Why are all blacks called African-Americans when whites are called caucasion instead of their heritage?

Question

I'm German-American! Why aren't caucasions called by their heiritage. And not all black people are even from Africa!

Answer 1

They get a special (& incorrect) label to help the rest of us (& our predecessors) feel less guilty about having had negroes in the bondages of slavery. Blacks have been called many awful and unnecessary names and in our era of being politically correct, we've tried to choose a name that is less hurtful. I personally think that African Americans would only be people who recently moved to America from Africa. If they were born in Africa and then became naturalized American citizens. That's an African American. The rest of them are just black americans. They are descendants of the original black slaves. No shame. Just the fact. Just like I'm a white american. Otherwise I'd be a European American. That sounds silly. My lineage traces back to France, Wales, and germany. American blacks, if they were able, might also trace their lineage to a number of different African countries.

Answer 2

Maybe because caucasians came here and took the land over by force, they consider themselves the rightful owners and everyone else to be here by their grace. So everyone else gets a label except the ones doing the labelling. Notice the word caus-asian, the caucus mountains in asia, it isn't even a continent. To say caucasian american would be about like saying mediterranian americans, or yucatan peninsula americans. Also, african americans somehow maintain the visage of being here against their will because of the slavery in their history, even though all of those with a true claim to that heritage are native born and are free americans. They might be perpetuating use of the label, as it gives homage to their ancestral land.

Answer 3

Ask an African-American. They're the ones that want to be called that instead of "black". And all black people are from Africa, because "all" people are from Africa. Read your history books. The oldest remains of Homo sapiens were found in Africa.

Answer 4

I don't hear the term Caucasian much. Perhaps you do in your neck of the woods. Unlike other terms such as ******* and Mongoloid, Caucasian stuck around probably because it could be used to discriminate and keep out other races from things the Caucasians wanted all to themselves.

Answer 5

lots of caucasians call themselves ethnically prefixed americans. irish-americans are big on it (they have their own holiday!). not all blacks are african americans; many are just africans. some are haitans, some jamaicans. some are even, *gasp*, ENGLISH. wake up!

Answer 6

It's a mystery. It's also a part of the double standard. Nice, isn't it?

Answer 7

I dont now