Abstract

Hair and race in Adichie’s Americanah is an intertwined theme that cannot be overlooked as it runs across the novel. From while Ifemelu is at home in Nigeria to her stay in the US. Hair and for that African hair continue to elicit uproar and debates in regard to race. Hair is a physiologically produced aspect of the human body which contributes a lot to one’s physical being. It has been used to define standards of beauty. This article sets out to analyze hair politics and what is considered beautiful in the WEST. As such the paper examines some attributes that make hair the medium of significant statements about self and society and the codes of value that bind them or do not. Hair can be likened to a raw material since it goes through various processes in the name of grooming, preparing, and shaving or be totally concealed as in cases of Muslim women. This article limits itself to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah. The study employed the postcolonial theorization of Hall Stuart to investigate the above concerns. This study was library based as the research relied on the secondary sources. A close and in-depth reading of the text was done. This article concluded that hair texture, pigmentation and skull formation are major determinants in race statuses and discrimination. The findings recommended that there is need for Western cultures who pride themselves in the ideology of superiority, freedom and equality for all and the long held faith in the American dream to re-evaluate their national values.  There is need for the WEST  to appreciate African hair and pigmentation and embrace such beauty without placing undue pressure to conform to Eurocentric beauty standard that are later renounced by immigrants.