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They are Americans - most if not all have no connection with Africa - My parents were born and raised in Russia- I am not a Russo-American...I don't give a damn about Russia.. recently there were riots in Europe...and CNN reported that African Americans were rioting in Europe---what the hell? These people with black skin have never been to America - anymore that our blacks have been to Afirca - forget the distant past and get on with it - these titles devide people.
African American is a PC racist label to delicately indicate that a person is non-white. The reason just "American" is not used is because the default, from a dominant culture perspective is that everybody is white, therefore, it has to be specified when someone is non-white.
The way the system is set up - if you are black and you call yourself "Afro-American" or have others refere to you as that - you are asking to be put in a subclass of poor people pre-disposed to intergenerational poverty and crime - This is like having the word creep tattooed on your head...or low life - how can black skinned people get out of the rut when there is a sign on their head that says "rut dweller"?
The way the system is set up - if you are black and you call yourself "Afro-American" or have others refere to you as that - you are asking to be put in a subclass of poor people pre-disposed to intergenerational poverty and crime - This is like having the word creep tattooed on your head...or low life - how can black skinned people get out of the rut when there is a sign on their head that says "rut dweller"?
Hate to tell you this, but whether we are actual rut dwellers, your everyday schoolteacher, a doctor, lawyer, Oprah or Barack Obama, our appearance is the sign on our head that signifies the racists among us to see us as nothing more than rut dwellers. We can't get away from it.
African American is a PC racist label to delicately indicate that a person is non-white. The reason just "American" is not used is because the default, from a dominant culture perspective is that everybody is white, therefore, it has to be specified when someone is non-white.
Well put - it's a control mechanizm...it's like saying that all poor people are stupid - and that if a young woman is poor - abortion is her only option - because she will give birth to an inferiour....where as genetics has nothing to do with social status or money - that eventually the richest of familes - in time will be on welfare - and those on welfare may after a few generations take over - poor is not forever - nor is black!
I personally think African-American is more accurate than Black. At least it has a specific ethnic connotation to it, where as black doesn't. Aside from me not being literally black, it was a term to describe other groups of people who are not of African lineage at all. The Aborginals were called black, some South Indians(Dravadians) were called black, and even Chinese/Asian South Africans were/are considered black under political benefits. With African-American, I feel like I belong to an actual ethnic group, as well as a nationality. My phenotype is clearly African(Sub-Saharan to be more specific), and my culture is American. Combine the two and wa-laah.. you get African American.
What are you talking about? Do you know how many different ethnicites there are in africa? People in Africa don't even look at each other as being the same. Why can't you people get that through your head. Please educate yourselfs before you start throwing around that term. People from ethiopia are nothing like people from Ghana. One of the worst genicides ever, were commited by people of the same country(Rawanda) but they were from different tribes, the Hutus and the Tutsis. They hated each other, they didn't consider themselves one big happpy african race. The arabs who live in Lybia and Egypt are they african? Yes, they live on the african continent. But are they black? No. What about a Indian person who was born and raised in Uganda and moves to the United States. Are they African American? Is he the same ethnic background as me?
They are Americans - most if not all have no connection with Africa - My parents were born and raised in Russia- I am not a Russo-American...I don't give a damn about Russia.. recently there were riots in Europe...and CNN reported that African Americans were rioting in Europe---what the hell? These people with black skin have never been to America - anymore that our blacks have been to Afirca - forget the distant past and get on with it - these titles devide people.
What are you talking about? Do you know how many different ethnicites there are in africa? People in Africa don't even look at each other as being the same.
This has no relevance. The African American population is an amalgam of all of Africa (mostly, but not all, West African) and other parts of the world. What binds us together is our shared pan-African heritage and shared culture.
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Why can't you people get that through your head. Please educate yourselfs before you start throwing around that term. People from ethiopia are nothing like people from Ghana. One of the worst genicides ever, were commited by people of the same country(Rawanda) but they were from different tribes, the Hutus and the Tutsis.
You're telling people to educate themselves? That's hilarious.
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They hated each other, they didn't consider themselves one big happpy african race. The arabs who live in Lybia and Egypt are they african? Yes, they live on the african continent. But are they black? No.
Actually, I know many Egyptian Americans who have as much Black African heritage as the typical African American and do identify themselves as Black (not African American).
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. What about a Indian person who was born and raised in Uganda and moves to the United States. Are they African American? Is he the same ethnic background as me?
He is a Ugandan American. Pretty simple. Is he the same ethnic background as you? I don't know. Are you of Ugandan ancestry?
I'm one of them. I know the specific country and ethnic group of my origins. So to use a name that encompasses an entire continent of diverse peoples seems absurd. Personally I prefer American, Black American or Ghanaian American.
Some blacks insist: 'I'm not African-American' *| ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/some-blacks-insist-im-1331589.html - broken link)
I think this is really silly because people are casting aspersion on the label “African American” because of its literal inaccuracies. In other words, many argue that we are not “Africans”, but Americans. Yet, what do they prefer to be called…….”black”…lol. Well, I have never met a literally “black” person in my life. I have seen really, really dark brown people, but I never met someone who is literally “black” or literally “white” for that matter. Furthermore, the term “American” as is used is inaccurate as well. The “Americas” refers to a continental land mass named after Italian explorer Amerigo Vespuci. There is North America ( of which the United States is a country in), Central America and South America. Hence, Canadians are technically or literally “American”, as well as, Nicaraguans and Argentineans. Everyone who lives in the Americas is “Americans”. Thus, any label that includes “American” that is meant to uniquely associate people to this country ONLY is also inaccurate because there is no country whose official name is “America”. We are the United States OF AMERICA(S) (THE).
In light of that, I think people are making too big a deal out of it, because all the labels are misnomers in one way or the other. As long as the label is not used as a pejorative, I don’t see what the problem is. I actually prefer African American but I don’t get bent out of shape if someone refers to me or the collective as “black”, even though I am actually dark brown.
PS....my phenotype and physiology was designed to maximize survival in the African climate. Maybe that is why I am always complaining about being cold
Last edited by Indentured Servant; 02-06-2012 at 11:05 AM..
This has no relevance. The African American population is an amalgam of all of Africa (mostly, but not all, West African) and other parts of the world. What binds us together is our shared pan-African heritage and shared culture.
You're telling people to educate themselves? That's hilarious.
Actually, I know many Egyptian Americans who have as much Black African heritage as the typical African American and do identify themselves as Black (not African American).
He is a Ugandan American. Pretty simple. Is he the same ethnic background as you? I don't know. Are you of Ugandan ancestry?
Yes educate yourselves! People such as yourself who are stuck on stupid, and follow idiots like Jesse Jackson, because he wants you to say african-american you do it. So you can fit in with the whites folks I guess. You feel left out that Irish-Americans or German-Americans use that term. You're ignorant about race and ethcicity and cultrue. You think Africa is made of only black people. And the only other black people in the world are in the U.S. My mom was born in Trinidad, she moved here in 1976, is she african-american. I was born here, I'm african -american. No , I'm a black american. If some black people(because none of the black people I know use that term) want to incorrectly use that term thats on them. Reading the article its seems the younger generations is not falling for it either. And some of you black people are so quick to jump on the African bangwagon, not realizing that most REAL african people have a disdain for Black Americans and want nothing to do with you.
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