Jennifer Nnamani was born in 1984, in Nigeria. Her first language was Igbo and remembers Nigeria as beautiful, “It was a movie; it was incredible.” Her father’s business allowed their family to enter the upper middle class, but growing political tension and military presence led them to leave Nigeria for their safety in 2000, when Jennifer was 15.

Jennifer knew that she and her siblings would always end up in America, but the transition to America was still difficult. A popular student in Nigeria, she became the only African student at her high school in Upstate New York and faced questions like, “Do you live in huts?” These experiences impacted her sense of belonging. In college, she joined the African student organization and wrote a play about Nigeria. Despite her saying she wouldn't live in Nigeria now, due to political and safety concerns, she has always wanted people to know that she is proudly African. “There is something about home that just feels very different.”

Jennifer lives in New York City, calling it “a beautiful melting pot.” Jennifer is in a Nigerian women’s group chat, where she has found “her people.” “We’re all trying to find ourselves in a new country.” She identifies as a New Yorker-Nigerian, believing both shape how she sees the world.

Jennifer’s object is a piece of her grandmother’s clothing fabric her grandmother left for her before she died in Nigeria. Jennifer never washed it; it still carries her grandmother’s scent. The fabric reminds her of her grandparents, whom she loved dearly, and connects her to a home she loves but cannot fully return to.

– Simone Oduola

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant