Will someone please explain the term or need for the term African American?

Question

My ancestors came from Europe about the same time most "African Americans" came from Africa. I'm not European American. I'm just American. I work with allot of black guys I swear, they look like Americans they speak like Americans, we watch the same sports. They NEVER speak of themselves as African American. What is up with that African American thing?

Answer 1

It is a catch-all term to describe people of African heritage who are American. The reason it refers to the entire continent instead of individual countres is because the naitonality and ethnic identity of most Black persons in America were lost during the process of indentity stirpping and intermixing of the peoples during slavery.

However African-American is not really an effective term for classification because it is so wide that it allows recent African immigrants to use the term as well while it was intended for the Blacks of American ancestry who can indeed identify with their own ditinct country, culture, and ethnic group. Africans typically do not classify themselves as Black because they are very proud to claim their known heritage whereas 'Black' typical refers to persons of African decent who are decendents/ products of the slave trade.

The various Black people throughout the western world are to as "Blacks in the diaspora." And while Black is a more exclusive term in respect to self-identification between American Blacks and Africans in America, there is hesitation to identify ourselves as a color that is a historical exaggeration of who we are.

I'll say I'm that I am black in a heart beat because its just easier to say. I'll use African-American where required like on applications where I have to check a box. So I guess you would say African-American is a politically correct term.

Answer 2

When I was traveling in Europe last summer, one of the things that I got asked was this;

"Why do Americans call themselves anything but Americans? Every American I meet who comes to Europe says they are Italian- or French- or African-American or something like that. You're not. You haven't been French or German or African for generations. You're Americans."

I had to laugh at that, because when I was asked (in Europe) where I came from, I said "California", like it's a different country.....

We all have a tendency to identify ourselves more specifically than just as "American" because unlike many other countries, we've always been a polyglot country.

I do think it would be an improvement if we just thought of ourselves as "American". But we do seem to divide ourselves up for identification - even if it's not ethnically, it's some other thing, like geographically.

"I'm a Southerner".

"I'm a New Yorker"

and so on.

Answer 3

Some people just want more attention. It's like getting something for free. If they want more "goodies" then they can get it just by the color of their skin. This isn't just black people though.

Personally, I think that anyone calling themselves anything other than "American" is enforcing further racism. We're Americans, not African, European, Scottish, Chinese, Asian, Latin, or Mexican. If you insist on hanging onto an "excuse identifier" name in front of "American" then you are helping to enforce racism. Drop the other name, and just be an American. You don't deserve special treatment just because 10 generations ago you family was in another country.

Answer 4

In the late 1980s, Blacks began to abandon the term Afro-American, adopting the autonym African American instead. Some did so out of a desire for an unabbreviated expression of their African heritage that could not be mistaken or derided as an allusion to the afro hairstyle. Others wished to assert their pride in their African origins.

More info at the link below.

Answer 5

People with no house. America IS NOT the black mans house. Why do you suppose we get such a lot of handouts...America's GUILT!!!! I imply, we constructed the dern nation however could not vote with out the extended family and bombings and lynchings till the 60s!!!!! Slavery ended within the 1860's and blacks could not vote w/o worry of DEATH for a different one hundred years and WE will have to believe like Americans!!!!! No, the time period "black" IS NOT offensive. AND we do not need to be referred to as "AFRICAN" to believe much less American than whites....we've got been feeling like outsiders again once we had been ni.gg.ers, jigaboos, coons, and "estate". Remember nine/eleven whilst the entire black folks had been like "in these days we eventually grew to become American"!!!!!! That's how so much believe ALL THE TIME and it ain't obtained not anything to do with the time period "African American"!!!!!

Answer 6

I agree with you I'm black and I would rather be called black since white people aren't called european american, also I wasn't born in africa so I'm not african american. You can call someone from mexio mexican american, or any person born in another country by their country and then american, but most black people weren't born in africa so why call us african american?

Answer 7

I've called myself an european american (and a polish and irish one to)
its more respectful than just saying black- black is a skin tone. african is an ethnicity.
and there are black people from islands, like somoa. they have black skin but are not african

Answer 8

Thank the ACLU once again. They don't always win. I think we finally got 'Womyn' out of the dictionaries. For a group who is supposed to be about freedom... they sure do spend a lot of time trying to take them away from us.

Answer 9

Some racist politicians made it up one day..as far as the racists are concerned,if you have brown skin you're from Africa..regardless of what you say.While at the same time...if you're white,you can be from anywhere.Makes me furious!

Answer 10

because they went through slavery (well their ancestors did), and they feel the need to remind people.

there was a big fuss about presidential candidate obama (black) not being an african american, and took offense to anyone claiming that he is.. his ancestors didn't have to deal with slavery so they are downplaying his blackness and separating themselves from him..

even though he is african in descent AND born in the US... he isn't ... i dunno it's confusing