The Good Immigrant is a collection of essays and personal reflections about race and identity in the UK. The book offers fascinating insight into contemporary thought regarding race and immigration in twenty-first century Britain. Each essay is beautifully written, easily accessible, and offers fresh perspectives on what it means to exist in England as a non-white person.
My favourite essay in the collection is Inua Ellams’ ”Cutting Through (on Black Barbershops and Masculinity)”. In it, the playwright documents his travels across the African continent, wherein he analyses performances of masculinity, as witnessed in barbershops. I also enjoyed “Forming Blackness Through a Screen” by Reni Eddo-Lodge. In it, the writer talks about the importance of on-screen representation, particularly when you exist in environments where you don’t see yourself reflected in the demographic. Whilst Lodge points to shows like “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” as being informative and important representations of blackness, she also highlights the problematic nature of the show’s respectability politics.
The Good Immigrant offers a wide variety of snapshots about immigrant identity in this country and is able to capture cultural nuances in an entertaining and highly accessible format. A must-read for everyone.
IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY ALSO LIKE FROM THE LIBRARY:
Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire – Akala (2018)
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race – Reni Eddo-Lodge (2017)
Black and British: A Forgotten History – David Olusoga (2016)
Written by Leighan Renaud
