"African Americans"

[Modeps]

How did "African American" become synonymous for a person of dark colored skin? What about all the other Africans that are white? Specifically south africans, like Dave Matthews? Just curious, I'm sure people are gonna get pissed or something so /me puts on flame suit.

 

[Fausto]

 

Those people are also African-American. Many people associate the terms with blacks because they make up the majority of the African-American ethnicity. But yes, South African descendents are also African-American, technically.

EDIT: MacBaine is right...I've talked to many of my black friends and they all prefer to be called "black" rather than "African-American." They view AA as a PC term, and see "black" as more comfortable and less moronic.

 

[MacBaine]

The only African American I know is white... he came from South Africa. I do know a lot of black people though.

 

[Corporate Thug]

small amount of white people in Africa compared to black people i guess. south africans can still be referred to as african american s in the states

 

[m2kewl]

n/m

 

[Kenazo]

Originally posted by: jumpr
Those people are also African-American. Many people associate the terms with blacks because they make up the majority of the African-American ethnicity. But yes, South African descendents are also African-American, technically.

then technically, white south africans are actually european-africans.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: MacBaine
The only African American I know is white... he came from South Africa. I do know a lot of black people though.

 

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: jumpr
Those people are also African-American. Many people associate the terms with blacks because they make up the majority of the African-American ethnicity. But yes, South African descendents are also African-American, technically.

then technically, white south africans are actually european-africans.

Then techically, are we all Eden-American?

 

[Bootprint]

Just for you, you can call them Afrikaner Americans.

 

[Amused]

If you were born here, you're an American... not some hyphenated bullshit connecting you to a country or culture you know nothing about anyhow.

What cracks me up is the made up "African" culture and garb some blacks like to wear. The women even try some Egyptian themed stuff... which only shows their ignorance as the majority of ancient Egyptians were far from black.

 

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Just for you, you can call them Afrikaner Americans.

Just as an anecdotal thing here, I'm pretty fluent in Dutch, and from what my Dutch teacher tells me, I'd be able to get by quite well in an Afrikaans-speaking area.

 

[Jzero]

And then you got those black people from Trinidad, Jamaica, Bermuda, etc.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Just for you, you can call them Afrikaner Americans.

not even a majority of the whites in south africa are afrikaners. most are brit decent.

north africa isn't tremendously black either, i guess those guys aren't african!

 

[MacBaine]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Just for you, you can call them Afrikaner Americans.

not even a majority of the whites in south africa are afrikaners. most are brit decent.

north africa isn't tremendously black either, i guess those guys aren't african!

They just don't get any of the reparations

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: Amused
If you were born here, you're an American... not some hyphenated bullshit connecting you to a country or culture you know nothing about anyhow.

What cracks me up is the made up "African" culture and garb some blacks like to wear. The women even try some Egyptian themed stuff... which only shows their ignorance as the majority of ancient Egyptians were far from black.

Excellent! :beer:

On a side note. I get a crack when i hear people refereing to Collin Powell as "african-american" his parents are Jamacian.

 

[StageLeft]

political correctness. I call them black. I call myuself white.

 

[Nitemare]

Why not "Darkness"?




I've never asked which term my black friends used. I think I use both black and African American about the same amount

 

When the term African-American came out I called some chick it and she went off on me saying she was Jamaican not African. I never used the term again. Go figure.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Amused
If you were born here, you're an American... not some hyphenated bullshit connecting you to a country or culture you know nothing about anyhow.

What cracks me up is the made up "African" culture and garb some blacks like to wear. The women even try some Egyptian themed stuff... which only shows their ignorance as the majority of ancient Egyptians were far from black.

winnar!

 

[Ikonomi]

Originally posted by: Amused
If you were born here, you're an American... not some hyphenated bullshit connecting you to a country or culture you know nothing about anyhow.

What cracks me up is the made up "African" culture and garb some blacks like to wear. The women even try some Egyptian themed stuff... which only shows their ignorance as the majority of ancient Egyptians were far from black.

I'm sure those people have their reasons for dressing the way they do. Some of them are Muslim, and they feel that their clothing is somehow more appropriate. Some of them are searching for a stronger connection to their heritage (correctly or not) through their clothing. Some of them just like the style, and some of them are just caught up in the fad. At least, that's what I've learned by asking. African-themed clothing isn't my cup of tea, but it's just another clothing style.

Anyway, I never use the term African American. I say "black". I'm black, and I'm American, but I'm not African. My ancestors were, but unfortunately there's no way for me to trace my lineage back farther than whatever white families originally owned them here in America. It's just that, when you start saying "African American" all the time, you run the risk of straying into the territory of uttering phrases like "person of African American descent". Hmm.

 

[hdeck]

we call the only black guy i know Token cause he's our token black guy:Q

only kidding, i know a few black guys but they are all laid back.

 

[Chaotic42]

You're only an African-American if you have dual citizenship in both an African and an American country. Otherwise if you live in America, you're an American.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Ikonomi

Originally posted by: Amused
If you were born here, you're an American... not some hyphenated bullshit connecting you to a country or culture you know nothing about anyhow.

What cracks me up is the made up "African" culture and garb some blacks like to wear. The women even try some Egyptian themed stuff... which only shows their ignorance as the majority of ancient Egyptians were far from black.

I'm sure those people have their reasons for dressing the way they do. Some of them are Muslim, and they feel that their clothing is somehow more appropriate. Some of them are searching for a stronger connection to their heritage (correctly or not) through their clothing. Some of them just like the style, and some of them are just caught up in the fad. At least, that's what I've learned by asking. African-themed clothing isn't my cup of tea, but it's just another clothing style.

Anyway, I never use the term African American. I say "black". I'm black, and I'm American, but I'm not African. My ancestors were, but unfortunately there's no way for me to trace my lineage back farther than whatever white families originally owned them here in America. It's just that, when you start saying "African American" all the time, you run the risk of straying into the territory of uttering phrases like "person of African American descent". Hmm.

Let's address what it really is: A self defeating departure from popular American culture. It's separatist at it's core. Black kids who adopt mainstream American culture are too often deemed "oreos" and made to feel as outcasts. Instead of integrating into popular culture, they've created their own, often self deprecating, culture. And the most damaging part is the trashing of academic achievement. In poor black neighborhoods kids who do well in school are often teased and outcast. It's seems to be anything they can do to avoid "acting white."

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Until people start calling themselves "Americans" instead of different sects of Americans because of their ethnic backgrounds, unity is impossible.