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All politicians do this. The Former Lieutenant governor of MD, Townsend, used her Kennedy name, to no avail, fortunately, for political purposes
Just like Hillary uses her maiden name Rodham when she wants people to think she is doing something that was NOT provided by coattails of her husband Bill Clinton.
Much as I generally hate these race based threads, I have to ask a question. Ignoring President Obama's white mother, does his fathers race make him an "African-American"? The reason I ask this is that a number of posters here define African-American as a descendant of black people at one time owned as slaves in America. Obama's father is from Africa, and therefore has no association with slavery in the US. So to those that choose to use this definition, what race (perhaps ethnicity is a better term) is Mr Obama, or other black people in this country, that have no ancestry associated with slavery?
First I have to ask where you got the idea that descendant of slaves had anything to do with it? Because that's not what's in any of my dictionaries. And here's what I found when I used dictionary.com - African American | Define African American at Dictionary.com
Quote:
1. a black American of African descent.
Which of course would include our President, as his father was from Africa.
First I have to ask where you got the idea that descendant of slaves had anything to do with it? Because that's not what's in any of my dictionaries. And here's what I found when I used dictionary.com - African American | Define African American at Dictionary.com
Which of course would include our President, as his father was from Africa.
I was going to post the same thing. There is nothing about African-American that says you have to be the descendent of slaves. When checking the box your race, there is no box for African-Kenyan, African-Ethopian or African-Nigerian. It doesn't work that way.
He said that when he tries to hail a cab he's black...if he wasn't the president, he'd just be another black man and only people that know him personally would know that he's half white. When people see someone that looks like President Obama, they see a black man until they are told something different. Anyone that has had a similar experience would understand why he says he's black and why most people see him this way as well.
Isn't it interesting how people automatically use the term "African American" to mean "black." If your ancestors came from Morocco, let's say, or were Afrikaners in South Africa...and they came here, they would be African Americans.
No. African-American means that someone is from Africa or has close ties to the country, like his parents or grand-parents were African (which is why there is a difference between being black and AA...most people here are black and that's what I refer to them as). It also implies that the person is not of any other race except black. While Obama qualifies on the first test, he does not qualify on the second test. I would consider him to be black, though (but not AA), because although he was raised by a white family, he identifies with blacks more than anything. This is evidenced by his choice in activities, churches, wife, etc.
Culturally he is not African-American. Not just because he is half white. His father was an immigrant from Kenya. Most African-Americans have ancestors that have been in the U.S since slavery times which is longer than many white people can say. Also most African-Americans are Christian while Obama's father was Muslim.
If his father is from Kenya, I think he can claim African heritage. It's a closer link than someone who's family came from Africa two hundred years ago. So because his father was Muslim, he can no longer be considered of African descent? Where are you getting these standards? Not all African-Americans fit into that cultural box. In fact, some African-Americans are white. It's only when you play word games in the name of political correctness that words no longer mean what they actually mean. The descendants of slaves are not the only African- Americans.
Much as I generally hate these race based threads, I have to ask a question. Ignoring President Obama's white mother, does his fathers race make him an "African-American"? The reason I ask this is that a number of posters here define African-American as a descendant of black people at one time owned as slaves in America. Obama's father is from Africa, and therefore has no association with slavery in the US. So to those that choose to use this definition, what race (perhaps ethnicity is a better term) is Mr Obama, or other black people in this country, that have no ancestry associated with slavery?
Isn't it interesting how people automatically use the term "African American" to mean "black." If your ancestors came from Morocco, let's say, or were Afrikaners in South Africa...and they came here, they would be African Americans.
I know a fellow who is Moroccan, and he doesn't refer to him self as an African. He is a citizen of this country. I think the term to use in these cases is "an American of Moroccan decent"
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