This paper highlights the portrayal of return migration in Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah (2013) and Imbolo Mbue’s Behold the Dreamers (2016). Through the application of the principles of postcolonialism, the study establishes that return migration is the last phase of the migration cycle. Through a textual analysis of the novels, this paper indicates that postcolonial African migrant characters engage in both voluntary and forced return migration to their home land, especially when they cannot continue to live happily in the host land. Some of the returnees are forced to return home due to their inability to integrate into the host society, while others though successful, and opt to return home voluntarily because they feel that there is no place like home. This paper concludes that the unequivocal presentation of return migration in the texts doubles as advice to African immigrants, to return home voluntarily especially when living abroad becomes fraught with difficulties.
Key terms: Notions, Transnational Migration, Return Migration, Postcolonial (Theory, Voluntary Return, Forced Return.
Written By:
Bernard Dickson, Ph.D
Department of English,
University of Uyo, Uyo
Bernarddickson@uniuyo.edu.ng,
Bernarddickson@53.gmail.org
Chika Juliet Ilokaba
Department of English,
University of Uyo, Uyo.