Diran Aina arrived in New York City in 1976 to pursue his education, moving in with a friend who had also immigrated from Nigeria and intending to return home afterward because an American degree carried prestige and improved employment opportunities back home. His first month and a half in New York, however, was difficult. Arriving during winter break, he was not yet enrolled in school and spent his days working as a delivery driver. A robbery at his apartment, combined with the isolation he felt, prompted him to leave the city. Unlike Nigeria, where neighbors and community are central to daily life, Aina found New York lonely and disconnected.
He moved to Detroit, where he enrolled in college and built friendships through classes, studying, and social gatherings. The object he chose is a photograph of himself and his father taken in 1981, during his first trip back to Nigeria after completing his undergraduate degree. At the time, he still expected to return home permanently. Instead, his mother encouraged him to return to America for a master’s degree, a decision that changed the course of his life. He met his American wife, started a family, and remained in the United States. The photo is especially meaningful because it is the only one he has with his father.
Aina says the American Dream is “your own dream.” Although he built his life in America, he has returned to Nigeria regularly—annually after 1981 and, since 2011, every three months. He continues to maintain strong ties to Nigeria while embracing the family life he built in America.

– Simone Oduola

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant