Why do Africans refer to African-Americans as "AKATA" and Americans to Mexicans as "WETBACKS"

Question

I guess what I am trying to get at is, how do those respective nicknames relate to African-Americans and Mexicans? What do those names mean and why are they associated with those respective peoples?

Answer 1

Wet-back is a reference to swimming across the border to get into America illegally. Àkàta is a word derived from the Fanti tribe of West Africa and over time has assimilated into the more popular Yoruba language. It is widely used loosely by African immigrants to the United States to describe African Americans and their descendants, and over time it has come to have derogatory connotations due to tensions between African immigrants and African Americans.

Answer 2

I am quite aware that a lot of africans call african americans the term, akata. I also know that I have confronted an uncle of mine (we are Nigerians) about addressing them with that term. I think its a Yoruba term, but I dont know the meaning, neither do I know the reason why the term is used. I sometimes get the feeling that the word is being used in a negative sense. I havent heard any african call mexicans, wetbacks.

Answer 3

wetbacks comes from Mexicans crossing the Rio Grande River which forms the border between Texas and Mexico and is relatively easy to wade and swim.
Never heard of Akata

Answer 4

Well I have never heard of AKATA but I do know the reasoning behind the derogatory name for Mexicans. They are called "wetbacks" because they supposedly have swam the Rio Grande to get to America.

Answer 5

I don't know about "akata" but "wetbacks" is because the Mexicans when they cross the border have to pass through a river that lies between the two countries. So, therefore, The American called them "wetbacks".

Answer 6

Wetbacks comes from the illegeals swimming the Rio Grande from Mexico to enter the US.

Àkàta is a word derived from the Fanti tribe of West Africa and over time has assimilated into the more popular Yoruba language. It is widely used loosely by African immigrants to the United States to describe African Americans and their descendants, and over time it has come to have derogatory connotations due to tensions between African immigrants and African Americans.
There are many false rumors about the origin of the word, its West African etymology means it cannot mean words like slave or cotton picker because languages such as Akan Twi and the Yoruba language have words for these already. In the Akan language, "kata" means 'to cover'. It is thought to be disparaging because of the general negative attitude African immigrants to the U.S. have about Black Americans. Tension between the groups have risen as African Immigrants have gained status and seek to differentiate themselves from African Americans. Because of this, rumors about the word have developed, often with the ones claiming the word to be offensive not asking for the proper definition by those that use the word, with the resulting connotation being a result of misunderstanding and miscommunication.
Its geographical origin is Nigerian of West Africa.
Its usage is similar to that of kokujin (black person) in the Japanese language. Although the Japanese people may have negative stereotypes about blacks and use "kokujin" negatively, it is not meant to be taken as offensive.
It may also be used to describe a cat that does not live at home, whereas the cat that lives at home is called Ologbo or Ologinni, so by calling African Americans akata they are only implying that the African Americans are blacks that don't reside in the continent of Africa, though it is often used to refer to African Americans. The term was popularised in Hollywood by the movie Sugar Hill and because of this, it often used to describe any African living outside of Africa, though the Yoruba's tend not to use it in a derogatory manner.

Answer 7

I don't know about the african american one but Americans consider Mexicans wetbak's because they "swam" here to the USA

Answer 8

I don't know about African American,AKATA,but most people call Mexicans wet backs because they are illegal and get their back wet crossing the Rio Grande.
(Many blessings.)
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Answer 9

I don't know what the Africans mean, but the name w*tback is becauce they use to swim across the Rio Grand to get here.

Answer 10

Akata - Check the link.

******* - I've always understood this as being because they got wet swimming across the river. Check the link (I was right).