why is there some people who think african american is better then black?

Question

have you actually said african american and was truely serious? i mean, its not like once "african american" became politically correct, all the black people started sayin, "whoa, lifes much better as an african american!", do you think it matters? because to tell you the truth, some people who say "black" sometimes get critisized for no reason, i mean, are white people called "white americans"? no, theyre just white. what do you think?

Answer 1

I call black people black, and i call white people white..good thing i dont care what others think of me...

Answer 2

Well I say black. Never really thought about it. I call people white or black.
I say African-American out in a public setting instead of black but my friends do also. Just a habit I guess. Most the time I just say that girl there or that guy I don't stop to put a white or black in there. Just me tho I guess

Answer 3

It is because many Black people wanted to have a sense of where they came from but it is sad that I have heard plenty of Africans say they don't like Black people in America. Not all White people are just considered White Americans. I have a friend for example that considers herself Italian American and some of my friends though they are not White, that consider themselves Asian Americans.

Answer 4

I think it's ridiculous to call anyone African American unless they are from, or their parents are from, Africa. I have met people from Africa while teaching, and they can't stand black Americans being called Africa American. I feel the same about Asian American, though. If you're born here, you are American, plain and simple, and all the racial breakdowns based on your physical appearance are ridiculous. Whites aren't called Irish Americans or German Americans, so why should just the "minorities" be the ones to get the racist labels?

Answer 5

I'm black and I prefer to be called Black. Although I like the term African-american because it shows our heritage even if it is far back in our heritage.

I think it depends on the environment you're in. Saying African-American might be more appropriate if you're in a business meeting, its just the basic name for us that is supposed to be politically correct and ok for anybody to say. If a person of a different race says "black people" i think they'll feel less comfortable versus them saying "african-american". Its just some more names to label us under...

Answer 6

Well I've never had a problem being called black. It's what I am. It someone says African American I don't have a problem with it but I've always just said I was black.

Answer 7

yeah I agree... it's just a skin colour. Some are white some are black... so what? Nobody is better than somebody else. Calling black people african americans doesnt change a thing.

Answer 8

"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all.
This is just as true of the man who puts “native” before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance. But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English- Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian- Americans, or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality than with the other citizens of the American Republic. The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country. The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American."

THEODORE ROOSEVELT
October 1915

Answer 9

I think its all fuzz and its overrated. Jesus, you cant say the word black without someone screaming Racist! or other nasty things. Italians, Germans, Hungarians, Russians,.. U name it that are Born here are called Americans period, while other people of other ethnic descents are tagged with the ancestry behind, such as Mexican, Asian, African etc. Does not make any sense, and its not fair.

Answer 10

My husband is black and he doesn't like the phrase African American because he says he's not from nor ever been to Africa!

Answer 11

people have to walk on egg shells and tip toe around tryingto not offend someoneelse. i see where you're coming from. Many black people in American are not from African decent anyhow.