After a turbulent start to his new life in America, Mush decides it’s time to properly integrate
himself into American life. But it will not take him long to discover that he is a world away from
his humble beginnings in a Kenyan village to the hustle and bustle of American social scene.

His first plan is to head to a nightclub and show off his Michael Jackson dance skills. But
dressed in a bow tie and tuxedo shirt, sporting a Jheri curl, he soon makes a fool of himself.
Luckily, disaster is averted when Moe, his Jordanian roommate, drags him from the club and
takes him home. On the way, the two friends argue and insult each other’s African and Middle
Eastern cultures and accents. The next day, after sleeping it off, they both apologize to each
other, leading to the beginning of a lifelong friendship.

Soon, Mush has his first American girlfriend. Yolanda is different from any girl he has met, and
there is a cultural chasm between them. Mush finds Yolanda is a “liberated” American woman,
but although they are unsuited, he decides to take her to dinner. He buys himself a blue
corduroy suit and shoes with metal plates on the soles, not realizing they are tap shoes. Yolanda
seems embarrassed by his tight outfit, but worse, unfortunately, from the get-go, she starts
turning out to be a pesky companion after she racially insults their Middle Eastern taxi driver.
At the restaurant, there is one cultural mishap after another, while Yolanda criticizes or corrects
him for everything he does. The date is a disaster. Finally, they hail a taxi, and Yolanda makes it
clear that they are not going home together. It marks the end of a nightmarish date.

But Mush has bigger problems. His money is running out, and he takes on a new dishwashing
job, risking deportation. His co-workers bully him, and it takes all of Mush’s strength not to
react. At the end of each shift, he not only collapses into bed, but his long shifts leave no time for
real sleep, so he dozes in class and asks other students for their notes. That is not all because
when the Michigan winter arrives with its freezing temperatures, Mush discovers he’s utterly
unprepared for the brutality that comes after.

By and by, an evening at Spaghetti Bender, a downtown bar, with an American classmate, Bill,
is another disaster. Upon arrival, he’s delighted to find the place filled with skimpily dressed
women. But his attempts to impress don’t go well. It’s clear from the interactions, dogged
persistence isn’t flattering in America, and another attempt ends with his face doused with beer.
Worse, on their way home, they spot a gorgeous woman walking in the opposite direction.
Mush showers her with compliments before offering her money to spend time. Alas! The
woman turns out to be a man dressed like a woman. He pulls a gun and shoves it in his face.
Shaken Mush apologizes profusely, but it doesn’t work. Out of the blue, he is saved by the
sound of a siren, which causes the attacker to flee. He suddenly realizes that he’s not streetwise,
and he becomes reclusive.

However, a few weeks later, his buddy Bill offers to take him out again to a place full of
beautiful women. At a strip club, Mush watches buxom women gyrate on poles. Drinking
overpriced beer, the two put aside their differences and cement their friendship. Having had a
few drinks, Mush becomes mesmerized by a dancer in red. Nevertheless, his moral compass
starts to be tested. He admits to Bill that he is struck by an attack on his conscience and fears
their camaraderie will lead him into more blasphemous activities. Given this, Mush announces
that he wants to leave.

Regardless of his feelings, Bill persuades him to stay and challenges Mush to put money in a
girl’s G-string. During a provocative dance, an inebriated and emboldened Mush pats the sexy
dancer on her behind. It’s a terrible mistake! Two muscled security men appear and order Mush
to drink up and get out. Bill points out that the African student knows nothing of strip club
etiquette, but the night is over. After arriving on campus and as they part for the night, Bill
announces that Mush’s “Americanization is complete.”

It’s a pivotal moment. Mush’s attempts to blend in have only created confusion thus far. He
begins to understand that he can’t fit in with everyone else. What’s most important is why he
came to America in the first place. He has to focus on working hard and earning money to
support his education.

After making up with Yolanda, there are yet more blunders and lessons. When he fails to get
her flowers on Valentine’s Day, Yolanda storms off. Bewildered, Sonya, Yolanda’s friend, advises
Mush to get red roses to soothe her anger. Mush goes to the gas station, where he finds plastic
red roses, brings them to Yolanda, and makes matters worse. Yolanda screams at him that she
never wants to see him again, and it soon becomes apparent why. Finally, Sonya reveals the
truth; Yolanda reconciled with him before Valentine’s Day to cover from her family that she has
a girlfriend named Denique and intends to come out as bisexual.

Now fully aware, Mush has flashbacks about his conspicuous conversations with Yolanda about
marriage. She believes it is a barbaric and outdated custom that leads women to become slaves
and men to become oppressors. She maintains love as transient and will never even consider
having children. It’s a bitter blow for Mush, who believes marriage should lead to the birth of a
new generation. Unwilling to become embroiled in another pointless argument, he listens in
stoned silence. The topic moves on to adoption as Yolanda’s preferred method of having
children, and she’d be happier adopting a child from Africa.

The tense discussion highlights the stark differences between family life in America and Kenya.
He accepts that he did not understand the differences between courtship rituals in America and
Africa. With this reality check, Mush reluctantly accepts it is the end of any chance of marriage
and children with Yolanda. He finally realizes all this time he was lonely and clung to Yolanda
because any hope for any future with a woman was better than none.

With his eyes now opened, Mush eventually comes to terms with the unknown and tries to
think positively—but nothing can prepare him for what will come next …