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Because when it all comes down to it we are the same damn folks. We just come from different countries or states and different heritage. I think its stupid to start separating black americans from black immigrants. Of course there is a cultural and skin complexion difference but it doesn't change the fact that an immigrant from Africa is just as black as a born black american.
I concur and to hit the point home even harder there are very few things a black raised in seattle has with a georgia black or a california black. Their culture, like germans, irish, italians etc has more to do with the regional sensibilities & familial ties they're living out than the color of their skin. I see no evidence that blacks have a distinct culture of their own that isn't a commercial by product of fads much the same as white folks melting pot has watered down their distinct customs of their origins.
More than a little strange for me to walk onto an indian reservation on long island and meet a black who married into the tribe now selling discount cigaretttes. Cultural preservation? A wooden tobacco indian holding a peace pipe will greet you at a trailer home sales room. Looks like they've upgraded a bit.. About Us
but... having been native born there, entire school districts named after numerous tribes, I don't recall ever meeting an actual Native American or witness the culture they claim is theirs directly with my own eyes. In South Dakota I saw some. Navajo country too. But not Long Island. Native Long Islanders are left wondering why we make space to accommodate something that doesn't exist. Whether they chose to assimilate or their progeny scattered or went west, there doesn't appear to be any reason these reservations exist on Long Island save for a tax shelter for cigarettes. I believe that is a sad truth, but still no evidence surfaces to contradict.
Native Americans, if they're living their customs on reserved land, it makes sense to have the hyphen. African Americans should just be Americans or decide they don't mean to be here. They wanted desegregation and equality and when it's right there facing them they psychologically retreat into arguments their identity was stolen and don't want to be white. Sorry, I can't help you anymore. If being who you are is now my responsibility, how is that not a human being asking me to be someones master? Doesn't compute.
All I can say at this point in time in history, and in my life; I wish them well but my work is done. They'll do their own work.
I worked with some true African Americans hailing from the continent itself. THEY do not like black Americans claiming to be African Americans as the black Americans have no clue what they have been through in their homeland.
I guess a difference is African immigrants can say what nation they are from. So possibly the idea is "African American" is more for people of "African ancestry, uncertain mixture."
Still I think Yaphet Kotto and Barack Obama are deemed "African Americans" rather than Cameroonian-American or Kenyan-American respectively. Both are children of African immigrants.
I work with two black males who do not like African born immigrants at all. They say they "look down on us" and "think they're better than us", us being "real" AAs, lol.
The real kicker was when they said "they're trying to take over the schools".
Why does this subject scare you to the point that your contribution is to want to shut the thread down and suppress any discussion by name calling?
I guarantee if the thread was about a Palin the reaction would have been opposite.
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