The African Diaspora refers to the roughly 150 million people of African descent who reside outside of the African continent, primarily in the Americas and Western Europe. The term was initially coined to reference only the descendants of slaves, but the term is now often broadened to encompass all people of African heritage living in the West.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2013 novel Americanah directly ties to the idea of the African Diaspora because it chronicles the experiences of Ifemelu, a Nigerian emigrant to the United States. Throughout the plot, Ifemelu struggles to navigate the complex race relations she finds in America and questions her own identity as a “non-American black” living in the US. Ifemelu explores these issues at length by writing on her blog,” Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks.” Many of Ifemelu’s observations are rooted in the history of racism and oppression experienced by African Americans and she contrasts the experience of the Old and New Diasporas. In these ways, Americanah connects to the idea of the African Diaspora.