The Term African American

[Sista]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

She hs issues.

And you took out time from you busy and productive life,
to peep into this thread and post 3 words, or is it two?

[LΩVE]

Originally Posted by BlueNYC2

i agree...i've said this time and time again...i tell people i'm not AFRICAN-AMERICAN...i'm black & hispanic(jamaican & panamanian) or Caribbean-American. you got to go waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back to trace my roots to the "mother-land"...

and another issue i have with African-american...it shouldnt be used to describe ETHNICITY, cuz what if you're white, but ya parents & their parents & their parents were from a country in africa, but you was born here...are you not African-American??? just some food for thought...

oh yeah...let me just say this...ppl, plz stop confusing race with ethnicity...we're all one race...THE HUMAN RACE, but many different ethnicities...ok, i'm done now...

I know a guy who is actually African-American. As in he was BORN in AFRICA and is now an American citizen. He finds the phenomenon funny because as he points out...and he's right...people who have been here for generation upon generation are American, plain American. In fact, anyone born here is just American. Someone born a citizen of another country who emigrates to America is fdsfdsnjk-American.

I can't see why "black" could be offensive. I am "white", but I'm not white. I'm more of a tan color (naturally and made more so by way of the cancerbox in the winter), but I AM "white". Doesn't offend me in the least to be called "white girl". Almost no one is WHITE or BLACK but those are easy lables that everyone understand to mean someone is of European decent or African decent.

To me "African American" makes as much sense to me for kids of my generation who are in fact just American, as me saying "IrishScottishFrenchItlaianwhoknows American". I'm not. I'm American and I'm classified as "white". That's it.

[LΩVE]

Originally Posted by Sista

I don't see how colonization could interfere with the idea of Social construction when in fact, we were talking about Social construction in reference to the way blacks in America are viewed as, in terms of race.





I'm sorry, I should have made my self a bit more clear. I used Martin Luther King as an example because he got involved in a struggle where he struggled for all people, not only that, in the future, it could and would be easy to construe his full name for a name belonging to a European. Also, White people love to take credit for doing something as courageous as Martin did. I mentioned Tupac in the same sentence with Martin because I don't know if you have noticed but pretty soon, young blacks will get bored with Rapp music, as black people tend to get bored with many of their creations hence, moving onto something else. When that happens, white people hapily will pick it up and they have already been preparing to do so. White people have been observing how blacks tend to create and create over and over, hence leaving behind what they previously invented. White people will love to be the ones who take over and take full credit for rapp music. Next thing you know, Mackavelli will go from who he originally was, that being a white man, to Tupacs altered ego back to Tupac, in the futre of course, originally, being white. When that happens, of course, white people will have taken over and the black Tupac won't be anything but a myth whereas the true Tupac will be a white man. All of the urban Rapp movies will feature white Tupac...

Ha, ha, ha

Just to point out, the big bad mean white people don't appreciate your descrimination, prejudice, or ignorance any more than minorities appreciate ignorance from white people...and other minorities.

The fact is, conquering peoples generally do some really nasty things. History shows us that, from taking the Americas by force and malice to warring tribes in Africa taking each other by the same methods. No group of people is immune to this sort of behavior if given the chance.

Personally I want no part of credit for rap music. Though it originally offered a platform for political statements it's now been reduced to completely useless filth probably written by a 4th grader huffing glue. It's funny and useless for dry humping at bars and parties, but has very few redeeming qualities otherwise. There are VERY few rap ARTISTS. There are too many rappers to let the real artists shine, unfortunately.

Martin Luther King was a black man and always will be remembered as such. That is the point of his contribution...to fight for basic rights for black people who were treated as second class citizens.

By the way I've never heard anyone, ever, claim that Egyptians were white. The closest to is to hear that Jesus was white. Jesus was Jewish, therefore not Caucasian. As for Egyptians, here is a very concise and well-informed summary:

Certainly there was some foreign admixture [in Egypt], but basically a homogeneous African population had lived in the Nile Valley from ancient to modern times... [the] Badarian people, who developed the earliest Predynastic Egyptian culture, already exhibited the mix of North African and Sub-Saharan physical traits that have typified Egyptians ever since (Hassan 1985; Yurco 1989; Trigger 1978; Keita 1990; Brace et al., this volume)... The peoples of Egypt, the Sudan, and much of East Africa, Ethiopia and Somalia are now generally regarded as a Nilotic (i.e. Nile River) continuity, with widely ranging physical features (complexions light to dark, various hair and craniofacial types) but with powerful common cultural traits, including cattle pastoralist traditions (Trigger 1978; Bard, Snowden, this volume). Language research suggests that this Saharan-Nilotic population became speakers of the Afro-Asiatic languages... Semitic was evidently spoken by Saharans who crossed the Red Sea into Arabia and became ancestors of the Semitic speakers there, possibly around 7000 BC... In summary we may say that Egypt was distinct North African culture rooted in the Nile Valley and on the Sahara.[60]

[Langox510x]

Originally Posted by LΩVE

I know a guy who is actually African-American. As in he was BORN in AFRICA and is now an American citizen. He finds the phenomenon funny because as he points out...and he's right...people who have been here for generation upon generation are American, plain American. In fact, anyone born here is just American. Someone born a citizen of another country who emigrates to America is fdsfdsnjk-American.

I can't see why "black" could be offensive. I am "white", but I'm not white. I'm more of a tan color (naturally and made more so by way of the cancerbox in the winter), but I AM "white". Doesn't offend me in the least to be called "white girl". Almost no one is WHITE or BLACK but those are easy lables that everyone understand to mean someone is of European decent or African decent.

To me "African American" makes as much sense to me for kids of my generation who are in fact just American, as me saying "IrishScottishFrenchItlaianwhoknows American". I'm not. I'm American and I'm classified as "white". That's it.

To be honest I completely disagree with you. The terms black or African-American is both just labels to identify someone’s ethnicity or nationality. Labels that are human made. The fact is that you and I both might be American's, but you are white and I am black. Something that does distinguish us apart from each other and regardless of what we have to say on the matter, it is something that people on the outside of our circle will do. These are accepted labels and I sure don't find anything in that offensive.

Also, personally if I was to move to another country, even if I lived there for the rest of my life I would still consider myself an American of African descent. I think many immigrants who live in America would agree with me on this. Can you say otherwise?

[Langox510x]

Originally Posted by LΩVE

Personally I want no part of credit for rap music. Though it originally offered a platform for political statements it's now been reduced to completely useless filth probably written by a 4th grader huffing glue. It's funny and useless for dry humping at bars and parties, but has very few redeeming qualities otherwise. There are VERY few rap ARTISTS. There are too many rappers to let the real artists shine, unfortunately.

By the way I've never heard anyone, ever, claim that Egyptians were white. The closest to is to hear that Jesus was white. Jesus was Jewish, therefore not Caucasian.

In all honesty you are absolutely correct that most rap is pure crap, but I'd have no problem putting that label on any genre of music. I don't find anything amusing in watching some rocker bite the head of a bat off. I however won't generalize a genre of music based on what some artists might have done in the past.

Didn't really read everything that was said, but it is known that European explorers of the past have made many claims that Egyptians were white. This was also accepted by most people because at the time it was believed that blacks were simply not sophisticated enough to develop such advanced civilizations.

Also, I know many Jews who are in fact white, and I also have an uncle who is a black or African-American and practice the religion of Judaism. He was raised under the religion and was not a convert. I'd also be quick to put money down that most Jew's even in Israel cannot trace their family lineage in Israel back past 1948. Most would more than likely trace back to Europe, or other areas. Fact is, if I wanted to become a Jew I more than likely wouldn’t have a hard time. If I wanted to become white (unless I had Michael Jackson money) it would be next to impossible.

[ufpika]

Originally Posted by LΩVE

I know a guy who is actually African-American. As in he was BORN in AFRICA and is now an American citizen. He finds the phenomenon funny because as he points out...and he's right...people who have been here for generation upon generation are American, plain American. In fact, anyone born here is just American. Someone born a citizen of another country who emigrates to America is fdsfdsnjk-American.

I can't see why "black" could be offensive. I am "white", but I'm not white. I'm more of a tan color (naturally and made more so by way of the cancerbox in the winter), but I AM "white". Doesn't offend me in the least to be called "white girl". Almost no one is WHITE or BLACK but those are easy lables that everyone understand to mean someone is of European decent or African decent.

To me "African American" makes as much sense to me for kids of my generation who are in fact just American, as me saying "IrishScottishFrenchItlaianwhoknows American". I'm not. I'm American and I'm classified as "white". That's it.

Exactly what I was thinking...

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by LΩVE

I can't see why "black" could be offensive. I am "white"...

Then take yourself out of the conversation.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

I prefer black because I hate when people refer to people who are black from other countries (like my mom) as African-American. I have heard people say things like "He is African-American from the Bahamas" or seen newspaper articles with things like "Thandie Newton, an African-American actress" when they fully acknowledge that she is from ENGLAND. I just drop my jaw, it's downright ignorant!

I have even heard a woman "school" a white lady in Wal-mart that she should not refer to their daughter as black because she is A-A. Well, how in the hell is the woman supposed to know? It's easier to see that someone is more likely than not black skinned, than it is to know where they are from. I am vehemently against the term African-American. I'm about as African as a Swede.

On Oprah, many years ago, I saw a white lady raised in Ethiopia who currently live in the U.S. She said that she was African-American. People like this more than qualify. I, however, do not feel that I do.

[AKA_Monet]

Miscreant... I'm African American!
~Katt Williams in First Sunday movie

[NinjaPoodle]

I am African-Native-American. Simple as that. I do not like the terms:

• Black-my skin is a beautiful chocolate brown
• Negro
• Negroid
• Nig***
• Niggras
• Darkie
• Sambo
• Colored

or any other negative connotation created to make me (or my people) feel like we do not belong to the HUMAN race.

My roots go back to Africa and to the Blackfoot Nation of this country though I wouldn't doubt there is some Caucasian somewhere down the line of my family tree.

I like the term and I find it to be an accurate term for those who have African ancestry but are American citizens, not those who are Haitian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, etc..

I don't put much energy into "correcting" people into my line of thinking because ultimately, we are all going to think what we want however, if someone were to ask me, then I will say I am A.A.-Native American. If some 90 year old woman who is still stuck in the 50's terminology (I personally know people like this of all races) says "and then the colored woman said blah blah..", I let it go. It's not worth the energy.

[KYquietstorm]

I am part of the Blackfoot Nation and Cherokee tribe also, NinjaPoodle! We could be related

[LΩVE]

Originally Posted by NinjaPoodle

I am African-Native-American. Simple as that. I do not like the terms:

• Black-my skin is a beautiful chocolate brown
• Negro
• Negroid
• Nig***
• Niggras
• Darkie
• Sambo
• Colored

or any other negative connotation created to make me (or my people) feel like we do not belong to the HUMAN race.

My roots go back to Africa and to the Blackfoot Nation of this country though I wouldn't doubt there is some Caucasian somewhere down the line of my family tree.

I like the term and I find it to be an accurate term for those who have African ancestry but are American citizens, not those who are Haitian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, etc..

I don't put much energy into "correcting" people into my line of thinking because ultimately, we are all going to think what we want however, if someone were to ask me, then I will say I am A.A.-Native American. If some 90 year old woman who is still stuck in the 50's terminology (I personally know people like this of all races) says "and then the colored woman said blah blah..", I let it go. It's not worth the energy.

Should "white" be offensive, then?

I am "white", but I am not white at all. I'm a light tan.

I haven't heard/met anyone who used the term "black" in an offensive manner. I have heard almost all of the other terms used either by old folks who aren't going to change their ways or by people who intend to be hateful. But I haven't heard "black" used in that manner. I'm not saying it hasn't happened, but I don't think it has a negative connotation like the racial slurs listed do. We can all think of racial slurs for every race under the sun including white, Asian, black, Hispanic...anyone and everyone. Some people in every race enjoy tearing down a different race. It's just that I haven't heard "black" nor "white" in anyone's arsenal of hateful words.

Would you feel it accurate for me to call myself Scotch-Irish Italian American, as that is my "ancestry"...about 200 years or more back. European American would I guess be a more accurate analogy to African American. There are still heirlooms and bits of speech here and there in my family that have been passed down so the heritage is there, but I think people would find that description of myself inappropriate or unnecessary.

I'm curious to know because for some reason this doesn't seem to translate. It's interesting to me.

Also, someone else brought up an interesting point...someone who is white but was born and raised in an African country and moved to America is African-American, if the term is used correctly. There IS a place for skin color in descriptions...it's a physical characteristic. I guess that's why to me "black" and "white" make sense. Anyone with eyes knows that both descriptions are rarely absolutely correct, but it simplifies. "White" is the color of an eggshell and how many people do you know that are THAT color? Few. "Black" is the color of ink and again, how many people are that color? Few. But everyone knows "white" means a person who is Caucasian, and who is probably somewhere in the range of white to deep tan and that "black" means someone who is African and probably somewhere in the range from black to light brown.

Maybe I'm idealistic, but I enjoy the idea of limiting differentiations based on race to simply physical characteristics...white, black, brown, tan, etc. But "African American" or "Asian American" to me, for someone born in the US many generations back creates a division. We're all Americans. It's different for someone who was born and raised in a foreign country and probably does owe some allegiance to their childhood home. But for those of us who have been here for generations it feels divisive to me, and it is used in an overly PC manner. Many people have given the example of a person who is of "African descent" but from another country like England or a Caribbean island being called "African American". I just find it all interesting. I think we should all form our own personal identities, but I don't feel like I'm being offensive when I call someone either "white" or "black", I guess. I don't feel obligated to differentiate between "African American", "Asian American", "European American", etc.

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

Then take yourself out of the conversation.

The point of discussion is to discuss. For instance, someone could explain to me why it is offensive. I explained why I do not understand...because I do not find "White", an inaccurate description of my skin color, to be offensive. So why is "black" offensive? That is what I'm discussing/asking. Since it is simply an overly simplified physical description (as is "white"...or "brunette"...or "redhead"...there are shades of every color we have on our skin, heads and in our eyes), it seems useful in describing a person. Like white girl with long brown hair and blue eyes or black guy with short hair and brown eyes.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by LΩVE

The point of discussion is to discuss. For instance, someone could explain to me why it is offensive. I explained why I do not understand...because I do not find "White", an inaccurate description of my skin color, to be offensive. So why is "black" offensive? That is what I'm discussing/asking. Since it is simply an overly simplified physical description (as is "white"...or "brunette"...or "redhead"...there are shades of every color we have on our skin, heads and in our eyes), it seems useful in describing a person. Like white girl with long brown hair and blue eyes or black guy with short hair and brown eyes.

As you can see from the thread, some people prefer African American and some prefer black. What more needs to be discussed? Anyway, NinjaPoodle responded to your question. She said, she prefers not to be called black, among other things because those identifiers were "created to make [her (or her people)] feel like we do not belong to the HUMAN race." Did you miss that response?

[LΩVE]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

As you can see from the thread, some people prefer African American and some prefer black. What more needs to be discussed? Anyway, NinjaPoodle responded to your question. She said, she prefers not to be called black, among other things because those identifiers were "created to make [her (or her people)] feel like we do not belong to the HUMAN race." Did you miss that response?

Quite obviously I did not. I responded that I hadn't heard the term "black" ever used as a racial slur, though I had heard every one of the others listed. Nor have I heard "white" used as a racial slur, though I have heard many slurs.

There is a lot to be discussed, and the rest of my post is very long. Chill out...everyone else seems to be interested in discussion. What's the problem?

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by LΩVE

Should "white" be offensive, then?

I am "white", but I am not white at all. I'm a light tan.

I haven't heard/met anyone who used the term "black" in an offensive manner. I have heard almost all of the other terms used either by old folks who aren't going to change their ways or by people who intend to be hateful. But I haven't heard "black" used in that manner.

I'm curious to know because for some reason this doesn't seem to translate. It's interesting to me.

But "African American" or "Asian American" to me, for someone born in the US many generations back creates a division. We're all Americans...But for those of us who have been here for generations it feels divisive to me, and it is used in an overly PC manner. Many people have given the example of a person who is of "African descent" but from another country like England or a Caribbean island being called "African American". I just find it all interesting. I think we should all form our own personal identities, but I don't feel like I'm being offensive when I call someone either "white" or "black", I guess. I don't feel obligated to differentiate between "African American", "Asian American", "European American", etc.

I explained why I do not understand...because I do not find "White", an inaccurate description of my skin color, to be offensive. So why is "black" offensive? That is what I'm discussing/asking. Since it is simply an overly simplified physical description (as is "white"...or "brunette"...or "redhead"...there are shades of every color we have on our skin, heads and in our eyes), it seems useful in describing a person. Like white girl with long brown hair and blue eyes or black guy with short hair and brown eyes.

There is too much sanctimony on GC to find a supercilious resolution to your inquiry. That is why we are telling you to leave this topic--because really it is a ridiculous discussion. Such self-righteousness only ends in bitter disgust of the many on GC.

Good luck in finding your own answers to this question, especially on GC...