African-American vs. Black.... Why is it Ok Sometimes and Other Times Not? (Barack Obama, private school)

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper 88

So, say a white guy from Nigeria moved here. He'd be referred to as a "Nigerian-American", not an African-American

Not by me. But, to each his own.

[desertdetroiter]

Originally Posted by Roadking2003

Why is that funny? I'll tell my African America golf buddy that him being here is funny if you tell me why.

Yeah...last night I met a whole gang of white Africans walking down my street.

Originally Posted by hotkarl

What happens when you run into the white dude that was born in South Africa?
Would it be silly to call him African American?

Preposterous actually...not just silly.

[desertdetroiter]

Originally Posted by Roadking2003

This is true. Born in Africa and living in America = African American. However, most people mean "USA" when they say "America".




No, they are African Americans.

Nope. They're white.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by Orlandochuck1

If Rachel Dolezal can be African American, so can I.

If Barack Obama can be African American (he says he was not born in Africa and his mother is white and he is not a descendant of slaves) so can Rachel Dolezal.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by desertdetroiter

African Americans are the black descendants of slaves, and it's not an inclusive club.

Nothing you say can change that fact.

It's not a fact, but using your logic Obama is not an African American.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

What happens when you run into the white dude that was born in South Africa?
Would it be silly to call him African American?

No. Why would it be?

[armory]

Is Obama...

1. African American
2. Black
3. Mulatto

Easy answer; look up the definitions.

[thriftylefty]

I don't think the white population all over Africa have settled on the term "African" to define who they think they are. The word African was used for a long time in some regions derogatorily. In some regions of Africa like Togo they have over 40 ethnic groups. They don't use the word African much either and many of them certainly don't call them selves black, as compared what? Since Volga Germans are not born in Germany, where you were born makes no difference as what you are "culturally."

I'm trying to think of specific normal social situations ,aside from legal or clinical, where you would need to narrowly identify someone as to state their ethnicity. If a person runs his car into a tree does it matter if ti was one of the several dozen types or sub-division of genus quercus or if it was just an oak tree?

[buddy5]

So much information. PC is wild. Some people who are from Africa and live in America cannot say they are African-Americans, and some people who have never lived in Africa can say they are African-American, and some immigrants coming from other nations in the Americas that had slavery but not from Africa can say they are African-American.

[2mares]

Originally Posted by Todd_96

I like your answer. Unfortunately, for many people American = white and everyone else is living in this country is defined by a hyphenated name (i.e. Asian-Americans)

I never call anyone Asian-American. Asian, black, white, Latino or Hispanic, middle eastern are catch-all descriptive terms because we cant tell the country one comes from by the shade of their skin or features. American, Canadian, African, Japanese, are term when we know country a person is a citizen of.