When I was little, I thought the United States was in the heavens. The altitude of planes that traveled in the sky caused a misconception that I dispelled as I grew older. I learned that the United States is actually located on the North American continent, on Earth, and that planes are just a mode of transportation that allows us to travel. It may seem silly now, but as a kid, I was convinced. Everything I watched on television about the United States made me think of it as a fantasy land. It rained cotton, there were people with white skin, an old man that rode flying horses and there were colorful lights. 

Fast forward to when I was 14. Our immigration process concluded and we were packing to relocate. It occurred to me that this was actually happening, we were traveling abroad. I lived in Nigeria my entire life and had never been to any other country, so you could imagine the excitement I felt.  The day of our flight dawned and there I was at the airport with my hair intricately braided and tucked behind my ears, in a matching burgundy T-shirt that was emblazoned with the American flag and underneath printed, “In God we trust” just like the rest of my family. “This is it,” I thought.

In July 2021, I came to the USA. My family was the only family on my mother’s side that didn’t reside in the US, and being family-oriented, it was bound to happen sooner or later. We landed in Houston and although it was similar to the city I resided in Nigeria, it was noticeably quieter. I got enrolled in school and was amazed by the differences in the educational systems. From wearing casual clothes to staying indoors all day, I didn’t know what surprised me most. In Nigeria, Students are required to wear uniforms. Teachers walk to classes from their office, while students stay in the classrooms with assigned class prefects to keep order. Phones aren’t allowed on school grounds at all, interpersonal relationships between teachers and students are pretty much non-existent and schools are structured at least 30% outdoors.

Everything was foreign to me. The societal norms were very different but I slowly began to conform. I learned to stop bowing when I greet and to start making eye contact when I speak but even on top of my efforts to fit in, I couldn’t escape the stereotypes. Upon hearing my Afrocentric accent, people automatically assumed I was dumb. It brought me so much unwanted attention and I noticed how people would talk to me like I was a kindergartener, or try to uncharacteristically enunciate. I felt patronized with the unsolicited assistance they would offer at times but I wasn’t one to call people out.

The most asked question I’ve gotten upon coming to America is how I learned to speak English so fast. This was a question that used to be innocuous but having had to answer it a whole bunch of times, I’ve grown bored, most especially when it’s not out of curiosity but ridicule. Nigerians speak English and for most of us, it’s our first language. English was introduced to Nigeria during British colonialism, and it’s become an integral part of our daily lives. The widespread use of the English language in Nigeria has made it the de facto official language that bridges the language barrier since Nigeria is a diverse and multilingual country with more than 500 languages spoken. 

There are lots of discrepancies between Nigeria and the US that I have learned to cope with, being a Nigerian in the United States but regardless, it will forever remain one of the best things that has ever happened to me. There is a Nigerian Pidgin saying that “Naija no dey carry last” which translates to Nigerians strive to always be on top. We are known for our resilience, and dedication and God couldn’t bless me more, putting me in the greatest country in the entire world, a place that would allow me to ascend.

I am living the American dream, and every time I remember that, my heart floods with gratitude. Coming to America is a story widely told in multiple ways and mine is yet another, but I hope one day I will be able to tell the story “I went to America” with a radiant smile on my face to people brimming with hope.