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Following the Yellow Brick Road?: "Omoluwabi" in the Land of Oz

Omofolabo Ajayi Soyinka, Women's Studies Program / Dept. of Theatre & Film, University of Kansas, Lawrence

The beginning sentence in "Immigrants Traditions" in the first page of the Kansas Humanities Council of Fall 2004, reads " Throughout its 150-year history, Kansas has been a destination for people who value hard work, religious or political freedom, economic opportunity, and want a brighter future for their children." Even though the rest of the short article does not mention any Africans and focuses rather on Mexicans as the recent immigrants in Kansas, there are many Africans, nay many Nigerians, in the heartland of America.
The stories of Nigerians in Kansas become the focus of this paper. Immigrants are at the least bi-cultural, living between worlds. Through the lenses and lessons of the quintessential Kansas story of exploring other lands, "The Wizard of Oz," and the Yoruba concept of ethical precepts, I explore how the immigration of Nigerians in Kansas compare to the state's 150 year old Immigrant traditions? What are their struggles, triumphs, and achievements? What values do they hold dear? After the travel through the yellow brick road, who is behind the curtain?