What do Nigerians think of America?
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Answers What do you think of the United States? · see how other cities answered →
Asked on a Lagos street what comes to mind when they hear the United States, people answer in one word before they answer in sentences. The first two words are racism and school shooting.
Nobody is guessing at random. Each answer comes with its source and its reasoning, which is what makes the piece worth having. On racism: “Due to like social media, videos I watch on social media. They discriminate the darker skin. If anybody from another country, they normally treat you like trash, like you’re different. So I feel it’s also a red flag for their country.” On guns: “Since they allow guns in America, people misuse the opportunity and they kill people that are innocent, especially children.”
The same person then says something more complicated than either headline. Asked what else comes to mind, she says white people, and explains without apology: “Because I’m in Africa, so I’m used to seeing black people. So apart from the fact that they racist, I still admire their white skin colour.” And what she actually wants from the place: New York, thrift stores, the fashion.
The dollar comes up first for another, who is honest about the limits of what he knows. “The US dollar, it has large value compared to other countries. I don’t know why.” He works the puzzle out loud: everybody wants to go, so what have they got? Oil? Tourism? He does not land it, and does not pretend to.
Then the answer that reframes the whole question. “I would say it’s a nice place, but I don’t have any opinion yet, because Nigeria is the best for me. There’s money in Nigeria.” He would visit for exhibitions, he is an artist, three months at most, and then home.
A film student gives the most technical answer in it, on box office share and who controls the market. And Kafani signs off with her own, which she is careful to mark as hers alone.
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