Elizabeth Hohn ’24
Spring 2021
Hollywood depictions characterized the expectations Placidus Amama, an immigrant from Nigeria, had before he immigrated to the US. Western movies, backyard pools, and military might are a few of the things he mentions in our interview that he associated with America before moving here at age 31. Upon arriving, though, he realized that “it’s not a cowboy society” and that most people cannot afford their own private pools. The military part, however, is true. Another thing he was right about was his ability to find an opportunity as a researcher, a longtime dream of his.
Placidus told me that it has always been his dream to become a researcher because he wanted to make discoveries that would contribute to the betterment of the world. Growing up in Nigeria, he realized that America would provide him with the best opportunity to achieve his dream because of its prestigious research institutes. After getting his PhD in Japan, he searched for a postdoctoral fellowship in the US. He was able to find a position at Yale, partially thanks to information from his uncle, who was connected to Yale medical school at the time. After a couple of years at Yale, other opportunities opened up for him. He followed his interests until he ended up as an Associate Professor at Kansas State University, where he works now.
His time in the US has not been without struggle, though. He arrived with little money to his name and initially rented a small, inexpensive apartment in a neighborhood where he occasionally heard gunshots. Despite the low cost of rent, he still struggled to pay it some months. He looks back on this time fondly, though, and even says he enjoyed it. He says that living in this cheap apartment “allowed [him] to live [his] dream.” In our interview, Placidus emphasized the importance of hard work in his culture several times. Without a doubt, his success is thanks to his many years of hard work.
Another area that did not always come smoothly was making friends. He describes the culture in Nigeria as being centered around community, whereas the US is very individualistic. An additional expectation he had based on a movie trope was to receive a pie after moving into a new neighborhood. This expectation, too, came true, but only after two homes. He describes the metaphorical difference between American and Nigerian culture being that in the US, after receiving a pie, you are now expected to wave at that neighbor from your car. In Nigeria, you would invite that neighbor over for dinner the next weekend and then that neighbor would watch out for your children and so forth. Being close with his neighbors is something Placidus misses, although he also appreciates the individualistic nature of the US.
When asked if he would ever leave the US to live elsewhere, Placidus relates that he would potentially leave if he had a better opportunity to serve humanity from another location. One of his interests is teaching in a developing country, and he could imagine this interest taking him out of the US. But for now, the US is where his family is located and his children go to school. He became an American citizen several years ago, and says that it is beginning to feel like home. He enthusiastically declares that the US has “far exceeded [his] expectations, without a question.”
The US is the only country where . . . you can actually achieve your dream through hard work, and good planning, and discipline. In many counties, many societies, you need your family to be well connected . . . The US is different because the US is such an open society.