Black People - Do you prefer to be called black or African American?

Question

I am black. I have was born in America. I have never been to Africa. Even if I have descendants from Africa (100 generations ago) I was still born in America, therefore my race is black and I am a full blooded American. I do not wish to be called African American. I find that to be highly offensive!

Answer 1

Black.....African Americans are people who are from Africa, born in Africa, or are direct descendants of an African family...that now live in America.

I am black....I can't trace any ancestors back to Africa....and I don't care to try either. My heritage is american. I am black. I am American. So you can call me black....because that is what I identify with.

Answer 2

I am white. Well, not white really, but sort of a pinkish tannish which is not white like white but it is called white which makes about as much sense as African American.

You are right. "African American" is not logical if there is no real African anywhere. By the same logic I could be called "European American, but that makes no sense either. I was born here. My mother and father were born here.

I think "African-American was invented by people who abhor the"N" word and "*****" and can't stomach saying "black". "African" is a relatively safe word, like Asian" or "Antarctican" so they used that. "American" is also safe; not too many PC wimps can come down on "American" but I suppose they can try.

Perhaps the term should be American African instead. No wait, that might be the wrong emphasis... How about "American black"? Or maybe "Black American"? No? Then how about "Black American African"? Humm...

This is confusing. Wait! I'VE GOT IT ! How about "Yo, Bro~"

Yobro. That's it. Perfect.

Answer 3

I'm a white person and I am getting tired of being call a white person. What is wrong with just being Americans ( I'm speaking for the America and the way they do applications birth certificates and so forth). If you are an American then it should only ask if you are American. But then again that doesn't mean anything in the United States no a days. So why even bother with placing a name at all on the color of the skin... We are all human beings and that should be the only thing that matters. and we should all take pride in our own Nations.

Answer 4

African American takes too long to say. I'm black and hispanic, so I usually check 'other' on forms and things. The only people I know who really use the term African American, are some of my teachers are the trade college I go to, mainly because it's in a real small town, and I think they're afraid of being politically incorrect.

Answer 5

I prefer to be called Xae or Xaemiejiel. I check other

so neither, both I cannot tolerate as I am neither form Africa nor am I the color of nothingness.

I am Xaemiejiel Lu and that is how I prefer to be addressed as a man not a black afro american or afro asian, just Xaemiejiel


I am more than a race and my name sums me up.

Answer 6

Africa is associated with savages, so African American gives you a picture of somebody who is half savage. Guess the name will have to be changed again. From ***** to Coloured to Black to African-American to ???? Perhaps Black-American will be next.

Answer 7

it was way less than 100 generations ago we shouldn't be called any thing, neither should any other race, it just separates us. i am a person and so are you. non- of the descriptions have been accurate for us anyway you are right we are not African, and all other races have different shades and hues so colored is wrong to and I'm not going to even talk about the n word

Answer 8

I have answered this question before. I will repeat my previous answer.

I think "black" is okay for me, sometimes.

For example at work, this person asked someone "Who is Monique?" And her response was that black lady with the curly hair. She wasn't referring to me, but somehow it pissed me off. Why couldn't she say, "Monique is the lady at the nurse's station with the purple scrubs that has bumble bees on the blouse."

When we speak of white people we don't always say Caucasian. But when someone say's "Who's Becky?" we don't say "The white girl with the blue scrubs." If I were white I would think that to be strange. I am sure that this situation would be brought the attention of the nurse manager and we would get in trouble for being "difficult"

I like to use the word black when we are talking to each other you know like when we say "Girl, it's a black thang, they don't understand." I prefer that people of other ethnicities refer to us as African-American.

Answer 9

I would rather be called African American. Because I'm half black and half white. To my point of view African is black and American is whites and other people.

Answer 10

You can refer to your cultural identity anyway you wish. The same can be said about many Americans, some people are very proud of their heritage and would like to be referred to as Mexican American, Italian American... etc. It makes you no less black or American, just your preference.