Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You ARE Irish American even if you personally do not care to identify as such. Nothing can change that fact.
no he is NOT irish-american, he is an american of irish descent. what would you call me then? my descendants were irish, scottish, french, german, norwegian, cherokee and or apache, and hispanic. i was born in america, and i have lived in america all my life. i am an american, as is EVERYONE ELSE who is born in america, or born to US citizens. as i have said before, unless you can prove that you have a dual citizenship, you are an american WITH NO HYPHEN.
The whole "Why don't African Americans just say they're American" thing is all about their "discomfort" with Blackness and how these "Black" people actually got to the shores of the Americas. They do not think of "Black" Americans as being like them but they also do not want "Black" Americans to be empowered by knowledge of our history.
The fact remains that dropping the "African" from African Americans would not erase the discrimination that African Americans face, there would just be a diminished capacity to accurately report it.
I notice that White people have no issues with the term Asian Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans however the thought of "African Americans" sends them into convulsions of revulsion.
SO true! I love reminding myself that I am of African ancestry. Yee-haw!
no he is NOT irish-american, he is an american of irish descent. what would you call me then? my descendants were irish, scottish, french, german, norwegian, cherokee and or apache, and hispanic. i was born in america, and i have lived in america all my life. i am an american, as is EVERYONE ELSE who is born in america, or born to US citizens. as i have said before, unless you can prove that you have a dual citizenship, you are an american WITH NO HYPHEN.
You could be any of those that you want to be! It's in your blood isn't it? It's funny, we want to celebrate the ancestry and history of Ellis Island and immigrants in the United States. I mean, in conversation and in certain circles: it is a BIG deal. But, here people are in this thread trying to say that American shouldn't be hyphenated. All it is doing is allowing a person to link to their ancestry and at the same time recognizing that they are American.
I'm Black and I could say that I am of African, European and Native American descent. Whoopty-doo. It only describes my geneaology, it's not some insult to my patriotism.
And what do you mean your descendants were Hispanic? From were? Spain? Argentina? Mexico? Where? LOL
no he is NOT irish-american, he is an american of irish descent. what would you call me then? my descendants were irish, scottish, french, german, norwegian, cherokee and or apache, and hispanic. i was born in america, and i have lived in america all my life. i am an american, as is EVERYONE ELSE who is born in america, or born to US citizens. as i have said before, unless you can prove that you have a dual citizenship, you are an american WITH NO HYPHEN.
And even if it were "Irish-American," there are no set-asides for "Irish-Americans."
In this day-and-age, in the modern day of the United States, in the majority of understanding: African-American is an ethnicity. Like I said earlier, I know people from South Africa and we joke about how they are technically African-American, but their ancestry is from places like Germany (white Germans) or Britain, so they aren't what most Americans think of as African-American.
It is what it is. Until the majority are educated about the fact that those who appear to be White can actually be considered African-American then African-American will be "Black."
So, let me get this straight next time I'm in the hood and someone calls me white boy, what do you propose I do? Do you expect I say I'm from england, I'm not white I'm european. It would seem that you op have problem of some sort. If you are so focused on race issues maybe you ought to lock yourself in the closet.
Common sense would say in that situation that you would not do that. I doubt that people you see walking down ANY street (hood or not) will give a damn about a conversation like this. We are in a forum, discussing this, this discussion is appropriate. It's what people who want to learn do.
Fundamentally "African American" is an ethnicity but it is also a recognition that African Americans have had a very different history than ( Anglo) Americans have had, and continue to have. This isn't to denigrate their American authenticity but a recognition that there are differences is the "American Tale".
And even if it were "Irish-American," there are no set-asides for "Irish-Americans."
What do you mean by set-asides? I believe that Irish Americans were discriminated against in the United States before. That discrimination was noticed and protection of Irish in the labor force began. The same thing happened to Black Americans who were discriminated against.
Fundamentally "African American" is an ethnicity but it is also a recognition that African Americans have had a very different history than ( Anglo) Americans have had, and continue to have. This isn't to denigrate their American authenticity but a recognition that there are differences is the "American Tale".
I don't agree. I don't agree that it is used to show that we (Black Americans) have a different history than White Americans. Isn't it understood that we ALL have a different "American Tale," so I don't think that that is what African American is used for.
I don't think you know the difference between nationality and ethnicity. Since when is African a race? Since when is American a race?
Where did he/she say anything about race?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
