African American???

[bersaguy]

Over the years the African Americans have been known by many different Classes or Nationalities of  people depending on who you ask. i am not trying to start an issue he so please don't take offense by my questions.

 

When I was a very young man growing up in West Chicago and having a lot of African American friends they were kind of offended if they were called Negro and they became wanting to be called Black so as time passed they were called Blacks And then as time passed by and the Civil Rights movement came and the Desegregation and  Discrimination laws were signed into effect by the President they took a new role as African Americans. Now here is where I get a little confused. If a person is born in America they are an American plain and simple  (well should be anyway).  I have friends that are of Irish descent  that were born here but they are not Irish Americans. They are Americans.

 

I have friends that were born here that are of German descent and they are not German Americans. They are Americans. I have friends that are of many different nationalities from generations past that have been born here and they are all Americans. I also have some African American friends that were born here and raised here but for some reason unbeknownst to me for some reason cannot just be Americans but must be African Americans.

 

Now with that said I do have one friend that is a true African American. He was born in Nigeria and is of Nigerian descent and came here as a child at 8 years old and became a legalized American Citizen at the age of 17. He and I were having lunch one day and he was talking about his and I asked him which he preferred to be known as and his reply was I am an American. I was an African and now I am an American were his words.

 

So now Since that lunch I have always wondered why Africa Americans that have been born here and raised here and educated here don't want to be called Americans but would rather be called African Americans. I ask my friend from Nigeria and he had no answer for the question. He just said he was very proud to be an American............Just seeking input and thought on this issue............................... :ugh:  :ugh:   

[TN-popo]

I've worked for the .gov for about 20 years (military and local LE).

 

What drives me crazy is "We're equal opportunity!"  But then, there's a block on a job application about race.

Why?

If you're an EOE, and want to hire the best person for the job, why do you give a damn about what color they are?

 

Race questions on job apps should be removed if you're really wanting equal opportunity.

[Randall53]

I suspect that the Africa part of the phrase is for the purpose of keeping alive the fact that their ancestors were forcibly brought here as slaves. The puzzle I can't seem to understand is the fact that they were sold into slavery by their ancestors yet this is always ignored. No one alive today in the USA was personally involved in either fact of history, so I have to ask....At this point, what difference does it make?

[bersaguy]

I've worked for the .gov for about 20 years (military and local LE).

 

What drives me crazy is "We're equal opportunity!"  But then, there's a block on a job application about race.

Why?

If you're an EOE, and want to hire the best person for the job, why do you give a damn about what color they are?

 

Race questions on job apps should be removed if you're really wanting equal opportunity.

I think that was placed on applications right after the Discrimination and Desegregation laws were signed because in the laws it required companies to hire and employed certain amount of Minorities so if they were working on getting that balance in their company and they needed to hire a few more minorities it would help the employers get their quotas met. I think theta should have been removed from the applications within a couple years and some companies don't have them on them and some do. Thing is about 80% of all big companies now do all their hiring through Temporary Employment agencies and weed out the ones they want to keep and get rid of the ones they don't based on work performance and can release an employee without fear of suit..............jmho

[bersaguy]

I suspect that the Africa part of the phrase is for the purpose of keeping alive the fact that their ancestors were forcibly brought here as slaves. The puzzle I can't seem to understand is the fact that they were sold into slavery by their ancestors yet this is always ignored. No one alive today in the USA was personally involved in either fact of history, so I have to ask....At this point, what difference does it make?

I think you have a good point but because that part of our nations history is no longer allowed to be taught in our public schools there will always be a certain amount of resentment and racism as long and the Jesse Jacksons , Al Sharptons and organizations like the Black Panthers and the KKK and NAACP of the world are alive to keep driving the ugly wedge between people..............jmho

[luvmyberetta]

I suspect that the Africa part of the phrase is for the purpose of keeping alive the fact that their ancestors were forcibly brought here as slaves.

 

Bingo! It's also a form of self segregation. As a minority they ask for equal rights, but they don't really mean it & it's earned a black history month, numerous black only colleges, "Black Miss America", NAACP, UNCF, & dozens of others. Ever hear the term "double standard"? "Hypocrite" also comes to mind. I've only met a few true African Americans in my life. They were born in Africa & moved here. I don't care what color your skin is. If you were born here in the U.S. you're an American. I don't go around asking to be called "Cherokee-Lakota-Scotish American". It would sound rediculous & people would have a hard time taking me seriously if I did. It's the same with the term "African American".

Edited September 27, 2014 by luvmyberetta

[RED333]

My family has been in this country since the mid 1600s, (Dad did the family tree thing) there is more crap in my wood pile than you can shake a stick at.

I am an American.

[vontar]

None of us are pure bloods.  If nationalities were breeds of dogs, we would all be mutts. 

 

Mutt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A mutt is a mongrel (a dog of unknown ancestry).

Edited September 27, 2014 by vontar

[gregintenn]

I guess I'm a European-American, because no one has yet taught me where Caucasia is located.

 

....on second thought, I believe I'll just stick with Honky!

Edited September 27, 2014 by gregintenn

[Jonnin]

African American is not a replacement for American.  It is a replacement for "black" which replaced negro (which is loosely from latin roots for the word for the color black..!)

 

It comes to pass now and again that you must refer to a person's physical description, and a term is needed.   Just about any term used causes someone to get their panties in a wad, though, esp those of "African" descent.   They have chose the term African American.  I can respect that and use it in those instances where I must refer to the "race" of a person as part of a description.  Which is pretty rare anyway -- most of the time race is not needing to be mentioned.

 

Physical descriptions are generally crude anyway.  Take a red-head --- its not red or even close to red, unless they used a punk hair coloring.   Take white: its not close to white either; even the guy like me that never sets foot in the sun is not even close to white.   For some reason a loud minority of African americans  feel offended by "black" (but will, in the same breath, speak of white people).   I don't get it, but if it bothers them that much, I can avoid the term and keep the peace.  

[Garufa]

I'm pretty sure only whites and a handfull of "african-americans" use the term.

[Spiffy]

What always got me is that African is a Nationality not a race.

[Trekbike]

I almost never use the term. I grew up with "black" and that's what I use.

As others have said, the term was devised to keep the slavery history alive and festering.

[Tuffus]

I had a discussion with a black guy at work once a few years ago where he kept referring to Nelson Mandela as an African American. I said he was African, not African American but he continued to claim he was because he is black. He never was convinced  until his mom straightened him out after he went home.

[BrasilNuts]

I will not say African American.

I lived in Africa, I was once asked to describe a man and I almost referred to him as African American. I made up my mind not to use that term again, they are Black or if they prefer Negro.

They can call me whatever they like, I'm sure I've been called worse.

[Mike.357]

this is the dumbest thread ever

[MacGyver]

The only voices I see in this thread are white ones.