IN this concluding piece of the two-part story, I will attempt to narrate some of the actions some Nigerians have taken to overcome the burden of American law and culture. Just like every action, there are advantages and consequences trying to escape the firm grips of the marriage laws in the United States.
In any case, unlike the recent immigrants, those who came to America in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s came primarily for education and had planned to go back immediately after their education. However, the frustration of remaining abroad—self-exile—seems to compound the discernible disgusting psyche of most these guys. Thus, the present state of mind of some African immigrants, particularly the Nigerian immigrants to the U.S. breeds rant and rave in their respective relationships as their home culture contends with the American law.
The impact of cultural clash seems to be overwhelming on some immigrants than others. Some people tend to accommodate the new culture better than others. Still, there are immigrants who have adopted the concept of cultural assimilation. These individuals seem to do well within the American culture. That said, it’s disconcerting to see the alarming rate of divorce among Nigerians in US. It would rather be a flawed assertion to blame the epidemic on American law and culture. It’s about personal responsibility.
Talking about divorce, while the nomenclature of relationships is not within the scope of this piece, in the Diaspora, however, relationships, especially monogamous ones, are under immense pressure or stress either because of the environmental factors or other unique circumstances.
No matter what the circumstances are, it is often more convenient to abandon a stressful or tumultuous relationship than to painfully go through the agonizing years of resolving the inherent protracted problems. In some cases, some people are just hanging in there for the kids in a relationship that has long ended.
The foundation for male-female relationship was prefaced in Genesis, especial in Genesis 1:27-28 which said, “God … created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number …” Further insight on the foundation of male-female relationship could be found in Genesis 2:24-25. Also, it could be deduced that relationships are meant to be joyful, less stressful, and without acrimony.
However, the stress in some of these relationships is exacerbated by the absence of clear communication and understanding of each other, as well as the presence of the mother-in-law. These mothers-in-laws have directly or indirectly undermined the many marriages in the United States. Nevertheless, because of a perceived notion that the man does not understand, care, or respect his partner, the problems in these relationships inevitably grow strong wings and soar unrelentingly until the catastrophic midair collision. Sometimes, leaving the debris and walking away may appear to be a viable option. Perhaps, picking up the pieces from the ruins may seem more painful than the initial collision. The pain and simmering anger may be more excruciating with each reflective moment of the old. This is all about deciphering the emotional construct of a Nigerian woman in an American context.
Some people feel that the stress in male-female relationships could be reduced if men have the knowledge of what the women want. The only caveat is, do women really know what they want from men? To quote a colleague in a casual conversation where he was talking about inherent inconsistencies in human, he said “My ex-fiancée wanted me to be the leader of the household, but she never gave me the opportunity to lead; she did not allow me to lead.” He continued by saying that she took the power to provide the desired leadership away from him.
Secularly speaking, no one has the elixir, including the women themselves, for unlocking the mystery behind the emotional state of women at any given period. There is even an old cliché that says that if one wants to live happily with his wife, that individual has to employ only one eye, instead of two eyes, to view things in the relationship.
Though I am neither a marriage counselor nor a monogamous relationship expert, yet based on experience, I have some knowledge of minutiae in a monogamous relationship.
It is understandable that a woman’s emotional state is dynamic, particularly when it comes to expressing her needs. This phenomenon makes it difficult to sometimes accurately discern or ascertain her immediate needs based on cues. A woman’s needs keep changing continuously. Women are frustrated that men could not understand their needs in any given period. Men are even more frustrated with lack of understanding or predictability of women’s needs based on the known cues. The same cue may signal totally different needs.
On the other hand, men are not as intuitive as women. As result, men may not know what women want or need at a given time. Sadly, they may never tell us since it is expected that we should have known. Our psychological makeup, predisposition, and perspectives on things, especially on things men consider minor, are starkly different. These, among other variables, account for how differently men and women view, receive, analyze, conceptualize, and internalize things.
Many African men have gone back to their respective countries to remarry, a trending phenomenon that is now widespread. Some of them have left their second wives in their respective home countries. Those who have not concluded their divorce could not bring their wives here for fear of facing prison term for marrying more than one wife. For them, it is safe to leave them in Africa until they finalize their divorce in the United States. Unfortunately, stories of infidelity concerning the wives in Africa abound. Since their respective husbands visit Africa once or twice a year, they opted to meet their emotional and sexual needs elsewhere.