If black people are now called African Americans, why are white people still called white?

Question

After all, if Orientals are now "Asian Americans" and hispanics are "Latin Americans", Indians are now "Native Americans" and Blacks are now "African Americans", why are the whites the only groups still not labled with an "Americans" suffix?

Answer 1

.

The assumption being made in the
'question' is simply not accurate.

For instance, it really needs to be understood that the
'African-American' (AA) 'Ethnic' group is *not* the same
group as the ’Black American' (BA) 'Race' group -- that
the two (2) terms are *not* synonymous and -- that the
two (2) terms should *not* be used inter-changeably.

We are *not* speaking of ‘semantics’ here – but rather
– the BAs & AAs are two different groups of people.

The AAs are the (largely Mixed-Race) ETHNIC group.

The BAs are the (Mono-Raced) RACE group.

As confusing as it seems -- the U.S. government
[due to racism & wanting to stigmatize the part
of their lineage that was from Africa which, by
the way, is only one part of their lineage] ---

has labeled those individuals who are the known
"descendents of the survivors" of the system of
chattel-slavery found in the USA as being AAs
(the hyphen is used in reference to acknowledging
the fact that most of them are Mixed-Race,
with African & non-African blood lines)

AND

has labeled those people who are "volitional immigrants"
who are directly from places such as the continent of
African, the West Indies, etc. -- as being BAs
(with the word 'Black' used in reference to acknowledging
the fact that they are of a Mono-racial full-Black lineage).

In addition, it should also be remembered that – although
some AAs adhere to a socio-political ‘identity’ that is
often described by the slang term of “black”—the AAs
are actually *not* a "Race" group at all -- but rather
they *are* a largely Mixed-Race 'Ethnic' group
(and the socio-political ‘identity’ that a person chooses
*does not* change their racially-mixed ancestral lineage).

Most (+70%) of the people born to two (2) parents who
are of the AA ‘Ethnic’ group are are of a Multi-Racially
‘Mixed’ (MGM) lineage – while the people to two (2)
parents who are of the BA ‘Racial’ group – on the
other hand – are of a Mono-Racially ‘Black’ lineage.

There is a big difference between a largely Multi-racial
'Ethnic' group and between a Mono-racial 'Race group.

In addition, there is also a big difference between
one's socio-political 'identity' (ex. "black") and
one's ancestral racial 'lineage' (ex. 'Mixed').

Just because a person adheres to a given
socio-political 'identity' does *not* change
the composition of their ancestral 'lineage'.

Also -- the 'One-Drop' Rule (the false teaching that
'any amount' of Black ancestral lineage make a
person "full black") is nothing more than pure-racism.

The racist 'One-Drop Rule' (used only by the United
States government, by the way) was created during
the antebellum, chattel-slavery era by White racial
supremacist in order to get people to believe the false
racist myth that the so-called White "race" was "pure"
and to falsely view the Black "racial" admixture
(even the slightest amount) within someone's
ancestral lineage as being "tainted".

To embrace the 'One-Drop Rule' is the equivalent of BOTH
embracing "racism" and embracing the false teaching
that a Mixed-Race person's Black lineage is "tainted".

My advice is that a non-Racist should *not* embrace
the concept of the 'One-Drop Rule' -- as "Black blood"
is *not* "tainted" -- and should never be perceived
or embraced as being so (not even in the
name of so-called "pride" and "unity").

In addition, legally-speaking, attempted forcible
application of the racist 'One-Drop Rule' -- against
any individual or group -- was made illegal and ruled
as unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court
in 1967 via the case of 'Loving vs. The State of Virginia'.

Through the 'Loving vs. Virginia' case, the U.S.
Supreme Court, ruled against both all of the laws
banning Interracial marriage -- and -- also ruled
that any so-called law which forcibly applied the
'One Drop Rule' -- was racist, discriminatory,
illegal, unconstitutional, and non-enforcible.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1402

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1400

Related Links:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MGM-Mixed
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FGM-Mixed

------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------

--- Dr. Luigi Caveli-Sforza, who is the Executive
Director of the Human Genome Project and the
world's foremost authority on human genetics
has both tested and proven that more that 70%
of all AAs have a full ancestral lineage which
consists of +20-30% White / European and
more than +25% Amerindian bloodlines.

--- That means that the 'average' (+70%) person
born to two (2) parents who are both members
of the AA Ethnic group actually has slightly
less than 50% Black / African blood lineage
found in his or her full-ancestral lineage.

For more information -- see supporting links listed below:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1399
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1032
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1034
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/991
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1570
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1573

--------------------------- ADDED NOTE ---------------------

It should also be noted that -- contrary to popular belief and
myth spread among many groups who are not educated or
informed on the whole topic -- it was not the group that is
currently being referred to as being the African-Americans
(AAs) -- who chose this term for them -- but rather --
like so many of the other terms used to describe
them -- this term was also implemented by
the United States federal government
(starting with the 1990 United
States 'Census Bureau' Forms).

If a person insists on spreading the 'myth' that it was the
AAs who chose this term for themselves -- it is clearly
indicative of the fact that they have never even once
actually studied the entire topic and are simply basing
their comments on assumption-based ignorance --
rather than objective facts and empirical evidence.

.

Answer 2

I do suppose what you're pronouncing white individuals in american are viewed some of the best on this land and so if you're out of the field you're known as a minority, however I say the united states don't rule the arena or the brain of any one so when you ever will have to see a kind that ask what you're prefer different, considering that that's just a few crap to get your brain be inferior and also you no you're no. Don't allow them to get to you or get you down. Stay on most sensible. If you're black be balck and proud considering that you return from wealthy historical past and derived from kings and queens, do not allow them to idiot you or down grade you with a few dull kind made by way of a few racist white individuals. Be Blessed

Answer 3

I do feel what you are saying white people in american are considered the superior in this land and so if you are out of the box you are called a minority, but I say america do not rule the world or the mind of anyone so if you ever should see a form that ask what you are choose other, because that is just some crap to get your mind be inferior and you no you are no. Don't let them get to you or get you down. Stay on top. If you are black be balck and proud because you come from rich heritage and derived from kings and queens, don't let them fool you or down grade you with some stupid form made by some racist white people. Be Blessed

Answer 4

Caucasian is the word you seem to be looking for.

"Oriental" and "Indian" are the words in your question, to my knowledge, that are outdated and no longer used. Oriental is controversial in North America, and Indian is a flat-out misnomer. But there is nothing wrong with using the words black and hispanic to describe a person's race.

Black, white and hispanic are all relatively informal, while African American, Asian American, Caucasian and Latin American are more formal. All are still generally appropriate.

Answer 5

Because each term thought up was derogatory. When I was a child in the '50s it was acceptable to say "colored person". Now it's person of color and I wonder why one is acceptable and the other isn't. African-American is also wrong because many races came from islands and countries that are not in Africa. It's just something racists can't corrupt.
I am actually English-Irish but it isn't something people pick out to put me down for. Yet.

Answer 6

This ignorant question has been asked several times.

Vanamont- I can call myself what I wish and so can whites or other groups of people

Ldb83 – Caucasian actually refers to people only descended from those people from that mountain region;
All white people are not Caucasian, just like they all aren’t Jewish, Latino, Anglo-Saxon, or Celtic

Freeze – true

Crow – OK

Oops- I don’t need anyone to remind me I am American and neither do my brothers and sisters of African descent. It is YOU and people like you that don’t think of us as American OR HUMAN. My ancestors free labor since 1685 and the taxes my forbears paid when they didn’t even have the right to vote and lived with terrorists in their midst and recently, my family’s taxes and my taxes and the military service of all the men in my family (current and inactive) make me American so you can shove it.

Neepo- There is a Census and the majority said there would be divisions. People are not all just people to them or people would not live in groups together, move away from other people, intermarry, etc. Since there MUST be labels, ACCORDING TO THE MAJORITY, I choose one that reflects who I am.

AFWife- you have complained bitterly about dealing with racism towards whites (in South Carolina! One of the most racist places in the world to my people) well go and deal with that and don’t worry about blacks spend your time dealing with your life like a good military wife and get off it

Howard Beale- you also, like Oops seem to have nothing to do but insult black people on Yahoo! You need
“check on that”….also the RIGHTS of our people are NOT INCONSEQUENTIAL…
If you had to deal with 3 racist incidents a day like I do I would love to see how much you would
Complain. You are white and you own everything and you are complaining now.

Jess – people of color is not acceptable to me or most people I know..you probably live in the UK or South Africa..I have lived both places…and it doesn’t matter that the blacks come from Islands they are of African descent, part of the Diaspora, which is the point of the name

Karasi – it is your prerogative but I prefer African American…I will respond to black as long as it is not used in a disparaging manner, like in Swan Lake or the imagery of the LOTR (which I love but I wish I kill racist Tolkien again)

Call yourselves whatever you wish. I choose a name that reflects my heritage African and my current geographic location American.

The other point of using African is that in the past blacks were told to disassociate themselves from Africa.

Answer 7

Here we go again. First off... Oriental is a rug.
Second of all, call yourself what you want to call yourself. I'm black, and thats what I prefer to be called. Actually, looking at my skin tone, its pretty obvious that I am black, so there is really no need to even verbally identify that.
People have the right to be referred to as they wish.

Soulflower... you're right... it is my perogotive. Its obvious that my ancestors are from Africa. So, I don't feel the need to broadcast that to make myself feel closer to my heritage. I live my life that way, so how I identify myself verbally really means nothing as far as I'm concerned. My pride in my culture is pretty evident as soon as you meet me. I sport my red, black and green with pride, as well as my natural locks. No chemically processed hair here. So, don't get the wrong idea because I call myself black.
Plus, technically humankind originated in Africa, so really, everyone can claim it just as well as I can. Also, I feel that the term African American better describes people who actually migrated themselves from Africa. And those people are not only black. Like the actress Charlize Theron for example. She is from South Africa, and now resides here in the US. I believe she is more of an African American that I am in the technical sense.

Answer 8

How about we drop all the subtitles and refer to everyone as AMERICAN. Because at the end of the day no matter how much PC seperation you put on it, we are all still AMERICANS.

Answer 9

Thats how whites defined minorities, if there is no ethinic genre on the front of american, then they considered the person to be just white.

Answer 10

because the ones who do call themselves these labels want to seperate themselves from other peoples, i'm an American, i'm not a german, irish, scottish, puerto rican, french, english, spanish, swiss American, I'm 100% American and so are these people they just don't get it, if a black guy from here goes to Africa to live, for those who will know him, they aren't going to think of him as an African they'll see him as an American

Answer 11

You know why....In my opinion because they don't know how should they call it. most of white Americans came from Europe and it will be shame to call tham "Europe Americans"

Just my opinion