Should White People be called African American, if they are from Africa and become citizens of US?

Question

Suppose their parents are from South Africa and become citizens of the US-- shouldn't they be called African Americans too?

This is a legitimate question based upon an article. It is not a slur, just a need for clarification. I think most of the Answerers get that.

Answer 1

it would be up to them but that would be correct, the same as german american, french american,etc white or what ever color.

Answer 2

No one should be called something American - not Italian American, not African American, not Russian American....
Not any segregating designating or alienating adjective.
If you want to designate race then use the proper terms of Caucasian or *****.
If you are a citizen of the United States of America then dump all of that nonsense of descriptive phasing.
We wonder why peoples of other nations despise us. We give them an open door to disliking us every time a citizen calls himself some thing other than an American. It sounds as if we do not want to own our citizenship.
If you do not want to be an American then go and live where you want to be associated.
So, No--regardless of race or ancestral nationality--No citizen of the United Sates should be called African American.

Answer 3

i think an african american is either someone in this situation (assuming they have dual citizenship and do not lose the south african citizenship in the process), or someone who has an african parent and an american parent. no offense to black Americans who pride themselves on being "African American"- but if you don't have one parent from Africa and one from the U.S., or if you don't have dual citizenship between an African country and the U.S., then you are no more African American than, say, someone with Italian heritage who has never even been to Italy and doesn't speak the language, but insists on being called Italian American. If you want to look at it that way, then everyone in the U.S. is African American, since Africa is the cradle of civilization and all human beings originate from that great ancient continent.

Answer 4

An African American (also Afro-American and black American) is a person in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan Africa. Many African Americans possess European, Native American or Asian ancestry as well. In the United States the term is generally used for those of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, and not, for example, for those of European colonial ancestry, such as whites or White South African-European ancestry.

It seems the term is based on racial background.

Answer 5

Everyone who has grown up and been part of American society is an American. If you said Mexican-American it would mean you were an emigrant or had the mentalitly of an immigrant. Better to call yourself an American and if you want to provide more description, tell them of "X" descent. When people ask me if I'm an American I say "YES." Rather than "X-American."

Answer 6

I think American should be American should be American, just like Mexican is Mexican and Brazilian is Brazilian; categorizing people by race etc. is illegal in those countries. Everyone's ancestors started out in Africa and moved to wherever they moved to, therefore everyone on earth should be African-(whatever) by that standard.

Answer 7

Absolutely since they are truly African American unlike the vast majority of the Black Americans who have never been to to will ever go to Africa.

Answer 8

it style of feels contained in the previous couple of years that further and added human beings relish embracing their history or the place their ancestors immigrated from. except we are community american (i ask your self how they experience approximately that call?) all of us have immigrant ancestors. i think of for some human beings there is satisfaction in claiming their ethnicity. Irish/Am, Asian/Am, Italian/Am, and so on.... i do no longer think of every physique is attempting to offend every physique else, besides the indisputable fact that it would look much less divisive if we would all purely call ourselves individuals. the folk who rather attempt to be offensive continually be able to come back up with some thing rather grotesque to call yet somebody else particularly than purely concerning their usa of commencing place. i even have maximum of distinctive immigrant ancestors i assume that they had would desire to call me mongrel/american. (-: If it bothers you, in line with risk you will desire to tell human beings it bothers you. which you're an American.

Answer 9

No. African Americans are people of African descent who were BORN IN AMERICA. So if they were born in Africa and came to America, then they would still just be African.

Answer 10

NO! If anybody is a citizen, regardless of their color or creed, they are called AMERICANS. This hyphenated thing is out of control. You are either an American or you are not. Period!

Answer 11

Hope you don't value your Yahoo account. Even asking such a question can get the whole thing deleted. Doesn't matter if you are signed onto other yahoo services or if you have a thousands of best answers.