Immigration

One of the central themes explored in The Embassy of Cambodia by Zadie Smith is immigration. Fatou is a woman from the Ivory Coast in Africa who moves to several countries, including Ghana, Libya, and Italy, before arriving in the United Kingdom, where she lives and works for the Derawals. Fatou’s father also immigrates from the Ivory Coast to Ghana with her, and he is the one who secures Fatou’s passage to Libya and Italy. 

The Derawals, in turn, are also immigrants, most likely from an Asian country, such as India or Pakistan, judging by their last name. Unlike Fatou, they have adapted well to  the new country and are also wealthier. It is important to note that the only character who is not an immigrant is the narrator, who claims they were bo...