Abstract
This study examines the experiences of Nigerian
migrants in the diaspora as portrayed in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah
(2013) and Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo’s The Tiny Things Are Heavier (2025).
Using Postcolonial Theory as the analytical lens, the paper explores the
complexities of migration, including the tension between imagined and lived
experiences, economic survival, emotional isolation, racialisation, and the
negotiation of identity and belonging. Both texts illustrate that migration is
not merely a physical relocation but a multifaceted process influenced by
historical, social, and structural forces.
The analysis reveals that migrants often confront the disparity between the myth of life abroad and the challenges of the host society, including underemployment, cultural estrangement, and social exclusion. Racism and identity shock emerge as central experiences, compelling migrants to constantly negotiate selfhood within hierarchical, postcolonial frameworks. Additionally, the study highlights the psychological and emotional dimensions of migration, such as loneliness, nostalgia, and the ongoing struggle to maintain connections to home while adapting to a foreign environment. Both narratives also foreground the liminal position of migrants, existing between home and host societies, where belonging is continuously negotiated and redefined. This duality reflects the enduring legacies of colonial histories and global inequalities that shape diasporic experiences. By comparing these two contemporary Nigerian texts, the study contributes to African migration literature by illustrating the interplay of expectation, reality, and identity in the diaspora. It emphasises that migration entails not only economic and social adjustment but also profound emotional and cultural negotiation, offering valuable insights into the contemporary African diasporic condition.
Keywords: Migration, Diaspora, Identity,
Economic Survival, Emotional Isolation.
DOI: 10.36349/sojolics.2026.v02i02.040
author/Orunsolu, Oluwapelumi Comfort
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 2(2) | August 2026 |
