This question is in reference to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies’ Americanah
At several points in the novel, Ifemelu uses the word “tribalism” to discuss the divisions in American society (such as on pp. 227-8 in the blog post titled “Understanding America for the Non-American Black”). Why does Ifemelu use this term? How are the racial, class, regional, and religious blocs that make up the contemporary United States “like” tribes? And what is the overall effect of having a Nigerian immigrant, in Ifemelu, characterize the United States in this manner?