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I am African American and at times I feel abit sad that African Americans do not have our own unique customs, language and culture that is based on the African tradition.
I have many friends from various countries throughout Africa. I love hearing about their culture and enjoy learning new words from their language(s), but it always leaves me with a sense of yearning for learning more about my African ancestry. During Kwanzaa there's always an attempt to infuse African customs and traditions, but there is no real sustained effort throughout the year.
I am wondering if African American parents have ever thought about enrolling their young children in a Swahili learning program or other program(s) that teach traditional African customs and culture? My assumption is, many African Americans seem to have no interest in learning more about their African Ancestry. Why is that?
I hate the current representation of African American culture which largely consist of "hip hop/rap denegradng music (if you even want to call it music) and gangster/inner city norms and practices.
Probably because we aren't African... we are too far removed.
I've spoken to more than a few Africans, they don't want us..and I'm totally fine with that because I can't relate to anything they are talking about.
Another words, someone actually born and raised in Africa and becoming an American citizen could legitimately call themselves African-American. I know several people just like that, and they are white. But I'd bet dollars to donuts you think of the term as a way to describe blacks.
Actually, they wouldn't be "African" American. Africa is the second largest continent (after Asia), which consist of the following countries:
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cote d'Ivoire
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan (North)
South Sudan (Rep.)
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Many Nigerians for example, who became American citizens, label themselves as "Nigerian-American," while a Somalian who becomes an American citizen may elect to use the term "Somalian-American." Note that "African American" is a term that is used primarily by descendants of African slaves. Since our ancestry is vastly mixed with different African ethnic groups, many African Americans do not know exactly which nations throughout Africa our ancestors descended from (unless DNA testing is conducted).
A person of European descent who is born in Nigeria and becomes a U.S. citizen could choose to call themselves Nigerian American, but most would elect to simply use the American label, since those of European descent are able to blend easily into the majority "American" culture, especially if they can speak English. In most instances, their progency are accepted by the larger society as "more American" due to being "white" than African Amerian children.
Quote:
Interesting, I never heard that. Strange how I studied TR in college, and have done plenty of research on American presidents, especially TR, yet never once have read it from a credible source. Please provide a link to a legitimate source (not something absurd like Wiki) that can quote TR as referring to blacks as "sub-human".
According to AmericanPresident.org:
Quote:
Theodore Roosevelt did not truly believe that blacks were the equals of whites, or that they could be integrated into the American social fabric. He generally accepted the prevailing idea that all nonwhites were less capable of self-rule and significant advancement in culture and science in comparison to whites. He agreed with and enthusiastically endorsed the notion that nonwhites entailed little more than a "burden" which the white races of the world must carry as part of their Christian duty. This sense of racial superiority tainted his attitudes toward blacks...
Mr. Bradley first cites some of the academic and philosophical influences on the Harvard-educated Roosevelt’s early thinking. His were common ideas for his time.
“One after another, White Christian males in America’s finest universities ‘discovered’ that the Aryan was God’s highest creation, that the Negro was designed for servitude and that the Indian was doomed to extinction,” Mr. Bradley writes.
This was the prevailing way of thinking, so Roosevelt was just following tradition. My ultimate point is, when white Americans discuss "Americans" they are typically referring to other whites and not non whites. This dates back to the inception of America. Jefferson declared that "All men are created equal" but clearly he was not referring to the African slaves. There was no need, as he saw it to even mention Africans, because he viewed Africans as subhuman. I have a very good understanding of American history, therefore as I have already stated, I choose to identify myself as an "African American." My ancestors were born in this nation, however, my racial ties are primarily linked to the African continent.
Last edited by Vanessa_456; 04-24-2014 at 11:36 AM..
There is no such thing as a African American, there is a American of African descent, my family is of German, Russian, and Portuguese ancestry, but I am a American, I was born in America and I do not have any desire to put any of those countries first.
I worked with a guy from Sudan, he got his citizenship, if you ask him if he is a African American, he will tell you that he is a American.
Another words, someone actually born and raised in Africa and becoming an American citizen could legitimately call themselves African-American. I know several people just like that, and they are white. But I'd bet dollars to donuts you think of the term as a way to describe blacks.
White is right?
Of course it's fine if white's from South Africa call themselves AA's.
There is no such thing as a African American, there is a American of African descent, my family is of German, Russian, and Portuguese ancestry, but I am a American, I was born in America and I do not have any desire to put any of those countries first.
I worked with a guy from Sudan, he got his citizenship, if you ask him if he is a African American, he will tell you that he is a American.
Most Americans of English or Scotch-Irish descent do not identify themselves as "English Americans" , etc. A lot of Germans and Scandanavians too. I mean there's a little of that stuff with Swedes and Norwegians in Wisconsin, but it's very minor.
A lot of African Americans have roots in this country that go back further even then those people. How could they possibly identify with African culture in any way other than the fact that those people are black also? It's reaching for something that is pointless. African American culture in this country, pre Hip-hop/gangbanger centric, is rich and admirable..the music alone is revered all over the world..blues, jazz, soul. The problem is that in the last 20-30 years younger blacks have started disowning that tradition for what amounts to basically a street fight set to a beat. Not ALL hip hop like that, but the majority of it is. I heard I think it was Winton Marcellis say that the real musical tradition of African Americans started to degrade when budget cuts in 80's took band instruments away from inner city schools. One theory at least.
Probably because we aren't African... we are too far removed.
I've spoken to more than a few Africans, they don't want us..and I'm totally fine with that because I can't relate to anything they are talking about.
Have you ever visited any African nation? I have many African friends and travel frequently throughout West Africa. I have never stated that I'm 100% African, because my ancestors have been in America for over 400 years. I will however state that I view myself as an African American woman.
When I'm in Senegal, Gambia, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria, people typically view me as an American with African heritage. But the people do not typically look at me and state, "she's not one of us." In all honesty, if I didn't open my mouth, and people didn't hear my American accent, most would probably assume that I am Ghanaian, due to my facial features.
If I was mixed, I would probably feel more of a disconnet to African people, but I am not mixed race (My skin color is dark brown).
I am African American and at times I feel abit sad that African Americans do not have our own unique customs, language and culture that is based on the African tradition.
I have many friends from various countries throughout Africa. I love hearing about their culture and enjoy learning new words from their language(s), but it always leaves me with a sense of yearning for learning more about my African ancestry. During Kwanzaa there's always an attempt to infuse African customs and traditions, but there is no real sustained effort throughout the year.
I am wondering if African American parents have ever thought about enrolling their young children in a Swahili learning program or other program(s) that teach traditional African customs and culture? My assumption is, many African Americans seem to have no interest in learning more about their African Ancestry. Why is that?
I hate the current representation of African American culture which largely consist of "hip hop/rap denegradng music (if you even want to call it music) and gangster/inner city norms and practices.
Frankly, I find the assumption that black Americans have no "culture" to be obnoxious. First off, hip hop is not at all "degrading" (nor is rap music, per se - we're far from the era of Dr. Dre or DMX) but more importantly, black American is far more than that, just like everyone else in the US. Is it partly borrowed? Sure, just as white Americans partly borrowed their culture. Sure, there's Bloods and Crips. There's also Jack & Jill.
I hate this negative view of blackness, or black American culture. There's also Howard and Spelman. Black American culture is giving dap, it's talk at the barbershop, it's jumping the broom. It's Black Israelites shouting on the corner - and it's also Dr. MLK Jr. marching for the right to vote. People claim we hate education, but in Philidelphia and Chicago, black kids are marching in the street to protest school closings. It's the elation at seeing Obama elected, and the disgust at the media for following Donald Trump's asinine demands. It's disgust at the guys who killed Christopher Lane, and his gust at the guy who killed Trayvon Martin, and the people who rallied to Zimmerman's defense. It's rap - and R&B, jazz, blues and rock. It's step shows. It's Tyler Perry, and also Dave Chapelle, or Bill Cosby, "12 Years a Slave" and "Django Unchained", among many other movies.
Swahili? Man, we're beyond that. We are American, as much as many other would deny that. Look I grew up in the Crack Era. I know, and understand, the move to wearing Dashikis, traveling to "the motherland" and so on. That's another part of it. But it won't work.
Besides, are we going to pretend that white people are all sweetness and light, as if their culture didn't come up with slavery or Jim Crow?
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