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As a black American, I absolutely despise when people call me "African-American". First of all, I was born in America (August 29, 1995, suburban Philadelphia), not Africa. Secondly, besides ancestral, I have no connection whatsoever to Africa. I have never stepped foot in Africa, nor do I plan to anytime in the near future as I am a broke college kid . Finally, some people make the argument that, by calling myself an "African-American", I am honoring my African heritage. Why should I only honor my African heritage? I am also part Native-American, Irish, and German.
Is anyone else getting tired of hearing "___-American"? Why can't we just call ourselves Americans? If you were born in this country, then I consider you to be an American.
P.S. When I traveled to Paris, France for study abroad last month, NOBODY there considered me "African-American". All of the French students considered me American, which was a GREAT feeling!
Is anyone else getting tired of hearing "___-American"? Why can't we just call ourselves Americans? If you were born in this country, then I consider you to be an American.
In Mexico about 100 years ago they had the same idea because they wanted to be a racism free society so they got rid of race classifications on the census in Mexico there is no mention of ethnicity.
But now many Mexicans are fighting for race classification for many reasons, one is being the ability to acknowledge discrimination/hate crimes and another is to acknowledge your ancestry.. blended or not.
Like a Poster said previously "I strongly disagree that we should avoid the use of terms like this. As long as people encounter different treatment based on their "race"--whether subtle or overt, unconscious or deliberate--it's important that we have the language to be able to talk about these issues. Imagine trying to discuss how to fix crime if we weren't allowed to have words for assault or theft or owner or property"
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Originally Posted by stanley-88888888
i disagree, west-indians are still black.
West Indies is a dated term. We prefer to be called Caribbean or by our individual isle.
...with recent DNA and ancestral testing it has been proven on average most African-Americans have anywhere between 15 -25% Caucasian DNA.
That's over-stated, and also completely irrelevant to this discussion. I don't know why people like to repeat that. What's remarkable is that we have stayed that black over the years. We are a small minority, that has been surrounded by whites for 300 years, and in all that time have only assimilated 15-20 european ancestry. We are amazingly NOT mixed. In no other new-world country has this happened.
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If being called an African-American is that much of an annoyance to you, I'm sure our Black ancestors circa 1790 would want to slap the **** out of you for this foolery. We as a people have been called way worse.
I agree that being offended by the term "African-American" is going over board since being black means to be of African descent, but I prefer referring to myself as just "black" or just "american" if asked my nationality because that is the most accurate.
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African-American is an evolution of Black identity assimilating in American culture, this saddens me.
We've been here since the beginning. It's not as if there was an american culture that we "assimilated" into. We made American culture what it is. We are one of the original racial/ethnic groups of this country.
That's over-stated, and also completely irrelevant to this discussion. I don't know why people like to repeat that. What's remarkable is that we have stayed that black over the years. We are a small minority, that has been surrounded by whites for 300 years, and in all that time have only assimilated 15-20 european ancestry. We are amazingly NOT mixed. In no other new-world country has this happened.
The above is relevant and distinct, I'm saying that to say we are different than our brothers and sisters in Africa and I'm also saying that to prove that your racial identity is based on how you look not always what you really are. IN AMERICA... Most (black/white) mixed children are labeled African-American even if they identify more with their European ancestry.
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Originally Posted by Tritone
We've been here since the beginning. It's not as if there was an american culture that we "assimilated" into. We made American culture what it is. We are one of the original racial/ethnic groups of this country.
No culturally we've always been a minority with a separate cultural identity, hence "Gullah, Black Seminoles" etc... it doesn't matter how long we have been here.
I see it more like evolving away from these "standards." Out of all the ways to describe a person, skin color is one of the dumbest -- it's like sorting people based on eye or hair color. Ridiculous.
Fair enough. Unless skin color is germane to the situation, it'd be best to leave it unspoken.
However, with regard to the standards of political correctness: if we wish to for these standards to become outdated, we certainly shouldn't be updating them.
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."
Perhaps the term African-American is getting past its sell by date. Maybe if enough Black Americans find it objectionable, 'black' will (arguably already is) work (ing) its way increasingly back.
"Black folk" is the term that all of the black people I work and/or hang out with prefer, so that's what I use, when necessary.
"Black folk" is the term that all of the black people I work and/or hang out with prefer, so that's what I use, when necessary.
If a Caucasian, Asian-American or Hispanic person referred to my African American family as "Black Folk" I'm not sure if I would be offended or laugh hysterically, then become offended.
Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
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Originally Posted by Opin_Yunated
....(SNIP)>>> People who are born in America are American in my opinion. I don't see how someone can claim otherwise.
I don't disagree with you, HOWEVER some of us are quite proud of our heritage and where our grand parents came from, and particularly if there are just Two Countries involved with our Grand Parents, or as in many cases, just one country.
Also "points-of-view" and perspective are IMHO, somewhat influenced by: one's age, what city or area of the U.S. you were raised in and how "open-minded" OR "closed-minded" your parents were.
I'll use my self as an example of my perspective on this subjective in general terms!
My maternal Grandparents both came over from Ireland (3rd generation in Ireland) in the late 1800's settled in Chicago and had 13 children. My paternal Grandparents both came over from Prague (Bohemia) also 3rd generation in Bohemia) in the late 1800's and settled in the Chicago area and had 5 children.
Thus I am half Irish and half Bohemian...otherwise known as half "Mick" and half "Bohunk".
Which leads me to my related opinion and perspective regarding "Nic-names" as related to heritige.
In the "era" and area that I grew up in, it was NEVER considered to be "Out-of-Line"or "offensive" to refer to one of your friends as:... a "Pollock", or a "Kraut", or a "Lugan", or as in my case, a "Mick" or a "Bohunk".
Now if one of these terms were used in anger and in a derogatory tone......then it would be considered inappropriate.
Again IMHO, I think and feel if we (in today's society) were not so "sensitive" and "ready to take offense" at the slightest phrase or word that we don't agree with, in other words, stop being "politically correct" all the time and say what you feel and believe and NOT what you know prople in general "want-to-hear!"....If we could accomplish this , I think we would have a more enjoyable and honest experience as we went through our every-day lives.........Again this is JUST MY OPINION!
Location: Mokelumne Hill, CA & El Pescadero, BCS MX.
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Thinking globally, anyone in the continents of N and S America are "Americans"
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. Finally, some people make the argument that, by calling myself an "African-American", I am honoring my African heritage. Why should I only honor my African heritage? I am also part Native-American, Irish, and German. 
