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First off, a black African is black or African, he is not African American, secondly, America is the entire Western Hemisphere, from South, to Latin, to Central, to North, so anyone calling themselves strictly an "American" is a hypocrite, because they lay claim to the Spanish speaking south as well as the French speaking north with such a vague, generalized description of where they currently reside. The ethnocentric history taught/indoctrinated into every "American" child insures that they only know they are from the greatest country on earth, as that is all that matters. Many remain ignorant of basic geography and information about other nations throughout the world for the rest of their lives.
I am from the U.S., not America, right along with whoever chooses to live here. I'm teaching a girl from China basic English and she became a naturalized citizen last month, she's as much an "American" as I am, but I'm from the United States, not China.
There is an interesting book titled, "How the Irish Became White People", which cleared up alot for me as to why we even refer to people by color, for instance there were no "white " people in America untill the Scotts, British ( who hated each other) along with the French, German and Irish had to band together to Kill " Indians"
Ummm.. Holy War, World War 1,2, The killing of the natives in the new world, The enslavement and racism toward blacks in Africa and around the world. Funding war in the Middle East and South America.. What the Japanese did to the Chinese was only to follow what Hilter did to the Jews. Europeans has always been the one in power and all of the Major Wars was caused by them or they had something to do with it.
Stop trying to make me look like a racist when History is on my side.
I remember watching the history of America on PBS a few years ago. The show brought tears to my eyes seeing how Native Americans were slaughtered for their land. The next segment showed the murder and mistreatment of Black Americans (African Americans) without justification. How can anyone in their right mind defend these actions or try to shift the blame to the victims! Often we see members on this sites referring to Blacks in a negative way (as criminals). Normally, I read it without comment because their opinion is not that important to me. The reality is that often the real criminals are the ones wearing suits and making decisions that are destroying the lives of others.
I hate engaging in this type of discussion because there will always be someone who will blame the victims. I know who I am and that's what is important to me.
You're not sounding racist, but stating very valid points. The problem with some people is that they're not willing to own up to their wrong doing. This type of mentality is the reason there are still race injustice in America (they never do anything wrong). Race injustice is shown by the disparity in the prison systems which is an increasing problem. The proper race title is the least of my concerns compared to other social issues within and outside the Black community. I would like to start with knowing why are Blacks given more prison time compared to Whites for the same crimes.
Who cares? If a person wants to be called African-American, that is their prerogative... I usually just call them "Black," and that has never offended anyone, so I don't even think they care. But if I were corrected and asked to use African-American, that doesn't bother me either. I work in a heavily African-American neighborhood, and generally use that term for the purpose of being professional. But when I'm referring to my Black brother or friends, it's just too clunky to use A.A. This is mostly for census purposes anyway, and I don't think the average person is too concerned.
As for myself, I am a Ukrainian-Polish-Jewish-American, and you can call me any or all of that.
Have you forgotten about Genghis Khan, Mohammed, etc? OK: strictly speaking, Arabs are White-----------but, many White supremacists do not accept that.
Some Arabs are white, Bear.........many are not. It is funny to hear those not in the know talking about the Sudanese conflict as being Arab vs. Black........both the janjaweed and the elite in Khartoum are "blacker" than most African Americans. Arab is like Latino in that it is a cultural/ethnic term, not a racial one.
Not so true anymore: DNA testing can determine with a fair amount of accuracy where an American Black person's ancestors originally hailed from within Africa.
Right, but that is no substitute for 400 years an entire people went without such knowledge. If I found out, for instance, that a few of my ancestors came from, say, the Mbundu of Angola, I would still not have any real concept of the people or their culture.
If a "Black " person in America traveled to Africa and told a "Black " African that he was African American, there are places deep in the bush were they would have no idea what you were talking about, if he told them he was a "Negro" their eyes would lite up because they understand that as a tribal designation for Black people in the the western world. black people in America have very little in commom with black people in Africa compared to what they have in common with white people in America, Native Americans used to call Black people " black white man" tse-mook-tse-mook-too-too-keon
There is some truth to this, although I am somewhat dubious about the "Negro" thing.........I know many African Diaspora people (American and West Indian) who lived in Nigeria and were known as "oyinbo" just the same as a white man. That's interesting about the Native thing too, although in places like Surinam and Brazil, the indigenous people did not see the Africans, be they maroon or creole (escaped vs. liberated slave descendants), as the same as whites.
There is an interesting book titled, "How the Irish Became White People", which cleared up alot for me as to why we even refer to people by color, for instance there were no "white " people in America untill the Scotts, British ( who hated each other) along with the French, German and Irish had to band together to Kill " Indians"
And; to run with your ball further, Thomas Sowell the sociologist who BTW, is a Black man has observed that many aspects of American Black culture closely mirror archaic American Irish society as well.
Right, but that is no substitute for 400 years an entire people went without such knowledge. If I found out, for instance, that a few of my ancestors came from, say, the Mbundu of Angola, I would still not have any real concept of the people or their culture.
If it is any consolation: it is not just 'people of color' who have questions about their actual heritage.
Many White people oftentimes are not sure of their true ethnicity courtesy of adoption and/or the father not being the 'sperm donor'.
I may be able to comment on that since my Y Chromosome is R1b.......which only about 10% of all Hungarian men carry (my father is from there)--------yet [i[most[/i] American males both Anglo and Hispanic do have R1b since it is very common in the British Isles, Iberia as well as both the Netherlands and France.
Translation: I have my suspicions that my actual bio father may have been another man.
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