Why do people consider themselves African American if they werent born in Africa?

Question

I dont understand why people call themselves African American and yet they were born in America to American parents. I mean if thats the case White people could be considered and should be considered European American.

Ps... Africa is prodominently white so that just adds to my confusion. I think it is totally inane to say that. I see it as you are an American or you are not. Despite skin color. Another thing that has hit a nerve with me is that there is a commercial for "Vibe line" and it shows a girl on there and she is black and she says "this line is just for us" now if that was a white girl the NAACP would be all over their butt. So whats the difference?

Answer 1

Calling yourself someplace you have actually been makes too much sense..in that case call me a liquor store American.

Answer 2

You know, I've always asked myself the same question. The fact that someone is black does not automatically make them African or American- what about Haitian people? What about black Europeans?

I think that just the word "black" should be enough; it's just a physical description. If we start treating it as such people might stop seeing skin color as a culture, which is ridiculous, and much like saying that all people with blue eyes or large feet are the same- the only thing all people of one skin color have in common is that skin color.

Answer 3

Well, Italian Americans were born in Italy, but guess what they will say they are when you ask them? Americans of Polish descent, same thing. They will say they are Polish or Polish American. They state a country specifically because they know it.

Most African Americans, due to the way that we were brought over here, have no idea of their country of origin. It's paying homage to the continent of origin instead. Besides, do you have a better word that is descriptive, but not in a negative way and doesn't hearken back to the days of Jim Crow?

Answer 4

this is an exciting attitude. i'm African American and by no ability seen my self stronger. A year in the past I went to Ghana and it regarded as though the Africans there felt the comparable way. We have been called brothers and our divisions did no longer seem to count. despite if, i exchange into informed that some Africans definitely view African-individuals as inferior, with the aid of fact our ancestors have been "vulnerable" sufficient to be captured. lower back on subject count, i think of a few could think of themselves stronger with the aid of adverse portrayal of Africa. Africa is often linked with AIDS, war, etc. meanwhile, u . s . a . of america is often uplifted. consequently of their strategies, being an African American could be extra effectual than in basic terms being African.

Answer 5

Some Black people started using this phrase during the Civil Rights era during the 1960's to express pride in their cultural heritage. For hundreds of years Black people had been put down & treated as inferior & sub-human. Starting to claim their heritage & take pride in who they were made it possible for them to "pull themselves up by their boot-straps" and take pride in their ancestry.

I am a Native American and I always called us "Indians" or "North American Indians", but we were called "the ******* of the North" by whites during the era 1920-1950, & many people my parents ages "passed" for white to get jobs & avoid the KKK. Yes, the KKK hates Indians just as much as they do Blacks, & they were very active up North against Indians. We also went thru a stage where we bonded and began to celebrate our heritage around the time of "Wounded Knee" & our American Indian Movement days and so I can understand why some Black people say African-American. I am happy to accept what-ever they want to call themselves because they have that right.

Answer 6

By-and-large, I don't think negroids make the mistake, but many others
do. ******* is a reference to skin color (melanin). "African-American"
denotes origin and says nothing about skin color.

If you are faced with someone with very dark complexion, is it right
to assume that their family roots trace back to Africa?

Statistically, you'll PROBABLY be right, but not necessarily.

There are caucasian people (white) who come from Africa and are
now living here, but you probably wouldn't want to call them African
Americans.

This is a case where political correctness has gone a little haywire.
It has introduced phraseology that is technically inaccurate.

Personally, I never use the expression "African American" - I use either
"black" or more likely *******. I make SURE they here the "OID" part
of the word lest the think I ended it with "ger".

Answer 7

I do call white people European Americans.

They consider themselves African Americans because the white European Americans make it amply clear that blacks can't be standard, normal Americans. A sad state of affairs, don't you think?

Answer 8

To me ,l think it's so people feel as it they belong. America is one of the only countries that people put themselves into different classes. Here in Australia we don't seem to do that, you are either lrish, Russian, or even just Australian.If you were born in America then to me you are American.l myself are first generation Australian, and l consider myself Austrlian, not Polish,Russian,Irish Australian, l am just Australian, but at the same time l am very aware of my backgrounds and very proud of it.

Answer 9

Proud of ones heritage..
I consider myself a Celtic... Scot-Irish-Native American

Answer 10

Ancestry. Technically, no one is american, and SOME black people (what i consider myself) use it to remind people of their struggles and stuff, stuff like that