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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.
Got a point there tony! some truth to it too. Your right too so many African Black immigrants are very well educated, and speak very good english, never thought of that till now.
Too much race issues still going on today, people really need to get over it.
LOL, yes the NY Times is well known for it's troll articles. It is about time the left figured it ou!
So the next time some Fox commentator says something off the wall, will you agree to change your comment to "Fox is well known for its troll articles. It is about time the right figured it out"?
SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 27 — For a moment, the Ethiopian-born activist seemed to melt into the crowd, blending into the sea of black professors, health experts and community leaders considering how to educate blacks about the dangers of prostate cancer. But when he piped up to suggest focusing some attention on African immigrants, the dividing lines were promptly and pointedly drawn.
The focus of the campaign, the activist, Abdulaziz Kamus, was told, would be strictly on African-Americans.
''I said, 'But I am African and I am an American citizen; am I not African-American?''' said Mr. Kamus, who is an advocate for African immigrants here, recalling his sense of bewilderment. ''They said 'No, no, no, not you.'''
What do you think about it ? Sorry for the old article, but African immigrants and Haitian immigrants population boomed, so I guess it's good to know more about it
It's not any different than White Anglo-Saxons in the late 19th or early 20th century that felt that Italians, Jews, Irish, Polish, Czech and various Southern European immigrants were not "Not one of us". In fact there are people who may still feel that to a certain extent.
By the way it's patently unfair to paint this as just an issue where some Black Americans may feel some animosity towards African immigrants. There are various African immigrants that feel a certain animosity towards Black Americans. You have two groups of people that have distinctly different histories, cultures and outlook it would stand to reason that at some level there would be a level of misunderstanding.
Surely African immigrants have different experiences than Black Americans. Just like European immigrants share different experiences than White Americans. Black Americans and white Americans have a shared history together. That may be what the intent of the OP posting the article.
It was originally Africans who sold their own kind into slavery, I am not sure if that is held animosity.
Whites have been in Africa for at least three thousand years.
Well African-American does not refer to any African immigrants as the term has a distinguished meaning. The Ethiopian doctor in the article is Ethiopian-American the same way that somehow who immigrates from Milan is Italian-American. The Irish, the Swedish, and the Polish immigrants are not lumped into the same category, so why you would lump someone from Ghana in with someone from Zimbabwe is beyond me. I doubt that you will find many Nigerians hanging out with Somalians and vice versa...
As for white "Africans", they are about as African as blacks in England are European. So if you start referring to Africans simply as people who are born in the continent, then by the same token, third generation blacks living in London would be "European". Can't have double standards now can we?
Lastly, dude the article is from 2004. Get over your obsession with race, because every thread you start is about black Americans. SMH
Last edited by africanboy; 02-13-2011 at 02:40 PM..
Reason: Forgot to add in the last part...
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?
The term "African American" is a collective to reference the descendents of African slaves in America. Since our ancestors were stripped of their individual culture and (tribal, regional) identity over 300 years ago, it is therefore impossible for Black Americans today to reference the specific nations (and/or tribes) of origin in Africa as a German or Irish descendant would be able to do.
Also, Black Americans are not able to simply state "I'm just an American" and have that alone be our "identity" because we are set apart based on our color by many in this society.
Surely African immigrants have different experiences than Black Americans. Just like European immigrants share different experiences than White Americans. Black Americans and white Americans have a shared history together. That may be what the intent of the OP posting the article.
It was originally Africans who sold their own kind into slavery, I am not sure if that is held animosity.
So Africans had boats to ship these Africans all across the Americas from coast of New England and the Carolinas into the West Indies and Central America and all the way down to the coasts of Brazil and Argentina?
The nations of Africa provided the financial backing to the sea captains, human cargo brokers and slave traders?
The term "African American" is a collective to reference the descendents of African slaves in America. Since our ancestors were stripped of their individual culture and (tribal, regional) identity over 300 years ago, it is therefore impossible for Black Americans today to reference the specific nations (and/or tribes) of origin in Africa as a German or Irish descendant would be able to do.
Actually that's not true. Mitochondrial DNA testing can give you a very good indication of an individual ancestry and for people of African descent even their tribal origins. Based on tribal origins and the history of those tribes you can get a pretty good idea which region of Africa an individual's ancestors lived. Dr. Henry Louis Gates has used this and other techniques to trace people's lineages.
Actually that's not true. Mitochondrial DNA testing can give you a very good indication of an individual ancestry and for people of African descent even their tribal origins. Based on tribal origins and the history of those tribes you can get a pretty good idea which region of Africa an individual's ancestors lived. Dr. Henry Louis Gates has used this and other techniques to trace people's lineages.
The DNA technology was not available when the phrase African American was first began to be used in the 1960s and 1970s. I am very familiar with Dr Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s work in his series tracing the linage of Black Americans.
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Riiiight! Poor old whitey had nothing to do with it?
Whites have been in Africa for at least three thousand years.
