The Thing Around Your Neck -

The title refers to a metaphorical "thing" that wraps around Akunna's neck at night, symbolizing her suffocating loneliness , anxiety, and the heavy burdens of her identity as an immigrant.

Akunna wins the "American visa lottery" and moves from Nigeria to Maine to live with her uncle. She quickly realizes that the America she expected—one of abundance and ease—does not match the reality of her struggle. The Thing Around Your Neck

Akunna feels "invisible" and struggles with the "mix of ignorance and arrogance" from Americans who assume all Africans are from the same place or share the same background. The title refers to a metaphorical "thing" that