Are You Just an American

[TheEpitome1920]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00
Ok I've always wondered this and I hope it doesn't get taken the wrong way.

What if you're caucasian, from Africa, and moved to America. Would you still be considered African American?

I met a White woman from Zimbabwe and she considered herself African. So I guess so.

[RACooper]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00
Ok I've always wondered this and I hope it doesn't get taken the wrong way.

What if you're caucasian, from Africa, and moved to America. Would you still be considered African American?

Literally yes... but in practice no - just as most people from North Africa aren't really refered to as African American. Historically the term African American has been applied to "Black" Americans whos' ancestory lies in Sub-Sahara Africa; and in fact the US government used to label anyone "with one drop of 'black' blood as "black" - to me African American has just become a PC way of labelling someone by skin colour; without refering to a 'cline' such as caucasian - because of the indirectly negative conotations of the 'cline' negroid...

[moe.ron]

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
I met a White woman from Zimbabwe and she considered herself African. So I guess so.

There was a very interesting show a couple years ago in South Africa about people's DNA. They had 6 different people from different races and see who they really are. It's interesting that the one girl who have blonde hair, blue eyes has more African DNA than Marc Loitering. In case you are wondering who he is, he is a comedian down here. Here is his picture:

[Rudey]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00
Ok I've always wondered this and I hope it doesn't get taken the wrong way.

What if you're caucasian, from Africa, and moved to America. Would you still be considered African American?

Some try to distinguish between "African American" and "African-American".

-Rudey

[Glitter650]

Originally posted by starryeyed
Would that make me an Irish, German, Cherokee, Arkansan, Texan, American?

Well I guess I'm an Irish, Norwegian, German, African, cherokee, french, californian american.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
He wondered since Africa is a Continent, and Black people who come from Africa want to be known as African Americans!
Does that make the rest of us who are White and are from America, a part of the North American Continent, American-Americans?

If you are from Asia and are Asian Americans, why are you not just American-Americans?

Ummmmm....a lot of black people born in the USA refer to themselves as African-American. As for white people born in the USA, I guess you'd be European-American, since Europe is pretty much where white people came from (even Australians and white people living in Africa...their ancestors came from Europe at some point in history). After all, we all came from somewhere (with the exception of Native Indian/First Nation/Aboriginal peoples...I won't get into the whole crossing the Bering Strait and all that)

For a mini sidebar / hijack, you should know that people in Latin America refer to South America as "America". I was in a museum in Santiago, and the tour guide kept talking about "Here in America this, and here in America that". And no, she didn't mean the USA.

[TheEpitome1920]

Originally posted by Rudey
Some try to distinguish between "African American" and "African-American".

-Rudey

That's really interesting.

I personally don't use either. Didn't realize I was an American until I left the country.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
That's really interesting.

I personally don't use either. Didn't realize I was an American until I left the country.

I can't remember where I read an article about it, but a lot of African immigrants want to distinguish themselves from black Americans so I guess the hyphen helps separate...

-Rudey

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by RACooper
I'd say it has to do with culture heritage really... after all historically speaking Europeans have also refered to themselves in the hyphenated American form as well (Irish-American, Italian-American, and if you go back far enough Anglo & Scotch as well)...

Not unlike, in a previous time, Scots-Irish.

And please -- "Scots" or "Scottish," not "Scotch." The long-time usage of Scotch-American and Scotch-Irish notwithstanding, "Scotch" refers to food ("Scotch broth," "Scotch egg") or drink ("Scotch whiskey"), not people.

Okay, Scotch can refer to tape as well.

[lifesaver]

Originally posted by MysticCat81
Not unlike, in a previous time, Scots-Irish.


Okay, Scotch can refer to tape as well.

I wonder what about the tabe makes it Scotch?

[starang21]

Originally posted by Taualumna
Do Asians in the US really say "Asian-American" rather than referring to their own ethnicity (e.g. Korean-American, Chinese-American, Japanese-American, etc)?

both.

[FirstAndFinest]

Originally posted by MysticCat81
And please -- "Scots" or "Scottish," not "Scotch." The long-time usage of Scotch-American and Scotch-Irish notwithstanding, "Scotch" refers to food ("Scotch broth," "Scotch egg") or drink ("Scotch whiskey"), not people.

Thank you for that clarification!

While I can trace family back to Scotland, Ireland, France, England, Wales, other European countries, and Russia, I don't call myself a "Scotts-American", a "Scots-Irish-American", or a "EurAsian-American." I am an American. JUST an American. Like that TV commercial with all those people of different shades and shapes, all claiming their commonality - AMERICAN!

[Beta version]

I think it's all down to the person.

[Private I]

Is it the plaid outside that makes scotch tape scotch? Or is that another stereotype, lol...

Although I have American citizenship, I would still call myself Serbian, because I was not born in the U.S. Now if I had a child that was born to an American, then I would imagine he or she would be Serbian-American.

I believe it all depends on the person. There is no rhyme or reason to what a person tends to define themself and so it should be because you can always find an exception to every rule.