why are black american people called African Americans?

Question

I've never heard a white person being called a European American

Answer 1

because most of us have origins in Africa.
it's a way to place a "name" ( for lack of a better word) on a people who have a harder time tracing family history than most.

Answer 2

I guess because Africans are usually black. I don't consider myself being an African-American because I'm just an American. African-American to me says that your mother is African and your dad is an American or vise versa. Period.

Answer 3

Everything today is "PC", politically correct. And it's really stupid. White people may not be called "European Americans", but a lot of the time are referred to as "Caucasian".

Answer 4

Go back and read about your history, I'm going to try to get this right, what I think most white americans heritage comes from Britian or England because when the colonists first created america they didn't want anything to do with them because after they beat them they were independant so they called themselves americans and created thier own government, but it all depends on what kind of white are you? you could be italian, polish, german, dutch, or english american. We are called African American because we are desended from Africa just born in America, I'm also part Native American too.

Answer 5

Because some people just like to create a fuss about anything and everything. You're right. I don't see white people having a problem with being called white.

Answer 6

I don't know. I am not American so I hate when i go to the US and they call me an African American. What's wrong with the term black. It seems fine to me. (better than ***** or coloured)

Answer 7

I agree, you are either American or not, that's it, enough said. I also like it that we Americans come in many kinds of colors, we are so much more beautiful than the monochrome countries.

Answer 8

"It's time we descendants of slaves brought to the United States let go of the term "African American" and go back to calling ourselves Black - with a capital B."


Modern America is home now to millions of immigrants who were born in Africa. Their cultures and identities are split between Africa and the United States. They have last names like Onwughalu and Senkofa. They speak languages like Wolof, Twi, Yoruba and Hausa, and speak English with an accent. They were raised on African cuisine, music, dance and dress styles, customs and family dynamics. Their children often speak or at least understand their parents' native language.

Living descendants of slaves in America neither knew their African ancestors nor even have elder relatives who knew them. Most of us worship in Christian churches. Our cuisine is more southern U.S. than Senegalese. Starting with ragtime and jazz, we gave America intoxicating musical beats based on African conceptions of rhythm, but with melody and harmony based on Western traditions.

Also, we speak English. Black Americans' home speech is largely based on local dialects of England and Ireland. Africa echoes in the dialect only as a whisper, in certain aspects of sound and melody. A working-class black man in Cincinnati has more in common with a working-class white man in Providence than with a Ghanaian.
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Answer 9

They copied the Asians, who used to be called by whatever country they were, for example, "Korean-American", "Chinese-American", "Japanese-American", and so forth.

Answer 10

I DON'T KNOW. BUT I THINK IT'S STUPID. I'M BLACK AND I'M NOT NO d________ AFRICAN AMERICA. I AM A NATIVE BLACK AMERICAN. MY PARENTS THEIR PARENTS & ETC. WAS BORN IN AMERICA. SO WHERE DID THEY GET AFRICAN. I DON'T KNOW.I THINK IT'S A WRONG. BECAUSE ALL BLACK PEOPLE ISN'T FROM AFRICA. IS ALL WHITE PEOPLE JEWS. UH!

Answer 11

Maybe because saying African American, sounds better then someone calling them black.