is a white person from africa who now lives in america referred to as an african american?

Answer 1

despite what everyone may say is and what is "political correct" I have never heard of a white person from Africa referred to as African American. African American is just a Political correct way of saying black. That's why in any fill in the bubble stuff it says "White, Caucasian." or "African American" etc. Why can't we just be called American and forget color.

Answer 2

Good question. Yep, they would be an African American and any black African American that had a problem with it must have some issues. Especially as most African Americans (esp the young) have never actually been to Africa!

It's an odd term, why aren't they just Black Americans?

I have family that came from France a couple of generations back but I don't call myself French English.

Answer 3

Great question! The white couple from Africa and now US citizens would be refered to as "African American".

Now I am confused!

Answer 4

There was someone on here a few months ago. She was a white African American wondering why she couldn't apply for African American scholarships, since she technically was one. Wish I remembered her name. Anyway, African American exclusively refers to blacks, for some odd reason.

Answer 5

I can't vouch for the American tradition, but, if that hypothetical white person from Africa went to live in Canada, he/she would definitely be an African-Canadian. As a Canadian living in Britain, I've had to explain to numerous people the tradition of the "hyphenated-Canadian." In Canada, it is generally accepted usage, most likely grown out of Government-speak, to refer to Canadian citizens by their original predominant country/continent of origin, whether that origin be in their generation or several preceding generations. For instance, I am an English-Canadian. Francophones are French-Canadian. The people indigenous to Canada (pre-politically-correctly called "Indians") are now called Native-Canadians.

There are German-Canadians, Eastern-European-Canadians (a double hyphen!), African-Canadians (but also South-African Canadians; Ghanian-Canadians; Egyptian-Canadians, Polish-Canadians, etc. . . .)

The only people that this hyphenating possibly does a disservice to are the Native Canadians. One could argue that they are the only ones who have the right to call themselves Canadians, full stop. However, you will find that most Native Canadians would rather call themselves after their ancestral tribe, such the the Blood, the Blackfoot, the Cree, the Haida, the Ojibwa and so on.

For the rest of us, Canada is still a country made up completely of immigrants or of the more-or-less recent descendents of immigrants. These days, a bog-standard Canadian is usually a "Heinz 57" . . . someone with multiple ethnic origins. (Again, speaking personally, I am, in no particular order, an English-Russian-Swedish-German Canadian.) Multiple ethnicity is beginning to be the norm; however, we generally have a predominant 'origin' (predominant to each individual's outlook, anyway) with which we identify. Therefore, we celebrate our ancestry by recognising it first in our appellation (as well as in our looks, our food, and culture.) And then congratulate ourselves in the second part of that appellation that we have all become the luckiest citizens in the world--Canadians.

It is my understanding, however, that in the States, the term "African-American" is actually a governmental-standard and politically correct term for negro or someone with negro ancestry. (Please don't hassle me about the term 'negro' . . . I'm trying to use it in the sense of 'someone of the negroid race' just as I am someone of the caucasian race.) It refers to the fact that, in the United States, if you are NOT a first-generation immigrant AND you have negroid ancestors, they almost certainly came to the country as slaves from Africa. Therefore, in ancestry you are an African-American. From my personal experience with people in the United States, an African-American would call either a white OR black person from Africa living in the States an "African." They would never call a white person from Africa an African American. That hypothetical person could only become, if he/she acquired citizenship, an "American, originally from Africa."

Come to think of it, this differentiation in naming between Canada and the USA is perhaps the best demonstration of the abiding difference between the two cultures. . . . I leave it up to the reader to decide which of the two, if either, is superior.

Answer 6

This is a good question. I know a couple from South Africa that do not look white or black. I never really thought about that before!

Answer 7

Yes, and if I was one--I would demand to be referred to as african american just to confuse people. Especially blacks who think that is impossible.

Answer 8

Why not just call them an American.

What is the purpose of adding the continent of origin. I can't think of any other country that does this.

I'm sure that Pakistani immigrants to the UK don't loose their cultural identity when we simply call them British.

Answer 9

Of course they are. There was this one disney movie where this family was hosting a girl from africa and when they picked her up from the airport, to their dismay, she was white.

Answer 10

yes and he was proud of it too.to be african and american.met a lad who said he was an african american when i asked him about his accent. I liked the way he talked.