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Apparently those who started pushing the term African-American back in the late 80's didn't think this part out as far as who the term actually applied to. I have no problems with the term African-American for those who choose to use it. It's just that I had no problems just being Black. I really didn't think African-American was really needed. Also Black sounds more militant
This is a very complicated topic. Don't forget for better or worse (usually worse) white colonists have been in Africa since the early 1600's. Also different history and attitudes depending on which country you are referring to. It would be a tad callous to try to convince someone that despite being between 8th and 10th generation Africans that they are not Africans merely because of their Melanin.
Yea, it's VERY complicated. Again, i don't care what they're called in South Africa. But here? No way...African-American has a pretty clear designation. Besides, why would they want to be an African American in this nation? To what benefit? Being white in America is a pretty good deal from where i sit. Only an idiot would be white in this country and try to lump themselves into our group when you're getting a much better deal by just blending into the group with the power and money.
Yea, it's VERY complicated. Again, i don't care what they're called in South Africa. But here? No way...African-American has a pretty clear designation. Besides, why would they want to be an African American in this nation? To what benefit? Being white in America is a pretty good deal from where i sit. Only an idiot would be white in this country and try to lump themselves into our group when you're getting a much better deal by just blending into the group with the power and money.
Agreed. I honestly don't know of any caucasians from Africa who would expect to, or call themselves African American, except in extremely poor taste.
Agreed. I honestly don't know of any caucasians from Africa who would expect to, or call themselves African American, except in extremely poor taste.
In truth, they wouldn't, despite what some posters here claim to have heard. No white person in their right mind would call themselves that in this country.
Whites have been in Africa for at least three thousand years.
I have not heard that the tiny Greek population in Egypt had an issue with the term African American, nor would I refer to them as colonists. Please enlighten us.
Many American blacks are flat out jealous that most African black immigrants to the U.S.A. can and do get good jobs as a result of being better educated and more intelligent than most American blacks.
On the other hand, these same American blacks hate the African black immigrants to the U.S.A. because most of the immigrants actually can speak English properly and their men rarely abandon their own children.
I don't see why the immigrants from Africa can't call themselves by their country of origin. eg Kenyan American, Somalian American etc. I mean, they know exactly where they are from...no need to reference Africa at all. That should resolve the issue with the confusion between them and African Americans.
In terms of the general post: Why would African immigrants have much in common with African Americans....there is a ton of diversity among black people just as there is with whites. That rather gets to me that Caucasian diversity is very much promoted but not other races' diversity. For eg if I said something stereotypical like "Those beer drinking red headed Italians" I would be corrected at once that my (offensive) stereotype is really about Irish. Yet I will read articles about Asian cuisine (wtf is that??), African dance etc.....basically seeing them as all the same.
I wouldn't say that chiel. I've seen Jamaican immigrants treated like dirt by native African Americans born here on more than one occasion for the crime of having a positive attitude. At some point in time the realization that a struggle my people had 200yrs ago isn't requiring therapy. I can spit on the ground about the polish joke you might tell, or be annoyed by rude vendors with drunk irish tshirts. I can lament the old days about the potato famine. Did it directly happen to me? No.
African Americans native born in this country go on and on and on about slavery that happened in this country how long ago and ignore that it's happening in Africa/ Middle East/ Asia still? The attitude is why should I care? That's why I've just got to say I can't help but say they're FOS. What's really killing them is being passed by for promotions by black newcomers. Not only don't they seek out and create racism, their lack of chip on the shoulder makes onward and upward much easier than the self imposed handicap cultivated in 'the black community'.
If black isn't a relevant issue at all why is every thread mentioning black called racist?
I've never understood it. African American is just an optional term to use when somebody is trying to be PC when referring to people of color, and they don't want to offend anyone by using the terms black, colored, negro, ect...
Most blacks in America have never once been in Africa, nor do they still have relations to anyone in that country. I'm a second generation German. I don't go around telling people that I'm German-American, even though I have spent time in that country, am semi fluent in German, and have a bunch of relatives living there. When people ask me what my heritage is, I tell them German. Otherwise, I'm an American. If you ask some black guy on the street what his heritage is, the odds are fairly high that he's not going to say "African".
So, for other than for the purpose of PC-ness and "diversity" issues, why are black people born here in the U.S. that have no ties to Africa referred to African Americans?
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Whites have been in Africa for at least three thousand years.
