The Term African American

[Mz_Doc]

Reading through this thread actually got me thinking about a conversation I had with a friend a couple of weeks ago. He had asked me if I preferred being called black, African American, or African, since I was born in Nigeria and both of my parents are Nigerian. He stated that he wanted to know my opinion because his girlfriend is Ghanian and she got very upset when someone had called her African American and she demanded to be called African instead because that's where she came from.

Now I personally don't care what I am referred to as simply because I know who I am inside and where I came from. Because I have grown up in the US and do not have an accent, many people assume that I was born here so it would not cross their mind that I would be African. When it comes up in conversation, I will tell people about my background, but I don't feel it necessary to explain it to everyone all the time.

Basically to sum it up, what are your thoughts on this?

[DSTRen13]

I found the Blackness Auction text I mentioned earlier, if anyone is interested who hasn't seen it before: http://rhizome.org/thread.rhiz?thread=1821&page=1#2739

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by Mz_Doc

Now I personally don't care what I am referred to as simply because I know who I am inside and where I came from. Because I have grown up in the US and do not have an accent, many people assume that I was born here so it would not cross their mind that I would be African. When it comes up in conversation, I will tell people about my background, but I don't feel it necessary to explain it to everyone all the time.

Basically to sum it up, what are your thoughts on this?

Given this day and age, you are so fortunate to decide your sense of self and define your own self identifying parameters/boundaries.

But remember the many who died that allowed "soceity" to choose to call you as what YOU define yourself as.

Moreover, you all are from COUNTRIES that have some level of "freedom" and "governments" for their people. Essentially, out the guises (and disguises) of utter enslavement from foreigners.

Although, if you ask me, folks from those countries have yet to atone for the millions they allowed to be sent to the bellies of slave ships. Let's be honest. A lot of us who actually choose to African in Amerikkklan, hurt deeply because of this fact. That's why some never participate with various festivals for Africans.

But those are my thoughts and opinions and folks can choose to disagree with me.