Race and Hair

In Americanah, why is it that once Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, we not longer hear about her hair? Author Chimamanda Adichie says, during one of her interviews, that hair is political for black women. In the case of Ifemelu, however, the details and significance surrounding her political hair appear almost exclusively during her stay in America and appear maybe once or twice in Nigeria.  For Ifemelu, hair is like race – it does not take on any meaning until she is in America and it leaves its meaning behind in America as well.

When Ifemelu is in America, we hear quite a bit about her hair, how it is styled, and what it means. Ifemelu wears her hair in braids upon arrival to America and keeps it this way until she gets a job interview through Curt. We learn that, in preparation for this interview, she must relax her hair because she “needs to look professional for [her] interview, and professional means straight is best” (252). Hair has a deeper meaning for Ifemelu because she is a black woman. Ifemelu discusses that white women, by being white, not only are in the majority but they also have the ‘right’ kind of hair that would be considered ‘normal.’ Ifemelu, on the other hand, would look to ‘ghetto,’ ‘jungle,’ or ‘artsy,’ if her hair was anything but straight. Her hair coupled with her race, is prominent enough to be influential on this job opportunity.

Later, when her hair begins to fall out, her friend Wambui convinces Ifemelu to cut all it all off and start anew. At first she resents it, and is asked more than once if her hair is a statement (262). While out one day with Curt, a black man snidely asked her, “’You ever wonder why he likes you looking all jungle like that?’” (263). This also extends to the issues of being a biracial couple. She faces constant looks of other white women who wonder why Curt would choose Ifemelu over them (362). In America, Ifemelu finds that she cannot merely cut her hair because it was unhealthy or date a white man because she likes him; she must have a reason or statement because she is a black woman.

Once Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, her hair is no longer at the forefront. One of the few times it is mentioned is when Ester says, “’Aunty, your hair is jaga-jaga,’ with a kind of sad honesty, about what Ifemelu considered an attractive twist-out style” (511). Other than this, we do not know what style Ifemelu’s hair is in. After returning, Ifemelu’s hair no longer holds any deep meaning, and thus she ceases to make a point to describe her hair. She does not bring it up when she is considering finding work, just as she does not bring up race. When speaking about race in Lagos, Ifemelu merely discusses its influence while in America, not about its significance in Nigeria. Ifemelu’s focus on hair and race changed drastically since leaving America.

Adichie jokes that Americanah is about ‘love, race, and hair,’ and this statement is accurate. In regards to race and hair, America is where Ifemelu finds the differences – she faces ‘being black’ and the new significance of both her skin color and her hair. When she returns back home to Nigeria, she becomes ‘normal Ifemelu’ again.