The cross-border journey: exploring the unheard trauma, identity crisis, and perpetual pursuit for “Home” in Crossing and Americanah

Abstract

Cross-border or transnational migration has been a part of human civilization since the beginning, as people moved from one place to another for various reasons before settling down. Taken together, Americanah and Crossing provide valuable insight into the difficulties and realities of relocating to a new country from the perspectives of double marginalized individuals. This paper aims to address the strenuous cross-border experience by exploring the resettling, victimization, trauma, distress, isolation, identity crisis, in-betweenness or third-space, and assimilation process in the new country. Furthermore, it will provide an authentic representation of the reality of the migration and post-migration experience and deconstruct the colonial view of the colonizers through neo-colonialism which will disillusion the ordinary people. The paper will offer a comprehensive understanding of the plight of refugees and immigrants from the postcolonial, womanist, and queer theoretical perspectives.