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The real question, I have concluded, is... Why are people so sensitive?
Some are racist, some not. Some use racist for politics. Some use "black" to refer to racism as an excuse for blaming the "white" world for them not having a good job, etc.
A person born in America is an American. Those who choose to use the term African-American may do so because they are proud of their heritage, or as a 'shield' to say: "Don't be racist, and if I don't get everything I want, you are a racist!" If it were just a matter of being proud of one's heritage, then all Americans would add the country, or countries of our origin to the word American.
As far as "black", why don't we use the term "brown" for Mexicans? Or "red" for Native Americans, etc.
If it's a matter of skin pigment to identify a person for legal/criminal reasons, that would make more sense. But to just say, "My friend Joe, who is black......"
I really, really don't think "black" should be shunned, especially since "white" is still used by everyone. And I have noticed "red" and "yellow" are both obsolete, but why not "white"? By the way, I hate the term "Caucasian"... we aren't all from the Caucasus!
Charlize Theron is more of an African American than most U.S. blacks -- born in South Africa, and now a U.S. citizen. It's a stupid PC term that misuses words to push an agenda.
Charlize Theron is an Afrikaner, not an African. An Afrikaner is a white/European of Dutch ancestry.
Based on your logic, an African born in Europe who speaks German or French is more of a European than a white American, with German/French ancestry.
Charlize Theron is an Afrikaner, not an African. An Afrikaner is a white/European of Dutch ancestry.
Based on your logic, an African born in Europe who speaks German or French is more of a European than a white American, with German/French ancestry.
Isn't that the point while Black he would be more European in cultural traits then an American who can trace some of his ancestors and name to a town in Germany. Thus why African American when unlike President Obama most can not point to any real influence from an African culture, not even their name? At best we can test DNA and say at least one family member came from this region not counting how that index ancestor had to have his children mate with people from other African regions as well as European and American ones
I hear blacks from the West Indies and Africa refer to themselves based on their country or origin. For example, I'll hear Nigerian-Americans say that they are "Nigerian" (or they will identify themselves by their ethnic group, and more rarely as "Nigerian-American," and even more rarely as "African-American). Likewise, I'll hear someone of, say, Jamaican heritage, identify themselves as "Jamaican" (or they will identify themselves as "West Indian" or "Caribbean-American). While I'm seeing more and more younger people of recent African and Caribbean descent refer to themselves as "African-Americans," I still find that this is pretty rare.
Name should be used for the race of African and Afro-Caribbean immigrants to the USA?
Ironically, recent immigrants from Liberia in a way have a right to identify as "African American" (INSTEAD of "Liberian American") because the nation of Liberia was created by former slaves who fled the USA for their homeland in the Old World. But I wonder... did the original African American settlers of Liberia intermarry with people from other African countries, people who had lived in Africa since time immemorial?
And what right to the term "African American" do Cuban Americans of African origin have? Or Puerto Ricans of African origin either on the island or in the 50 states?
This is a question I've never heard a non-white person get all twisted about.
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