Who are African-Americans?

Question

Most people who use this NAME has never been to Africa, know nothing about African culture and are not really interested in Africa. My family has been in Africa for the past 500 years from Belgium. Does that make me a Belgian- African OR European- African?

Answer 1

The search for a term that did not seem insulting for black people (which is the term I used when I was young, so it's what comes naturally for me) is still going on. *****, for some reason, was rejected as bad, which is silly to me, because it just means black. The main reason is probably that the insulting term n****r sounds too much like it, and could be the excuse to use the more insulting term. (Like the friend who insists she said "good luck," not "oh f**k.")

But it does seem silly to identify with a continent you only assume your ancestors came from an unspecified long time ago, especially since they generally did not (could not) bring their culture with them. Indeed, the whole point of the book "Roots" was that American blacks did not know their heritage, and needed to do some pretty difficult research to find it. Alex Hailey had the time, knowledge and money to do the research, so a lot of people just sort of adopted his family, in effect.

Answer 2

You're African. What's the problem? Your country of origin has never had anything to do with your race. American doesn't=white, Mexican doesn't=brown,etc..In most countries, there are people of different races.

African-American usually means American slave descendants. You could more understandably define yourself as being "from Africa" rather than an African American. It's kind like how French Fries are not from France, but that's what we Americans call them. Well, you're not going to change what we call fried potatoes on account of a linguistic technicallity. In the same way, African American in the US will probably mean "slave descendant" for a long time to come. It's just American, like French Fries.

Answer 3

Well, no matter what you think 99.9% of people that use this term to describe themselves can trace their heritage back to Africa. Sadly, I do not have the time yet to research my heritage completely, but I do know that my family goes to back to slaves from North Carolina originally from Africa.

Answer 4

this children is an extra ploy to make you suppose that American Blacks and Africans hate each and every different, they do not, and that is known as an strive at divide and overcome, subsequent time they're going to ask "why do Caribbean Blacks hate American Blacks " or "why do American Blacks hate European Blacks"...you get my glide....

Answer 5

their roots are from Africa anyway.

I think black people like to call themselve African-American rather then offensive- Negrous/*******

Answer 6

why do people need to give every person a name/title. I don't know about you lot but I am just me & I don't need to tell people which "category" I come into.

Answer 7

these are american citizens who have ancestry from africa
so you can call yourself whatever you like

Answer 8

no dude it doesnt make you that but to answer your questions the blacks here in america wanted to be called that but know they want to be called something different so who knows

Answer 9

Apparently, it makes you an idiot.