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If you want to get techincal wise guy, every human on the planet is a decendant from Africa, so what is your point? My point is that those 2 made silly claims and I was pointing it out.
There is a big difference between a few hundred years and 50,000+ years.
There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all... The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality, than with the other citizens of the American Republic... There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else.
President Theodore Roosevelt, Columbus Day 1915
Thanks i enjoyed that reading, and you know, this is the way it should be.
I constantly see it being used in the forums and general media referring to American blacks. Yet there is nothing "African" about American black people and furthermore most American blacks have no intention of visiting or living in Africa, so why do people continue to insist on using this term? Are whites called "European American"? No. In fact, American blacks are even more Americanized than white Americans. Many black families have been here for 200-300 years. They have no connections to Africa at all.
Discuss.
I bet you call Italian-American anybody that can sound like a mafia boss
Hyphenated american labels are ridiculous. Should we, instead of just being american, start calling ourselves asian-americans, or european-americans? We could even get more specific, ie italian-german-swede-english-american. And what is the time cutoff for such labels? We are all african by origin of species.
What is the point? Why emphasize differences and create division? It is regressive.
The issue is this: what we call "African Americans" as a group keeps changing because there is, unfairly, a negative connotation assigned to African American people. First the label was the "N" word, then "Negros", then "Coloreds", then "Black", then "Afro-American", then "African American". All labels sound derogatory if you use them in a derogatory way. This is also why "h o n k e y" or "cracker" isn't offensive. White guilt aside, most white people aren't ashamed of being white, so it doesn't matter what negative labels they're given because they're meaningless.
Until being black isn't something people are ashamed of (and it shouldn't be), what we call black people will keep changing because the label eventually takes on a negative connotation. However, the issue is with the connotation and the perceptions of blacks, not the labels themselves.
Having said that, I don't like African American because it is inaccurate. Not all black people are from Africa, and even if their ancestors are, does that mean they're still African? I don't think so. But I will continue to address people however they wish to be addressed, whatever name it is they choose for themselves.
Hyphenated american labels are ridiculous. Should we, instead of just being american, start calling ourselves asian-americans, or european-americans? We could even get more specific, ie italian-german-swede-english-american. And what is the time cutoff for such labels? We are all african by origin of species.
What is the point? Why emphasize differences and create division? It is regressive.
Why emphasize differences in nationality? Apparently, since you don't see separating Americans from other nationalities, you agree that at some level division is okay. Now who decides which level is appropriate?
Someone once said to me that the reason why minorities have issues this country is because they just wont "fit it" or "be like everyone else"... Im guessing that means that we need to do everything possible to just assimilate and become mainstream right?...But the most assimilated minorites are still judged for their appearance every day. We dont just wake up everyday and think, "Im not American." However, we are sometimes treated like were not. So until this country gets over that some people are darker, or have different features, minorities will still cling to our sometimes distant cultures. When an Asian American teenager looks though a variety of American magazines, and cant find anyone who she resembles.... How American does she feel? Or does she know its because she's of Asian descent and theses publications use "classic" looking models. Or what about the Latina that auditions for role in a movie, who its told by the producers "You were great, but we need someone little more "fair."
"Hyphenated Americans" tend to need their culture when they are feel mistreated or underrepresented by mainstream society. Everyone needs to feel like they belong.
However its not always that serious. Sometimes its just a matter of not forgetting where you came from. Or it could be a simple explanation to a child as to why they look different... For example..
My 4 year old cousin placed her hands on mine "Youre dark too, like me". She is one of few Black kids in her class and is probably becoming more aware of peoples differences. It wont be long before she begins to ask "Why am I dark, or different". Telling her why will be very important, and have a significant affect on how she views herself. To simply tell her, youre Black American, will certainly not satisfy her. When this question comes up several time as she grows, each time, she will gradually be introduced to the idea that almost everyone here originates from somewhere else. She will understand that everyone is different.
My family has been in this country since the 1600's and we still self identify as Pennsylvania Dutch, a way of saying German-American. I can't get excited if someone else wants to self identify with their geographic/cultural heritage. Much ado about nothing, IMNSHO.
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