COMING FOR AMERICA
The Turbulence
Andayi Mushenye
BOOK SYNOPSIS
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Andayi Mushenye always dreamed of America—a land he imagined flowing with milk, honey, and endless opportunity. When he’s accepted to Eastern Michigan University, that dream finally begins to materialize. But nothing in his Kenyan village, nor his British-style education, has prepared him for the culture shock that awaits.
From the moment he steps off the plane, Andayi is hurled into a whirlwind of confusion. He’s never seen an escalator, doesn’t realize Americans drive on the opposite side of the road, and is baffled by their backward date format. When he washes his face in a public water fountain, he’s reprimanded. When someone mentions pizza, he assumes it’s a person.
Things only escalate at the grocery store. Surrounded by endless varieties of the same food, he’s horrified to find “hot dog meat” for sale—and bolts out, convinced Americans are grilling actual dogs. For days, he survives on bread and Coke until hunger drives him to attempt shopping again. Boarding a city bus, he doesn’t realize there’s no fare collector. After a heated misunderstanding, he believes the police are after him, jumps off the bus mid-route, and barely avoids an accident.
Even a buffet becomes a source of stress—he’s afraid “all you can eat” might mean paying for everything he’s capable of eating. A kind stranger suggests Subway, but he’s puzzled: how can he eat at a train station in New York when he’s in Michigan?
Eventually, he stumbles upon a KFC. Watching cars collect food through a window, he tries the same, but is denied service. He suspects racism until the beautiful attendant invites him inside, and he’s introduced to a world of crispy chicken, drink options, and flavor confusion. It’s the best chicken he’s ever tasted.
His journey continues through a minefield of cultural misunderstandings. At a dollar store, he fills his bag thinking everything costs $1 total, only to be stunned at checkout. He convinces his dormmates to split a KFC bucket, but shocks them by cracking open the bones and chewing on them. When he learns Americans discard fish heads, he joyfully collects them for free, but his attempt to cook them in the dorm kitchen spirals into chaos. When he offers a friend “some head,” he learns—painfully—that not every phrase translates across cultures.
The challenges don’t stop at food. He ruins his clothes by washing them in bleach labeled “brightener.” With no one stopping to give him a lift (as any decent African would), he treks back to campus in the blistering sun. A friend warns him about American serial killers. In a swimming class, what he thinks is a charming compliment earns him a warning for harassment.
His biggest trial comes in a required computer class. He’s never seen a desktop, touched a mouse, or used email. When he receives an AOL alert saying, “You’ve got mail,” he runs to his physical mailbox—only to find it empty. The hall receptionist kindly shows him what an email is and mentions his inbox is full of spam. He panics, wondering how she knows he’s “full of sperm” since leaving Africa. When she warns him about viruses, he thinks she’s talking about HIV and insists he’s clean.
Eventually, Andayi realizes no one is born knowing how to navigate this world. He studies tirelessly, overcomes his fear of technology, and passes his final exams. On the last day of the semester, he’s invited to a BYOB party. Dressed to the nines, he walks in majestically—only to find no food or drinks. Not realizing it means “Bring Your Own Beer,” he feels shunned, storms out in fury, and confronts the host in a comic misunderstanding.
Now technologically plugged in, culturally bruised but wiser, Andayi believes he’s finally on track to chase his American dream, or so he thinks.
Table of Contents
First Chapter 1
Midmost Chapter 18
Last Chapter 35