Journey to America

Azeez Akande, a Nigerian immigrant living in New Jersey, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his mom, and his younger brothers. In the summer of 2003, Azeez can hardly believe his luck when his father, who won the American Visa Lottery, asked him to follow him to America. Azeez was eager to travel to America. A land full of beautiful white people walking on clean streets, stunning mansions with twenty-four-seven power supply, restaurants with all-you-can-eat buffets, clean drinking water rushing out from the tap anytime you want - as much as you want, good roads without any litter or dirt, a land free from poverty, and toilets that people can sit on. Azeez was sold on the idea that America was the greatest country on earth.

With these opportunities, the sky was no longer the limit for a black boy who had never gone beyond a twelve-mile radius of his village but a path to his dream destination. Azeez can, at last, smell white air, walk on white soil, and, most importantly, have sex with a white woman.

Based on a true story, Azeez explores the differences between expectations and reality, the challenges of adapting to a new culture, finding personal growth, and gradually losing faith in the American dream. The story depicts America as a place where bills pile up, employers make unreasonable demands, and racial prejudice adds complexity to life in this new and unfamiliar world.