I await the arrival of my new daughter-in-law from Nigeria and my new grandson.  I worry about how she will adjust here, leaving her friends and family behind.   She told my son that she thinks America will be more dangerous than Nigeria.  I think that comes from watching too much Law and Order and CSI on television.  We don't even lock our doors where I live.   But from what I've seen in my limited excursions into big cities like New York, Nigerians are the most successful immigrants and the most industrious.  Maybe tied with Koreans.  West Africans are very popular in the US.  They are far and above the most gregarious people I've met.   Please don't change when you come to America and run into all the dull, unfriendly people here.  Keep your cheerful ways.   I think American blacks sort of resent Africans because they don't act like victims, crying and moaning about how unfair everything is.  These are just the opinions of an old lady who is up too late because she can't sleep.

@oasis

Yes, many Americans are interested in genetic testing for genealogical purposes, black and white. It's fascinating. Maybe you saw the program in February hosted by Henry Louis Gates on PBS about tracing African roots for several Afro-American celebrities. Oprah Winfrey, Mae Jamison, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones and several others. Oprah was surprised she wasn't Zulu, but history wasn't in her favor. Almost all Afro-Americans are west African. Henry Gates was surprised to learn that he has only 50% African heritage. The peculiar thing about "race" in America is that one must "choose" which race to belong to. Nowhere else in the world is it this way. Many whites in the US have African ancestry that they are unaware of. The wonderful thing about this work is that it blows the whole idea of race away. The world gets smaller every day.

@Imani
Sorry I spelled your name wrong

@amani

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation in such an exciting field.  Genetics is the next big thing.  Or it already is.  I am very interested in the subject though not formally educated in it.  I read  a lot.  I'm especially interested in the anthropology application of genetics, such as the research into human population migrations using genetic markers.  I have enrolled as a subject in the National Geographic Genographic Project studying human migration patterns.  Of course you know we all came from a small population in eastern Africa some 150,000 years ago.  We are all close cousins as it were.  Here are two web sites you might find interesting:

http://vetinarilord..com/

https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html

Good luck to you.  I hope you will be able to advance your education in the field and we will be someday reading your research in scientific journals. 

@amani

Thank you, Chinani.  I already have a beautiful baby grandson.  I haven't seen him yet.  They are all coming to the US soon from Nigeria.  I read this site to learn about Nigerian culture and attitudes so I can be somewhat informed about the country and be able to share more with my new Daughter-in-law.  I have been reading many books and studying maps and visiting web sites.  I love this site the best.  So many positive and kind people here.  But as to "ideals of beauty", one must admit that it is subjective.  However, as a person of northern European heritage (I'm pink, not white  ), I've always thought dark skinned people are more handsome.

She is beautiful.  But she has some European type features.  I think the Nigerian woman on the America's Next Top Model, Nnenna is more beautiful.  She has a more sub-Saharan look.  Beautiful bones.  Exquisite features.  My daughter-in-law has that kind of beauty.  Her name is also Nnenna. http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model6/pgall_models.php?m=nnenna&id=3

The same thing happens at white kids parties. My nephew was invited to a ChuckECheese birthday party. My sister took him and stayed to help out. Well tons of kids got dumped off and she ended up giving other kids money so they could play the games. They were only 6 year olds. Then birthday kid's mom asked her to stay until all the other kids were picked up because she had to get home. Not making this up.