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I could imagine that the average AA is (or at least could be if they chose a healthier life style) more athletic than the average West African as slaves were chosen based on their physical properties, after all they were expected to do a lot of hard work. And there was the cruel transport to the Americas which many weaker slaves did not even survive. Kind of a man-made evolution there...
I could imagine that the average AA is (or at least could be if they chose a healthier life style) more athletic than the average West African as slaves were chosen based on their physical properties, after all they were expected to do a lot of hard work. And there was the cruel transport to the Americas which many weaker slaves did not even survive. Kind of a man-made evolution there...
One could also surmise that the average West African can run faster than the average African American, since their ancestors didn't get caught and sold into slavery. And, even if the average African American possessed the genetic propensity towards athleticism, that "evolution" was probably set back by the introduction (some of it forced) of weaker, non-African genes.
I guess different people use it differently. I often hear "morena, mestiza, chinita?" Which is equivalent to how people in the US say "do you prefer blondes, brunettes, or red heads?"
Actually, "morena, mestiza, chinita?" is more akin to asking if one prefers "blacks, whites, or Asians" in the United States. Hair color is a little easier to change than skin color...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smtchll
So I always took "morena" to mean typical brown-skin Filipina. And I always understood that "kayumanggi" meant the same thing.
There are many languages and dialects used in the Philippines. Although I'm most familiar with Tagalog (as it's spoken in Manila) and standard Ilokano, both of those languages have several dialects. So it's quite possible that "morena" and "kayumanggi" mean the same thing in at least one dialect of Tagalog.
Many will be offended by the fact that you stated lightskinned Black people are not entirely African. They are apart of the Black diversity that is in Africa and America. There are lightskinned Black people in Africa too. Not all of them are very darkskin with stereotypical features.
I noticed that with other ethnic groups, people do not feel the need to separate them and say one is less or more based on skin tone. For instance with Indians, no one will say that a lightskinned Indian is less Indian than a darkskinned one. Look at the Bollywood actress Aishwaraya Rai, she is very lightskinned with blue eyes yet I never hear anyone questioning her Indian-ness and saying that she isn't a real Indian because she may have Caucasion ancestry. People simply accept the fact that Indians come in a wide array of skin tones, and features end of story. However with Black people, we are not given that same respect.
I said certain black people look lighter skinned because of their partial European heritage. I'm sure some of their lightness could also have African origins as well though.
I see blackness as being more defined by their features than by color itself. Like I don't think Tamil look like Africans at all despite being similar color, any more than I think a pale Eskimo looks like an Englishman.
One could also surmise that the average West African can run faster than the average African American, since their ancestors didn't get caught and sold into slavery. And, even if the average African American possessed the genetic propensity towards athleticism, that "evolution" was probably set back by the introduction (some of it forced) of weaker, non-African genes.
Such "scientific racism" is just silly...
I don't think it is silly at all. Maybe not pc, that may be...
I could imagine that the average AA is (or at least could be if they chose a healthier life style) more athletic than the average West African as slaves were chosen based on their physical properties, after all they were expected to do a lot of hard work. And there was the cruel transport to the Americas which many weaker slaves did not even survive. Kind of a man-made evolution there...
I don't think Europeans selected them in Africa, at least not in what I read. They captured any Africans grown up enough. The selection of black slaves were made in America and that's where peoples bought a slave according to it strength.
About the thread, I don't think there is much difference between Africans and African Americans, except there may be more light-skinned peoples in USA that's all. Africans are also skinner than AA.
I don't think it is silly at all. Maybe not pc, that may be...
There are too many "assumptions" and variables to consider for such "theories" to pass true scientific scrutiny. In this thread alone, folks have already stated that African Americans are a genetically diverse population, so one would have to weed out the large percentage of African Americans that have non-African genes to find this "average African American." Next, "West Africans" are genetically diverse as well. There are over a dozen countries in the region known as "West Africa" and within those countries are scores of different ethnic groups and tribes. The descendant of a member of the Gbe people of modern-day Benin is quite different from the descendant of a member of the Hausa people of modern-day Ghana. Thus, hundreds of different ethnic groups and tribes would have to be weeded out to find this "average West African." As a result, "sample bias" is introduced from the outset.
Next, what's going to be used to determine "athleticism?" The decathlon, swimming, golf, basketball, tennis, bowling, skiing, ice skating, 100m sprints, weightlifting? Different sports emphasize different athletic attributes, such as speed, endurance, strength, precision, etc. Someone that can drive a golf ball 300 yards has a different type of athleticism from someone that can do a "triple toe loop" wearing a pair of ice skates.
After that, one might have to take into account impact of steroids and other "performance-enhancing" drugs and substances.
In the end, any "conclusions" reached will simply serve to reinforce the reseacher's pre-existing beliefs and biases. If one really thinks about it, it's just an exercise in silliness, "political correctness" has little to do with it...
In my view African-Americans are not really diverse, especially not in terms of looks (apart from the mixing of course).
Even in West Africa different ethnicity or nationality does not mean people look much different. There are broad "looks regions", but each of them comprises various ethnic and linguistic groups. Compared to Somalis or Sudanese the Igbo and Yoruba for instance are very hard to tell apart if you ignore language and dress code. Even the Haussa are quite similar to the Yoruba if you ignore religion, language and dress code.
Sure, there are various aspects of athleticism, but still, I don't think the black dominance in several sports is coincidence or the result of more practice or doping or whatever. Didn't they do research on the sprinter Bolt?
Interestingly Africans are not equally good at sports, the exception being marathon runners from the East African highlands.
I do think it has to do with pc and I find it a bit naive to think that the slavery era with all its crimes had not lead to a black population that is different from their African homelands. The inhumane transport for instance was like artificial selection and millions did not survive their journey to the new world. Those who made it despite the extremely inhumane conditions on those ships obviously were better equipped to deal with extreme physical conditions than the average African.
I don't think it is silly at all. Maybe not pc, thatmay be...
Yes, silly. Have you been to deep Senegal? Many women there are as tall as me, and I'm not exactly small, and there is not such a thing as overweight people.
Yes, silly. Have you been to deep Senegal? Many women there are as tall as me, and I'm not exactly small, and there is not such a thing as overweight people.
huh? What does height have to do with this... And the obesity has something to do with the food intake. Obviously, that is a huge problem is Africa, so I don't know why you would even say that. This has nothing to do with that he said. There would be overweight people if they had enough food.
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This has nothing to do with that he said. There would be overweight people if they had enough food.
