Question about Nationalities?

[bersaguy]

Ok, I have been pondering this for quite some time and I am finally
ready to get some thoughts on the issue. My father and his family
was of German descent. My Mothers side of the family was mostly
Cherokee Indian descent. with this being known what does that
make me? German/Cherokee American  I was born in America so in
my mind I am just a Red Blooded American and not a German/Cherokee.
My point being if a black man/woman is born and raised in America is he or
she not just a plain American just like myself. What is wrong with just
being a plain American that the people of the Black race need that
African American Label when in all reality they are just an American? Yea
I am proud of my heritage but not to the point I want to wear it on my shirt
sleeves for everyone to know.
Would just like opinions.

[nightrunner]

I think for the most part it is just the politically correct way of saying they are black.

[10-Ring]

I've known black people who consider the term "African American" offensive as they have never been to Africa. IMO there is nothing wrong with simply using the word "black" to describe someone of a dark race. I certainly don't take offense when someone refers to me as white, though I don't think I would be comfortable with German/native Tennessean.

[Omega]

We have black Mexicans, we call them moreno instead of negro (black) for PC reasons so its not just here.  I consider myself American, but when young we called ourselves Chicano; not sure why, it just was.  I guess many blacks are the same way, they don't know why, it just is.

[TNWNGR]

bersaguy, your question is best answered by what's on your birth certificate for reporting purposes. I'm not certain of the percentage factor but if your Mother has/had the proper paperwork you might be eligible for free fishing licenses. Additionally there are excellent scholarships opportunities.

[gregintenn]

I don't know about you, but i'm sticking with "honky"! :no1:

[Caster]

If you were born here, you're American.  Period.  Goodbye, The End!

 

 

I despise racial/ethnic monikers added as a Pre-fix to American.  No got'dangit, you're American or you ain't.  Stick that other crap where the sun don't shine.  

 

Not that I'm against being proud of where you come from, BUT, this country is a melting pot.  By adding these prefixes you identify yourself as something OTHER than american and as such, are refusing to melt.  You cannot make a strong alloy if one of the components won't melt and mix thoroughly.  Again, i'm not opposed to identifying lineage but it comes SECOND to being an American.  NOT first.  

[btq96r]

I just identify people by what they wish to be called/identified by as long as they have a proper lineage to back it up.

 

That said, in this debate, black is a color and a describing feature more than a cultural identity.  African American denotes where their ancestors originally came from, just not as specific as Irish, Italian, Mexican because the records on their ancestors dealt more with price than anything else.

[A.J. Holst]

It's a label designated by the guv'mint for the purposes of sorting and applying equal opportunity rights to smaller groups of the whole.

 

African American opens the floodgate to any recent non-white import from north Africa who sees the opportunity to loot the system...word of advice...pass on any job offers at the NAACP.

 

If it ever happened and the powers-that-be were actually ever called out on it, I can already hear the response

 

"We actually meant persons described as the B-word, we didn't want anyone to be offended...despite what we said and wrote, it's not for everyone from the continent of Africa"

[bersaguy]

bersaguy, your question is best answered by what's on your birth certificate for reporting purposes. I'm not certain of the percentage factor but if your Mother has/had the proper paperwork you might be eligible for free fishing licenses. Additionally there are excellent scholarships opportunities.

Thanks my friend and My Grandmother was full Cherokee so yea I might qualify for some stuff but I'm really to old to think about school and since I am a senior citizen I have a lifetime hunting and fishing license that cost me $10.00 here in Tennessee......... :up:

[teecro]

A while back I was talking with a co-worker that I held in very high regard due to his family values and pride in his work.... Anyway in the course of conversation he began ragging a bit on people or in general where their family may have descended from such as France, Germany etc as though they were less than American... To which I asked him where was his family from, and he responded that he and all of his family was from Virgina.... So I looked at him and asked if he was of Indian descent and he retorted no as though I had insulted him... So I again asked him of what lineage his family descended from. It was at that point that he realized that he had no clue of his family name. was it of Irish, Scottish or German he did not know... Arrogance is as blind as it is deaf and dumb....

 

I was born in Houma La thus I am an American but my family is of both French as well as German lineage...

[ArmyBrat61]

I think the Duke said it best........turn up your speakers.

 

 

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/q6N4zKM2cZs

[Spiffy]

Too many people confuse RACE with NATIONALITY these days. African-American is a new "race term" used in place of Black which is a traditional "race term" like Caucasian.  Add to that special snowflake syndrome and you have the idea.

[Tncobra]

I have a white friend born in south africa. He is a US citizen now. He calls himself an african American much to the dismay of others.

[Caster]

^^^^  That's awesome!  

[Handsome Rob]

I have a friend in Atlanta got refused a county job (Cobb) for putting 'African- American' on his application. He's white as a sheet, born in Rhodesia.
The county refused him the job based on him 'falsifying his application'

[Caster]

Sounds like a good lawsuit.  Where are the Nincompoops Against All Caucasian People when you need them?

[Ron Padilla]

I'm kinda thinking I am all messed up, need to get a dna test done, most of my ancestry goes back to spain, but during the 1400 there was the ongoing migration of Jews to spain and we think that we have jewish blood, then on my moms side, they settled in New Mexico and mingled with Indians there, but cant locate records. And if you look at my sisters and my birth certs we were listed as white, that's what they did back then. But the bottom line is were American, even if others want to label us, therein lies the problem, people want to label others, when if born here from ancestry that goes back generations were Americans nothing else, cept the boxes you need to check on a form, and they only box that isn't there Human Race.

[analog_kidd]

I've had people at work trying to describe a person go like this:

 

"You know that guy, he's about 6' tall, has short hair. Drives that Honda. Sat over there at the Christmas party."

Then in a very hushed tone like they were telling a secret: "He's Black"

 

Being he is one of three black guys we work with, that is where they should have started. It's almost like we have to ignore the one main differentiating feature of color because we don't want to appear racist. It is what it is. Doesn't bother me to be described at that old white guy, why should it be a problem the other way?

[EssOne]

Sounds like a good lawsuit.  Where are the Nincompoops Against All Caucasian People when you need them?

 

Oh well, when the farkles think New Mexico is a foreign country and can't figure out what famous cowboy movie star the town of Gene Autry, Oklahoma was named after,...............I mean, y'know? :wall:

[Dolomite_supafly]

There is a company that will map your ancestors travels from Africa to you. And once you get it done you can make the data available for other websites like Ancestry.com to help them find matches.

 

What is surprising is most family histories do not match the DNA, some are minor differences while others are huge differences. When you consider that there is infidelity in most marriages these days you can see how someone's oral history does not match their DNA history.

 

I just sent my DNA off to see what I am made of. My aunt is compiling as much about our family history as possible. For years my father said he had ton of Indian blood in us based on our name, tempers and a few other things. Lumbee Indians have my name as one of the key names in their tribe but we are not part of it apparently. Turns out that we his sister, my aunt, has 0% native American. My father refused to have his DNA read so my aunt asked me and so I did it. Will be interesting to see what I am made of.

[Spots]

I've always found ancestors amazing. I want to map ours more extensively someday. My uncle mapped a lot of it. My family name Duncan is scottish. I a Scot-Viking-American. I have Scottish roots with a small amount of Cherokee on my dad's side, and Norse, Scott and Cherokee on my mothers. I think I'm gonna request a new title on paperwork of Nordic American

Sent from the backwoods

[Jonnin]

if you are the immigrant, and all the way thru to grandkid of one, there is nothing wrong with a bit of pride in knowing your roots and all that.  Past that, making a big deal about your heritage when no one you have ever met has even visited the country in question... is silly.  People do silly things, and its harmless, but its still silly.  Waving African flags when your people been here since 1650 is silly ... Ill say it.   Wearing tribal dress when the last native in your family died in 1820 is silly.  Naming your kids a random name from your perceived motherland is silly (actual family names are acceptable).  

 

Hyphen americans ... the entire concept of race needs to go away.  There is one.  Its human.

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

I am " human" 

[raildog]

I always mark outher on any form that ask race my family linage is all jacked up I would mark mut if it was a option