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I hate the term "African America"! I was not born in Africa, know no African language, am not a part of African culture, and no one in my family has been to Africa. Not only that, but what about Americans FROM Africa? They are different from black Americans, but they're still under the same category. And what if an Aboriginal Australian or New Guinean became an American citizen? What would they be? They are black but have less African DNA than Norwegians.
I hate it. No one calls white people "European Americans."
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Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
I bet there are a number of other words people use for this designation that you hate even more.
But they should. By referring to everyone BUT themselves as hyphenated-Americans, Whites give the impression that they're the only ones who belong here. (The irony of this does not escape Native Americans.) Psychologically it's a subtle way of legitimizing themselves, and de-legitimizing everyone else. A few people do use the term Euro-Americans. There are political reasons why it doesn't catch on.
victorianpunk stated an opinion. Why do you feel it necessary to climb all over it and denigrate it? Your attempt to belittle victorianpunk has failed.
While I agree that Jesse "the race pimp" Jackson first used the term in the 80's, I never call myself an African American. I will always be a Black American. Why?
1. I hate both of the race pimps aka Al and Jesse both of whom are ignorant, self aggrandizing idiots who care nothing about Black Americans and only about their blackmailing capabilities and the tactics that enrich their personal bank accounts.
2. Many Africans do NOT count us amongst them and some of them actually consider themselves superior to us and criticize us despite the doors that those of us opened for them that has enabled them to migrate here and have the civil rights that they enjoy in America. (See EDWARD A's million negative posts about Black Americans)
3. Jesse and Al are ignorant, uneducated and very inarticulate and not representative of the majority of older Black Americans. Those of us that marched with Dr. Kiing detest them. Additionally, both are nothing more than media pawns paid to keep the racial divide alive.
The only Black people that believe in and follow Jesse and Al are the least educated of us who were not around during the civil rights movement or that never met or marched with Dr. King.
Jesse Jackson has lived the good life instilling fear in White Americans by pimping the Black race. I will die and go to my grave believing that Jesse Jackson set Dr. King up to be murdered.
I dont understand how at one time Negro was acceptable, colored was acceptable, black was acceptable, but now those are frowned upon and the PC term is African American. Unless, you just moved here from Africa you are NOT an African American. My family moved here from Lithuania at the turn of the century. I am not a Lithuanian American, I am white. When I was in the Air Force I worked with a white girl from South Africa, would she be called African American?
No.
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I also know black guys that dont have any roots in Africa at all...why should they be called African American? They dont consider themselves to be.
I very much doubt that you know black people with no roots in Africa.
Why are African Americans called African Americans? Does anyone know?
For some inexplicable reason, people need to apply labels to others. As far as I can tell, no labels are ever true.
My mother used to always preface her comments about someone with a description of race, religion, etc ("I know this Jewish man." or "My friend, Liz, she's black...") as if knowing that somehow gave me an inkling of the person's character. It used to irritate me, which is a poor reflection on me, but nonetheless it did.
Newsflash: It's not the whites who are suddenly offended by something that refers to people of color. It's the people of color who suddenly decide a word is racist and then demand a new word or term be chosen.
It's ridiculous.
Trust me, this white has no guilt over whatever they're called.
Oddly, blacks can call themselves the most vile names imaginable, but heaven help the non-black who calls them anything but whatever is considered non-racist for today.
Since my mother was Swiss and my father German, I have no idea what nonsensical politically correct thing I might be called.
Lord, this politically correct carp gets old.
It's been black or African American in the last 45 years. Stop crying like a baby and grow up. Use either of those two terms, and everything is cool. But of course, you knew that already.
It's when you try to get cute and use "other" terms that there's a problem. Avoid trying to be cute, and you'll be fine.
I dont understand how at one time Negro was acceptable, colored was acceptable, black was acceptable, but now those are frowned upon and the PC term is African American. Unless, you just moved here from Africa you are NOT an African American. My family moved here from Lithuania at the turn of the century. I am not a Lithuanian American, I am white. When I was in the Air Force I worked with a white girl from South Africa, would she be called African American? I also know black guys that dont have any roots in Africa at all...why should they be called African American? They dont consider themselves to be.
Sorry if I have repeated anything that others have already posted, just saw the thread and decided to post.
I really think they never named themselves this. Once politically correct white libs decided, out of guilt, that Negroes could not be call Negroes nor "black" anymore, they came up with the term African Americans.
And I have never heard the Italians or Irish refer to themselves as hyphenated names.
Please, enlighten us, when and where did these "white libs" meet up and vote on this name change???? Please avoid saying dumb things that have zero relation to reality. I'm a German-American, my wife is Polish-American. Almost everyone I know will tell you where their ancestors came from when you ask them who they are. As Americans, we are in America, but to better define who we are, we all cling to our past.
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Originally Posted by irishvanguard
Yep. "Perfect since"
Nobody likes the "grammar police", with auto correct changing what you type, errors do happen, there is no reason to respond to each one if you can understand them. If everyone did "davtex" would get thousands of corrections daily. Please move along.
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Originally Posted by Clintone
Why are African Americans called African Americans? Does anyone know?
It doesn't seem to make sense...unless the person in question was an immigrant from Africa who now lives in the U.S.
If I was a Caucasian who was born in Africa and immigrated to the U.S...I could see finding quite the source of amusement in this.
My online profile image for various internet chatrooms would be of a skinny Caucasian man...wearing large glasses and a pocket protector. I would also be wearing suspenders and a bowtie. I might be wearing a fanny pack. I would be playing a riveting game of Dungeons and Dragons against an overweight, redheaded, young adult male, of partially Scottish or Irish descent. He would be wearing jean shorts and a t-shirt that read "Nerdtastic."
My profile description would read. "I am a strong, proud, African American male. I wish to reach out to my people"
Why the thread? Is this just another race baiting thread, because your a racist and you are having trouble getting enough bashing the blacks? Things are the way they are, are you advocating we change what blacks are called?
Last edited by buzzards27; 05-29-2012 at 09:11 AM..
A more sensible topic heading would have been "why are black Americans called African-Americans"?
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