A wise person once said, “A Black Woman’s biggest hair problem is that they think their hair is a problem.” Black women are often seen wearing their natural hair whether it’s relaxed in a straight hairstyle or natural in a fro. Hair to black women represent who they are as an African American or American African woman. Not only do black women embody their natural hair, but they also take pride in it. In the novel, Americanah, the author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie indirectly addresses hair and its significance. She uses hair as a symbol of identity for African American and American African women. Hair in Americanah symbolizes the identity and confidence, while also breaking the mold of society’s expectations of both African American and American African women. Natural hair defines identity for most African American and American African women. While discovering herself, Ifemelu repeatedly changes her hairstyle. She had braids at first, then she relaxed her hair, which caused it to fall out. This resulted in her having to cut all her hair off. When Ifemelu moved to America she …show more content…
They are usually pressured to fit into the American standards of beauty, and are generally shamed if unable to fit those standards. We live in a society where some Americans believe that black women should relax or perm their hair in order to seem more professional or simply more beautiful. This causes black women to feel less confident in themselves. When Ifemelu gets a job interview, Aunty Uju and her friend Ruth advise her to get rid of her braids and straighten her hair for the interview. Ruth states, “My only advice? Lose the braids and straighten your hair. Nobody says this kind of stuff but it matters. We want you to get that job.” (250). Ifemelu was used to wearing braids, when she lived in Nigeria. For her to come to America and change her looks was different and a bit