Joseph Asagai is a young African man who is friends withBeneatha (and wants and tries to be more than that). While theYounger family, Beneatha included, identifies more as AfricanAmerican and is comfortable with their American heritage and proudof their history as American citizens and the lessons they havelearned from it, Asagai is equally proud of his African heritage,and wants to move back to Africa as soon as he can. He criticizeswhat he calls "assimilationist negroes" and sees advancement intoAmerican society as an abandonment of history and culture. He usesAfrican words and nicknames for Beneatha and for himself, and givesBeneatha traditional African cultural clothing as gifts. Hisculture defines him, and he wants it to define Beneatha, too. Hewants her to come back with him to Africa, where she will have morefreedom and a greater potential.