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Technically they are both anthropological terms. Black is a description of me but African American is an definition of me, Personally I never fell like I'm either until someone reminds me. Its those reminders, that's the thing.
Do you own a mirror? I have several, so I've never lived a day where I needed to be reminded that I'm black.
Race is an archaic term from back when scientists were trying to group and categorize everything. It's a subdivision of subspecies. Genus->Species->Subspecies->Race Humans are all of the same Subspecies because all humans can interbreed and do so regularly. But early scientists decided that there were enough physiological differences that people must be grouped. The original "races" were Caucasoid (aka Cacasian, Europoid, or "white"), Negroid, and Mongoloid (Asian and AmeriIndian). Some definitions split the Negroid race into three separate races.
Black is a somewhat effective description of skin color, and that's it. It is not a race nor is it an ethnic group. Most Negoid peoples and people with mixed Negroid ancestry have dark skin, so the color has morphed into the name of the race. But this is very inaccurate way to refer to a race because some Caucasoid people have very dark skin (Arabians and Indo-Aryans from India & Pakistan) as do some Mongoloids (AmerIndians).
As a personal description, i.e., "Which one is Jim?" "He's the black guy in a red shirt." it's totally appropriate.
"African American" is not a race; it is an ethnic group. It is a group of people with a shared cultural history who also happen to be of the same race. Taken literally it refers to any American with African ancestry, but generally people limit the term to only apply to descendants of slaves living in the United States of America. That's what thriftylefty meant as a definition of how he sees himself.
A dark-skinned person with African ancestry who lives in, say, Africa, is not an African American. Likewise a recent dark-skinned immigrant to the US from Sudan wouldn't be considered African American; he would be a Sudaneese-American.
Or, preferably, just an American.
"People of color" is the most recent PC nonsense. It's supposed to mean "anyone not white", but realistically it can refer to every person on the planet. Some purists insist it only applies to people with dark skin and that it does not apply to Asians, etc. It's just another term used to divide, no different than the scientists from the 19th century dividing everyone into races.
Do you own a mirror? I have several, so I've never lived a day where I needed to be reminded that I'm black.
Where I grew up every one was black ,police, mail man , teachers, doctors , insurance man, school, church, etc., I didn't know I was black until we moved to be around white folks. Black compared to what? I used the word "feel" black because I have been around many non-blacks who have mastered the art of not making you " feel" different. As a child I didn't "feel" different because I looked different. I didn't know any better.
Last edited by thriftylefty; 04-06-2016 at 07:28 AM..
The majority of black Americans have some measureable percentage of non-subSaharan DNA admixture. And we ALL know that if you "look" black in the United States you are considered "black".
And while it would be factually accurate for me to say that I am of African, European and Asian ancestry most would visually identify me as "black". It really is not very complicated.
Which is why I have absolutely no problem being called "black". The only thing I really have a problem with is "African-American" because I was not born in Africa, nor do I feel a connection to Africa. Everything about my personal culture has to do with America and American life. Also, I don't feel a real connection to other black people, besides my family and friends, since I am an individualist person. While others feel a connection to all black people because of a common skin color, I do not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwkilgore
A dark-skinned person with African ancestry who lives in, say, Africa, is not an African American. Likewise a recent dark-skinned immigrant to the US from Sudan wouldn't be considered African American; he would be a Sudaneese-American.
Or, preferably, just an American.
So, a recent immigrant can just come to the United States and be considered "American", but someone who was born in the United States who happens to be black still falls under the umbrella term "African-American"? I'm not blasting you, but rather asking questions for the sake of debate.
Where I grew up every one was black ,police, mail man , teachers, doctors , insurance man, school, church, etc., I didn't know I was black until we moved to be around white folks. Black compared to what? I used the word "feel" black because I have been around many non-blacks who have mastered the art of not making you " feel" different. As a child I didn't "feel" different because I looked different. I didn't know any better.
Oh, that's odd. I had a tv when I was a kid. There were white people on it all the time. Also, at the toy store, there were white dolls and black ones. I knew the difference.
I know a very Irish looking guy (white with blue eyes) who was born to English/ Irish parents in Nigeria, grew up in England and now resides in America.
Can he call himself African American? He probably has more rights to it then a black guy that has never been to Africa.
America seems to have this obsession with labeling everything. Me? I'm just a guy who happens to have less pigment in my skin than a person that has more.
Now if anyone wants to identify with a race or culture then so be it and despite what the PC police say about "cultural appropriation" I say if it feels good go for it.
Location: Born & Raised DC > Carolinas > Seattle > Denver
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Quote:
Originally Posted by veezybell
I've never understood this, and it might have to do with me being fairly young (still in my 20s)...but why do a lot of people prefer to be called African American over black? I prefer black myself because I'm not African, I've never been to Africa, I don't speak any African languages, I wouldn't know what ethnic tribe I originate from, etc. so I feel totally disconnected from the average black African that I've encountered. Which is ironic, because I'm probably more "African" than most who prefer to be called AA. Can someone explain the justification for choosing "AA" over "black"?
Couldn't agree more. I'm black, please refer to me as "black." LOL. This thought that A-A is more politically correct baffles me.
Oh, that's odd. I had a tv when I was a kid. There were white people on it all the time. Also, at the toy store, there were white dolls and black ones. I knew the difference.
The Menninger foundation was instrumental in securing the Brown Vs. Topeka Board of Education decision over 50 years ago because they proved that young African American children don’t know that being a different color from white children means they are different. The psychological damage occurs when they are shown that they are different.
There was recently a documentary about a girl who although she was the result of an affair her mother had with a black man, was raised as the biological child of her white father and mother. It wasn’t until she went off to college and spent time around African Americans that she was faced with the prospect of being a black person. She looked in the mirror every day, watched TV and no doubt played with white dolls and never once thought she was different from her siblings or white relatives.
Perhaps our reality is a manifestation of the way we feel and the way we look .
I'm white. I'm not "Irish American". Someone along the way decided it was politically incorrect I guess. I say black..... but I think people almost force themselves to say AA fearing "Black" is a racist term.
never heard of aa meaning african-american until i started visiting this forum.
i think since the 80's now that there are many non-african-american black people the term black is more general. unless of course you are speaking specifically about african-americans.
i think someone quoted a statistic in a thread somewhere here that if current migration rates continue there will be more 1st/2nd generation black people than african-americans in like 15 years.
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