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So in so many words, this conversation doesn't even apply to you. Thanks.
I would prefer black people who have been in America many centuries to actually address what they think it is about Black Culture in the United States that ties it to Africa. I didn't really question it much at first, but then I had a job about 10 years ago working with some Africans. Me being the naturally curious person I am, asked them a lot of questions about Africa. Then it sparked my interest, and I started to learn more about the continent and it's many regions. The more I read about it, the more I looked at Black United States Culture, and the more I started to see Black American culture has little to do with black African culture. Then I looked at mainstream or white American culture, and I started to see a ton of similarities between blacks and whites. Most certainly different interpretations of the same American culture, but Black american culture is far more American than African. And to be fair, I don't think black American culture is a different culture at all from white American culture. I tend to think the differences are simply exaggerated to make it seem like it's majorly different, but if one sit back and analyze it, they're basically the SAME culture.
Ehhhh. There is a difference and I can easily tell. But I do see where you are coming from.
What about the Gullah people of the South Carolinian low country? They speak a hybrid language that has some roots in African and island languages. Gullah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gullah is NOT the culture of the average black American. I didn't even know WTF Gullah was until maybe 3 years ago, and I lived in the south nearly 20 years. It's very obscure, and most people, even black people in American, even in the south aren't even aware of it. you can't take a tiny example like Gullah, and try to extrapolate it to and make a statement that a vast majority of black Americans have anything to do with Gullah.
Also the average black American, even in the south does NOT speak Creole. Only small pockets of black Americans know what Creole is and can speak it. most black Americans, once again dialect is NOT influenced by Creole. Since black people can very easily sound indistinguishable from white people fairly easily, you can attribute this to lack of education and slang, more so than any linguistic development.
The term African American says less about who you are and more about how you got here. Kinky hair and black skin is not that indigenous to this part of the world. Russian Jews, Scotch Irish, Austral Germans, and Volga Germans are similar to African Americans in that a historical event created their very existence.
Sigh…Woe is me, here we go again already.
As a black man, I've never felt I was different than the average American. I grew up watching MTV, looking at He-Man, Star Wars, playing with actions figures, and Nintendo growing up like any American would. And though I may have been raised in a crappier neighborhood than some white kid, I pretty much grew up being influenced by the same things. And I can look back to my mother and grandmother for this as well. When my family tree was done, it was revealed I've had family in this country dating back to 1730. Nearly 300 years of being represented in this country. I would say I have been in America longer than majority of the white West Coast population has. But for some reason I have to be called African America? I must admit, I know a lot about Africa. But I didn't learn about Africa via persona experience from my parents or elders in my family. I learned about Africa by reading BBC articles or a book, just like any white American would learn about Africa. There is nothing about me that is African, and having dark skin doesn't make me African automatically. I have more in common with Bubba from the trailer park than Ubotu from some tribe in Nigeria. You can't deny I have dark skin, so at the very least call me a black American. Black is far more accurate than "African" when it comes to describing me and my family.
Sorry, I had to get that off my chest. Since I moved to Seattle, which is PC overkill, I hear that term African American more than I care to hear it. It's not offensive, but it sure as hell is misleading. Like I'm less American than some white person, when in fact I'm more American than most white people. Again, my family has been in this country far longer than theirs.
Well said. That is something I have often wondered about. I have ancestors of European Descent and I don't call myself...Italian American or Irish American. I was born in America that makes me 100% American with ancestors from Europe.
You make an interesting point. What if a racist white Afrikaner from South Africa immigrated to the USA, and called himself an African American (which he could) just to mess with black people here?
You make an interesting point. What if a racist white Afrikaner from South Africa immigrated to the USA, and called himself an African American (which he could) just to mess with black people here?
For many reasons already outlined, it would not stick. Totally illegitimate.
You make an interesting point. What if a racist white Afrikaner from South Africa immigrated to the USA, and called himself an African American (which he could) just to mess with black people here?
It wouldn't work. The US Immigration Agency would do a there background check and know that he is not of African Descent but a White Afrikaner.
I think some people would call Nelson Mandela African American. Would he be African-African?
Nelson Mandela is not an American. Therefore he cannot be an African American.
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