Why do we always refer to Black people as "African-Americans?"?

Question

Lol, I wonder why everyone always feels obligated to call Blacks "African-Americans?" It's like they have to be referred to in the most proper way or else their dignity is hurt or something. It just seems like people are so scared of offending Black people that they, out of fear, call Blacks African-Americans. It's not like people refer to Whites as Caucasians or Asians as Asian-Americans...what's the freaking deal?

Answer 1

I think people want to be respectful and not acknowledge someone to a certain color because of their skin color.

Answer 2

For the record, BLACK ppl didn't come up with the term African American. A bunch of white guys in some Washington think tank did.

It's not that tough to get though. Why are cripples now disabled? Oh, wait, they're handicapped now. Or are they challenged? Get the point? To many ppl, perception is reality. So once a given term develops a certain stigma, it's time for the PR hounds to come out and create a new term.

And, "It's not like people refer to Whites as Caucasians or Asians as Asian-Americans."

Uh, yes, they do.

Answer 3

I don't know why America has always felt the need to label everything and everybody. When we look at the words, "Colored, *******, *****, Octaroon, and Quadroon," not to mention some derogatory names, these were all names for Blacks that WE did not create. Wouldn't you FINALLY want the respect of being called what you are, whether it's by your name or country of origin? African-American acknowledges an American with African ancestry while "Black" places those of an African background but from other countries (like a Haitian, or a Black French man) in a larger category. Okay Skippy?

Answer 4

I've never been to Africa. I'll probably never go...not out of disinterest, but because of financial restraints. I'm also a mixed race child. Yet people persist in calling me an African-American woman. No mention is made of my French-American heritage, my Irish-American heritage or even my Cherokee heritage (should that be Cherokee-American? :-) I have Caucasian friends who, immigrated from South Africa...yet no one thinks to call them African-Americans, and when they point out that they actually ARE as opposed to me who is NOT people get flustered and generally change the subject. I'm all for being politically correct up to a point...I personally (if you must label me at all) would prefer to be called American...or if you must American-American.

Answer 5

For the same reason they call Italian Americans, Irish Americans German Americans etc, they have a need to further identify the country of origin of their ancestry, I do not know why they do that, American should be sufficient. In the Dictionary they are listed as Nergros. And the whites as Coucasian the Asians , so then we have Asians Caucasians, ******, and what should we call the Latinos, Spaniards?................. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, all you Humanoids

Answer 6

Well other Caucasians are called Polish Americans or Italian American. I personally prefer just "Black", African American is being more politically correct. But really that words is for more direct descendants of an African parent, like a person whose parents our grandparents were born in African and they were born in America.

Answer 7

"we" don't always do that. Maybe you do or you feel obligated to do so, but I don't. I'm white and go to a church where 99% of the congregation is black (I'm pretty much the other 1%). I refer to them as black. I mean technically they are not African-American, the majority of them are from Jamaica or the Caribbean, so they are West Indian, not African. And I live in Canada, so we're not American.

And if someone wants to call me a racist because I call them my friends black, they clearly have nothing better to do then sit around causing trouble!

Answer 8

I agree with you 100% I find its in the states though where any black person is automatically labelled african-that's racist to me northern africans -are labeled egyptian etc not just by the contnent their from europeans are labelled by their country-england,ireland.spain poland etc even black african cultures are very different from each other but the racists don't care to educate themselves

Answer 9

I don't get why Americans do that either,you only ever hear it on US tv.If you referred to a black english man as African-English i don't think he'd be too pleased.Its quite obvious when another person originates from another country, usually by colour or name,i don't think theres any need to spell it out.

Answer 10

Well i think its just to be respectful, if i am with a friend and she asks me "what colour was that girl" i will say black, but if im in a groupl it just sounds more polite to say "african -american" it's not that i am scared of anyone, or that i am affraid of offending anyone, i just think it is a more proper and polite way of saying that person is black... its no big deal!!

"BIG CHEF YAMBAG" I am Italian and i am proud of where i am from and i am proud of my country, yes this country offers more, in regards to employment, property value etc... but if someone asked me what i am, i am Italian first!!!

Answer 11

I don't mind being called black or African American. What irks me is being called "colored" or the "n" word. Colored may seem harmless to some people but it hurts me because that is what they used to call us during the racist times. I wasn't born back then but if a white person calls me that it feels like a slap on the face.