Why do people continue to refer to two ethnic groups as colors?

Question

It's like an up hill battle getting people to refer to African Americans as such and Caucasions as such. Forms list the races as black-color, white-color, but will list other ethnic groups by race and NOT color, ie: hispanic, oriental, Asian, Native American, and so on. People call a style of music black--MUSIC has no color! BET--Black Entertainment Television. Entertainment has no color! Someone called a church a black church. That church wasn't painted black. So many people use the color for identification instead of the ethnic desription which is African decent. Some have caught on and use the proper terminology but so many others have not. A bi-racial child of a friend of mine asked her mother where the polka dots were when she told her that she was mixed with black and white. I told her if you had explained to her that she was African American and Caucasion she wouldn't have been looking for colors. The battle wages on.

Answer 1

I can't tell the difference all you humans look alike to me. I also need to get an updated map of your planet mine still shows Africa and America as two separate land mass. didn't even know the plates were shifting back.

Answer 2

I have a lot of black friends who taken offense to the term African-American, often times because they're not African. One's from Trinidad. Calling him African-American actually completely misses the mark on him. Others have had families in the States for generations and feel like calling them African-American denies them recognition as full citizens. Africa is a continent, America is a country, so you have to take into account that calling someone African-American may also be interpretted in terms of citizenship.

And what about the rest of the blacks of the world? What do you call a black Englishman? A black Frenchman? If this were really an accurate word for the race, it should apply to all members of the race, correct? Obviously African-American fails this test.

Answer 3

There are a couple of things that bother me, about this question. First, there is no such thing as a hyphenated American. You either are American, or you are not. You may claim to be an American, and add of a certain descent, but you can't be both African, Italian, Irish, or any other country and an American. Adding to this America is a country, Africa is a continent. Second, why is it that we have to speak of Black Men, and they speak of White Boys? If they can use the term "boy" about white people, why can't we use the term "boy" about black people?

Answer 4

You know my family is light brown skinned, and some of them even look black if you didn't know it. When I was a child I never understood why we didn't call them brown. "But daddy why do we call them black, there skin is brown like mommy's?" He had no answer except that's what they are called. I honestly remember that conversation cuz I was so confused. Color was never an issue in my world as mine was a diverse one. African this or caucasian that ~ we all ARE a color, accepting that is like accepting each other. The battle is what u make it, but love is the greatest defense.

Answer 5

The underlying force behind it all is still racism. Distinctions in our society are made because distinctions in our society are implied--we are still growing in our tolerance for racial differences and some of our more socially destructive habits die hard I'm afraid. Hopefully, God willing, race will become less and less of a contributing factor in the world that succeeds this one...

Answer 6

I think colors are used for people because they are easy to see, and easy to identify. Words like "Caucasian" won't necessarily mean anything to the average Joe, but "white person" will. It's not always meant to be racist- just more convenient.