gentleman may be really intelligent, he does not possess equal option because he is definitely from Africa. Ethnocentrism exists because in the event that his degree was attained in America he would not have this matter. The taxi cab drivers situation in America frequently occurs in migrants and is demonstrated in Farrenheit. Nii-Amoo Dodoo research: “Assimilation Differences amongst Africans in the usa. ” Dodoo explores many ways in which African immigrants have difficulty in America. Africa immigrants deal with many issues due to the ethnocentrism of Americans. They cannot obtain jobs because they are coming from Africa in spite of their excessive levels of education. Dodoo argues “African foreign nationals have noticeably higher degrees of education when compared to other migrants groups. Controversely, related to their high levels of schooling and relative youth, Africans have lowest degrees of working experience” (Dodoo 533). As Dodoo asserts, Photography equipment immigrants face hardships in spite of many of them becoming very well well-informed. These foreign nationals face ethnocentrism in the American workplace as a result of preconceived symbole culture of Africa.
Preconceived notions lead to many stereotypes about Africa which might be present during Americanah in addition to the world today. These stereotypes tend to become negative because of American’s ethnocentric views. Ifemelu encounters a large number of stereotypes regarding Africa once shes at a job interview for a childcare professional position with her friend Ginika. Ifemelu arrived at the house to meet her future workplace, Kimberly and Kimberly’s sibling Laura. On the job interview, Ifemelu noticed Laura’s ethnocentric sights about The african continent in her comments. For one stage during the interview Kimberly asks, “‘Ginika stated you still left Nigeria because college professors are always in strike there? ‘ Laura nodded knowingly. ‘Horrible, what’s happening in Africa countries'” (Adichie 181). Later in the discussion the two ladies muse about Africa: “‘I’m sure home you consumed a lot of wonderful organic food and vegetables, nevertheless you’re going to discover its different here. ‘ ‘Kim, if she was eating all this organic meals in Nigeria, why will she come to U. S.? ‘ Laura asked” (Adichie 182). In this conversation we can see just how Laura is very ethnocentric toward Africa. Shes talking about The african continent in a very negative tone, despite the fact that she knows little regarding Africa. Laura’s viewpoint of Africa is common among People in the usa because of their ethnocentric views.
Polibio Diaz reveals many ways Artists addresses issues such as ethnocentrism in their work in his research, The Emerging Cannon: Artist and their Art. Diaz examines the effort of many superb artists such as Asof Aviidian, Franco Sacchi, Rafael Rozendaal, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Due to their life time experiences these types of artists illumine the injustices committed all over the globe. due to their life time experiences. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian writer, echoes out on various problems and prejudices against people coming from Nigeria. According to Diaz, Adichie observes:
The Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie noticed that lower income and exoticism are ‘the single story’ of Africa. Stereotypes are certainly not necessarily wrong, she says, but they are incomplete. When the West examines Africa it seems incapable of going beyond the stories of war, ASSISTS, and safaris. Relying exclusively on this fact to describe a whole continent robs people with their dignity. (31)
These stereotypes are directly related to Ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is usually shown mainly because many those who are making the accusations within Diaz’s discussion arent totally informed inside the matter. The Ethnocentrism used in these stereotypes are very negative and can be detrimental to many Photography equipment immigrants. Mentioned previously in the content these stereotypes rob a whole continent with their dignity. Ethnocentrism in this case produces an extremely undesirable position intended for African immigrants entering America. Although, ethnocentrism may cause wonderful hardship, it can possibly be the main cause for good in many scenarios.
The fact that ethnocentrism should never exist in a society is not totally true. Ethnocentrism has been proven to be a positive power in world. Donald Capital t. Campbell’s study, Ethnocentrism: Hypotheses of Discord, Ethnic Thinking, and Group Behavior, examines many aspects of ethnocentrism. Campbell argues while ethnocentrism does reveal a large number of wrongdoings additionally, it may prove to be successful in a world. Campbells is exploring the advantages i his research: “Several theories suggest a positive relationship between intricacy of social, economic and political framework and ethnocentrism in general business of more powerful and tighter ingroup cohesion and coordination” (Campbell 223). Also Campbell argues that ethnocentrism performs a positive function in “family structure since it impinges around the developing Child” (Campbell 148). Lastly, Campbell argues that ethnocentrism helps bring about patriotism and nationalism in a society (Campbell 21). Campbells research proves that ethnocentrism can perform a positive function as it permits cohesion in a society, strong family values to remain among its users and stimulates patriotism and nationalism in a society. In Campbells disagreement he truly does prove the ways ethnocentrism will benefit a world instead of devastating it. However , if that ethnic person migrates its triggers great difficulty to assimilate in a fresh culture. This example is common among African migrants and the once positive ethnocentrism works against them. In America, many Photography equipment Immigrants struggle due to ethnocentrism.
Inside the novel, Americanah, the burden on African Immigrants was displayed by Ifemelu on her first time of school in America. Ifemelu experienced ethnocentrism first hand when she encountered the ladies in charge of sign up, Cristina Tomas. When Ifemelu arrives, Christina Tomas attempts to help Ifemelu when your woman asks “‘Good Afternoon. Is this the right place registration? ‘ Ifemelu asked Cristina Tomas, whose brand she would not know after that. ‘Yes. Now. Are. You. An. International. Student? ‘ ‘Yes’ ‘You. Will. Initially. Need. To. Get. A. Letter. By. The. Worldwide. Students. Office”‘ (Adichie 163). Then Ifemelu wanted to know why Cristina Tomas was speaking that way, “She noticed that Cristina Tomas was speaking like that because of her, her foreign highlight, and the girl felt for a moment just like a small kid, lazy-limbed and drooling. ‘I speak English’ she stated. ‘I wager you do, ‘ Cristina Tomas said ‘I just never know how well”‘ (Adichie 163). This caused Ifemelu to shrink and made her experience inferior even though she had spoken the english language all her life and led the debating world in supplementary school. Cristina Tomas reveals American ethnocentrism when she assumes Ifemelu could not speak proper english due to her accent. Cristina Tomas spoke to her as though she had been speaking to a kid. Ifemelu’s encounter is relatable to Richard Shiraev exploration A History of Psychology: A worldwide Perspective. in which he Eric echoes about his experience in the field of Psychology, and just how ethnocentrism affects many persons in this discipline. In Shiraev’s research, this individual states: “One of many factors adding to ethnocentrism was the language barrier¦ Researchers who may have limited familiarity with english or any access to worldwide journals, regrettably, have a diminished possibility to be recognized” (Shiraev 23). Shiraev study shows how a language buffer can cause ethnocentrism and blacken the knowledge of countless very smart individuals. Just like the researchers analyze, Ifemelu was discredited by Cristina Tomas even though the girl with a very brilliant woman.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s research African “Authenticity” and Biafran Experience is exploring the ways through which, ethnocentrism exists throughout the world today. In this analysis, Adichie explores her own personal experiences and just how her work exposes social ill across the world. In the book and anywhere else, Adichie describes how ethnocentrism can perform a negative role in the form of stereotypes. In Adichies own existence experience the girl faces ethnocentrism when she meets her new roommates in America: “They were astonished I knew who Mariah Carey was, they’d assumed that we listen to what they called ‘tribal music’ (Adichie 43). Adichie encountered ethnocentrism first hand once she 1st came to America because her American roommates believed just they believed that kind of music. Later in her study she explores how these stereotypes can be damaging, “The issue with stereotypes, however , particularly in literature, is that one account can become the only story: stereotypes straitjacket the ability to believe in sophisticated ways” (Adichie 43). This quote is very powerful and shows just how stereotypes could be harmful and create many ethnocentric landscapes. Adichie demonstrates how these kinds of ethnocentric stereotypes can harm many individuals in America. While Adichie claims these stereotypes can straitjacket individuals and create wonderful hardships for individuals to encounter. Ethnocentrism causes many hardships on African Immigrants around the world and creates a rift between ethnicities.
From this paper Let me provide an evaluation of Americanah by examining the ways People in the usa use ethnocentrism negatively towards African nations around the world and foreign nationals in the United States. On the globe, there are many different ethnicities that overlap with one another. No culture surpasses another, a few cultures are simply just different. Ethnocentrism is present all over the world today and maybe one day the rifts among cultures is going to cease to exist.
