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Dislike for the term African-American IMO reveals a certain level of ignorance about US history and how the slaves and their descendants have been treated here.
Africa was, until recently in our history, considered a place of no worth whatsoever in Western public discourse. It was a place full of savagery, cannibals, wild animals, and stupid people who had contributed nothing to humanity. Africa was useful only for what could be grown, mined or stolen there. It had no history, culture, literature or language worth studying. It was musically bereft of anything but drum-banging, while its indigenous dances were lewd and degrading.
So if Western society viewed your history like that, how would you feel?
I think that to reclaim the "African" part of our ancestry in naming ourselves was a way to redefine what Africa was, and thus to redefine what America thought of us. It is a highly POLITICAL choice, but a good and necessary one considering how much the West has devalued things and people from what they used to call The Dark Continent. (Sort of gives you a hint about how white folks thought about Africa and us, doesn't it?).
I hope that the OP takes some deep history classes in college so he'll understand this. How a people name themselves is a crucial thing, both for the group, and the ones outside it.
How about describing skin color as cream, light caramel, butterscotch, dark caramel, coffee, or espresso?
I am just kidding!! As others have said, I think that in today's world, categorizing people by skin color is just silly unless it is to describe a missing person or a wanted or suspected criminal.
When I was a kid it was negro, mulatto, quadroon, octaroon, and high yellow. The terms are not used much any more, but I do know of one Hollywood actress who is working on a graphic novel series called "High Yella Magic."
Dislike for the term African-American IMO reveals a certain level of ignorance about US history and how the slaves and their descendants have been treated here.
Africa was, until recently in our history, considered a place of no worth whatsoever in Western public discourse. It was a place full of savagery, cannibals, wild animals, and stupid people who had contributed nothing to humanity. Africa was useful only for what could be grown, mined or stolen there. It had no history, culture, literature or language worth studying. It was musically bereft of anything but drum-banging, while its indigenous dances were lewd and degrading.
So if Western society viewed your history like that, how would you feel?
I think that to reclaim the "African" part of our ancestry in naming ourselves was a way to redefine what Africa was, and thus to redefine what America thought of us. It is a highly POLITICAL choice, but a good and necessary one considering how much the West has devalued things and people from what they used to call The Dark Continent. (Sort of gives you a hint about how white folks thought about Africa and us, doesn't it?).
I hope that the OP takes some deep history classes in college so he'll understand this. How a people name themselves is a crucial thing, both for the group, and the ones outside it.
I have looked into that history before; however, at least to me, history has little to no effect on how I live my my life day-to-day. Sure, I will sometimes look back at the fact that black people, for the most part, could not be admitted into where I am today due to racially-motivated admissions policies and appreciate the fact that I am in college. Even more so of the fact that I am in the natural sciences (biochemistry), which is something that not a lot of young black males pursue. Despite this, I do not let history and past wrongdoings affect the way I think about the present and future.
Also, again, why should I only honor the African part of my heritage? I am also Native American, Irish, and German somewhere back in my lineage. To honor just one constituent part of my heritage and ignore the others would be sacrilege.
I am proud to be American and just American. I am not proud to have a title placed before my nationality. To me, race does not exist. Race is nothing more than a figment of society's imagination designed to keep fellow countrymen and women separate from each other. When people of a nation are kept separate, it is easy to conquer a nation.
I have always thought of us as the native blacks of the united states - a unique ethnic group of black people created in this country. The same applies for white Americans.
I've had many arguments in the past about this, but I think that If you have ancestry in the United States before the revolution, you are a native. We are the Americans - the people that have been here since the birth of this nation. This is where we are from.
The hyphenated people are of recent immigrant stock.
Personally, I feel that all of the Africans who came to the US in the 1880's have descendents who have been here for so many generations
What Africans came here in the 1880s? I'm not aware of any. In the 1880's all of my ancestors were former slaves that had roots in the U.S since colonial times.
American blacks have 300+ years of ancestry in the U.S. It's much longer than most people imagine.
Also, again, why should I only honor the African part of my heritage? I am also Native American, Irish, and German somewhere back in my lineage. To honor just one constituent part of my heritage and ignore the others would be sacrilege.
You don't have to be black if you don't want to be. Call yourself whatever you want, but "black/negro" is an appropriate term for the rest of us American slave descendents who are not "Native American, Irish and German".
A long time ago while visiting Canada I was attempting to talk with a couple of young women and they said, effectively, "Go away. You're a German!" I responded with, "No, I am an American. Some of my family were German." We had a great conversation after that bit of nationalistic racism was straightened out. I do look like a German however. When I was in the Navy they called me "The Kraut". When I was on the river boats in 'Nam they called me "The Crazy Kraut." I did not mind at all.
I do not call black people African American. I do not call them black either.
You don't have to be black if you don't want to be. Call yourself whatever you want, but "black/negro" is an appropriate term for the rest of us American slave descendents who are not "Native American, Irish and German".
i actually used the term southern slave descendent in a conversation talking about cultural/food/language differences between southern us slave descendants and west indians.
A distinction needs to be made, because It comes up a lot. In NYC I'm surrounded by West-Indians and Africans. We are not the same.
Black Americans - The native blacks of the U.S who are descendents of American slaves. A unique ethnic group with roots in colonial America.
..as distinguished from black people of recent immigrant stock, that can be identified by any of their various West-Indian or African nationalities - Jamaican-Americans, Nigerian-Americans, etc...
No doubt, agree with what you say. If you are an American, you deserve to be called an American. I think though that for some reason, calling someone "black" is un=PC for some reasons, so people want the more "respectful" term of AA.
I agree that its stupid.
I am in my fifties, and I can remember reading around the time I was 12 or so, say 1970, that "colored" was no longer considered an acceptable term and that Negroes, which was still a term in use, much preferred to be called "black". The term African-American wasn't in use yet, although sometimes Afro-American was used. My childlike self took note of that, and I made sure to always refer to black people as black. "People of color" came along in the 80s, I think, and I found it amusing that "colored people" was wrong but "people of color" was OK. I still say black. Or Sharon, or Quinn, or Debbie, as the case may be.
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