The American Trap

“Nigeria before was good. Now, it is like hellfire.”

Martina Okeke, a U.S. immigrant born in Nigeria, left her children and had not seen any of them since 1988. Her life in New York consists of a subpar job and a not-so-stellar apartment which barely has light coming in from a window, yet she describes her experience as one that is magical compared to that in Nigeria. Despite her disposition, her life in the city was not a pleasant one. A more in-depth interview was conducted by David Gonzalez for his article, “When American Dream Leads to Servitude” and gives more insight into her life.