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The issue of Black-Americans connecting themselves to Africa has alwaysed been a big issue. Many have the view that Black-Americans shouldn't connect themselves to Africa because culturally we are more western or American than African. I agree with us being more western or American than African but we need to take into account the reasons for this. I say it comes down to who our slave masters were and how they viewed African culture.
Black-Americans,Haitians,Afro-Cubans and Afro-Brazilians are all descendants of African slaves. But culturally Haitians,Afro-Cubans and Afro-Brazilians are more African than Black-Americans. Why? Because in those countries they were enslaved under French,Spanish and Portugese slave masters who were also catholic. These slave masters were more tolerant of their slaves African culture so they were less focused on banning it(even if they considered it inferior to theirs). Plus by them being catholic it was easier for those slaves to disguise their African religious spirits(Loas,Orisha) behind the catholic saints which preserved them to this day.
Now in the U.S the slave masters were English and protestant. The English had less of a tolerance for their slave's African culture and worked to ban everything African about them. Things like African drums and religion were strictly banned under the English. This explains why Black-Americans don't have any African drumming traditions like you find with Latin American Blacks. Also by the English being protestant the slaves had no saints to disguise their African spirits behind like in the catholic countries.
So taking these things into account can explain why we Black-Americans don't have the cultural connections to Africa that those in the caribbean and Latin America have and why people often take the position that we shouldn't call ourselves "African American" because culturally we aren't linked to Africa.
Well if you're black then yes you do have a link to Africa. Your ancestors did come from west or central Africa. Now it's up to you as far as how you want to work out your identity but you must work it out based on an accurate view of your past.
The issue of Black-Americans connecting themselves to Africa has alwaysed been a big issue. Many have the view that Black-Americans shouldn't connect themselves to Africa because culturally we are more western or American than African. I agree with us being more western or American than African but we need to take into account the reasons for this. I say it comes down to who our slave masters were and how they viewed African culture.
Black-Americans,Haitians,Afro-Cubans and Afro-Brazilians are all descendants of African slaves. But culturally Haitians,Afro-Cubans and Afro-Brazilians are more African than Black-Americans. Why? Because in those countries they were enslaved under French,Spanish and Portugese slave masters who were also catholic. These slave masters were more tolerant of their slaves African culture so they were less focused on banning it(even if they considered it inferior to theirs). Plus by them being catholic it was easier for those slaves to disguise their African religious spirits(Loas,Orisha) behind the catholic saints which preserved them to this day.
Now in the U.S the slave masters were English and protestant. The English had less of a tolerance for their slave's African culture and worked to ban everything African about them. Things like African drums and religion were strictly banned under the English. This explains why Black-Americans don't have any African drumming traditions like you find with Latin American Blacks. Also by the English being protestant the slaves had no saints to disguise their African spirits behind like in the catholic countries.
So taking these things into account can explain why we Black-Americans don't have the cultural connections to Africa that those in the caribbean and Latin America have and why people often take the position that we shouldn't call ourselves "African American" because culturally we aren't linked to Africa.
Aside from what you've stated above, what some refuse to accept and choose to ignore is that African Americans are a distinct ethnic group unto their own. There are 'African' distinctions that differentiate AAs from other hyphenated American sub catagories.
What I find interesting is that this "just callyourselves American" movement is never really preached to anyone else but AAs. I'd like to know where these very same folks are when Irish, Italian and Latin Americans come waving their flags.
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.
I personally have always disagreed with people refering to their heritage as a part of their citizenship. If I said, I am an Irish American, people would look at me like I was nuts. I appreciate when someone of any heritage calls themselves simply as an "American".
I'm with you on that, completely.
One of the things I like about living in California is that I rarely hear people hyphenate their nationality. Back in the east and midwest, I regularly would hear people do this, especially in the northeast. A lot of them still identify themselves as "Italian", "Irish", or whatever, even though they're a fifth or sixth generation American. It's pretty ridiculous, in my opinion.
Well if you're black then yes you do have a link to Africa. Your ancestors did come from west or central Africa. Now it's up to you as far as how you want to work out your identity but you must work it out based on an accurate view of your past.
Yes my ancestors(none of which are still alive) not me. First of all most black people who call themselves African-American, Have never been to Africa, don't eat or know how to cook african food, don't speak a African language, don't practice a indigenous religion. Nothing about them is African, hell most of the them probably couldn't point out countries on a blank African map. Second of all the term African-American is a very generic PC term.
I personally prefer using the term African American often because it relates to who I am specifically. Unfortunately, this society uses the term African American for anyone who is visually of sub Saharan African descent. I've seen people refer to Black Brits as African American! When, it refers to a very specific set of people....those who are descendants of people who were enslaved in the United States. We don't know specifically what countries in Africa out ancestors came from. However, African immigrants do, so they can refer to themselves as Nigerian American, or Ethiopian American, etc...
As for referring to myself as just Black, all the time... I couldn't do it. It says nothing about my heritage, or my peoples history. Its bad enough that all people with some sort of African lineage are lumped together, with no regard for our many cultural differences. When someone says they are Jamaican American it says something about them, that's different when someone else says they are Haitian American. Yes we are all visually "BLACK", and I'm not denying that, or ashamed of it. However it is important that I'm not view as just a color all the time.
To be African American is to have a certain legacy and heritage apart of you, and specific stories and experiences. To be Black also means we share certain experiences, achievements, setbacks, and gain as a race. However the two are not synonymous.
I may not have my ancestors language, religion, or customs, and to some that is why I should not consider myself African American. But, I do, because it is my hair, pigment, and aesthetics received my from African ancestors that still determine how I'm treated daily regardless of the fact that I am culturally more American than I am African. I will not just forget or ignore my African ancestors, it is because of their strength, that I even exist as an American.
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When, it refers to a very specific set of people....those who are descendants of people who were enslaved in the United States. We don't know specifically what countries in Africa out ancestors came from. However, African immigrants do, so they can refer to themselves as Nigerian American, or Ethiopian American, etc... 
