Why are black people refered to African-Americans in the USA?

Question

What if you're origin is from Hathi, St-Martin, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, etc..

Answer 1

People from the Dominican Republic aren't classified as black...

But anyway, it's just a generalization. There is really no other "nice" way to say black. I don't think that you can classify all of them under one name.

Answer 2

each and every technology has with new word through fact the do not basically like the way the previous ones have been used. the undertaking with Black is that it used through fact the alternative of white it is actual whilst speaking approximately colour yet not human beings. As you element accessible are already people who've a difficulty with African American so i'm particular there will be a clean one in a decade or 2 or maybe we additionally will end labeling human beings with the help of race so we can't want one.

Answer 3

Well If your origin is from the Dominican Republic you should be refered to as Dominican and if your origin is from Jamaica it should be Jamacian But the problem is that people just assume things. African-Americans are called that obviously because they're origin is from Africa but they are Americans so I don't know why we don't say Jamaician-American - but you can look at Latino's too because they're called Mexican Americans but if your in Florida and your Latino everyone assumes your from Puerto Rico or Cuba (?) but in Texas or California if you look Latino everyone is gonna call you Mexican. Its just the assumtions that people make. I'm white mostly german but I have some other stuff in there too But noone calls me German-American. Kinda weird to think about huh?

Funny story - in a doctors waiting room my 3 year old asked a black women " Are you brown?" and she said " Yes I am" well my daughter being half mexican and half white says that she's brown too -

Answer 4

Putting labels on people seemed to have confused many. People don't know the history behind the labels so they assume all sorts of things about them. For instance, African American was coined after centuries of derogatory terms were used for blacks, as the government did not consider them American. African American is just a term for those blacks whose slave ancestors were brought from Africa to the USA. Today, if someone from Haiti came over and became a US citizen, that person would be Haitian American. He knows which country he called home whereas the person with slave ancestry do not, as Africa is a continent and not a country.

Answer 5

Because some maniacal politically correct moron decided that the term African-American would describe a race of people with black skin. Point in fact: If anyone is born in America, they are American, not (anything)-American and should be called just that: AMERICAN.

Answer 6

Many people in the UK refer to black Americans as Afro-Caribbean American, rather than African-American.

It's all just labels & we're all just people. We all started out in the same place (West Africa somewhere, I guess). We just took different paths to get to where we are toda.

Answer 7

It acknowledges that America is our home as well. It is not applicable to all people of African decent.You can start the change. My heritage is part African and part European. I am seen as Black or African American by my appearance yet my bloodlines are of two cultures. Peace.

Answer 8

It's considered politically correct to say "African-American". I imagine most American's just don't think about it when it is applied inaccurately. It's used as an umbrella term like "Native American" or "Hispanic".

Answer 9

It caught on because most of the people descended from all these countries have dark skin, as the african americans do.
COMMON SENSE's answer is the best.

Answer 10

Because black people came to america as slaves from Africa, by the new European settlers of America in the 17th century