How would you refer to an african American?

Question

If you try to refer to an African American boy using the word
black,
African American,
The guy with short frizzy hair,

they'll call you a racist. So how would you refer to a black/ African American person the way that it's not offensive? Why do they take it so personal? WHY can't they understand that they've left me no choice to refer to them? What's wrong with being an African-American? LOL

Answer 1

These people seem to not to understand what your problem is. Well it depends on the person that you talk to. If she/he is a real good friend of you and knows you well to not to call you a racist, then refer to them as the black guy/girl/lady/gentleman in whatever they're wearing. I understand sometime people wear the same things or you don't know their name. Like in my class everyone is wearing a white coat with black pants and it's hard to learn 152 names right? If I'm talking to someone that might call me a racist, I'd rather not talk to them again!
Only blacks will call you a racist if you call them WHATEVER you call them that depends on their race. How come us whites never say why did you call me a while/blond/brunette/ Italian/ chick or whatever else they call us?

Answer 2

If they were born in America, then they would/should/could be referred to as an American of African Decent. Personally, I don't worry about it unless I am giving a description of someone to the Police. Other than that, it's really none of my business WHAT anyone chooses to call themselves! For the record, I refer to a person with dark skin as Black, unless they look like Panamanian or Columbian. Sometimes it is hard to tell just WHAT nationality a person with dark skin actually is. The same thing goes for people with light colored skin. It's difficult to tell if you don't know what characteristics to look for!

Answer 3

I still use black I am old school. If u watch the news or listen 2 the radio they use "Afro American" when referring to "blacks" and "white" when referring to whites. not European Americans. I am American se fer St. Patrick's then I am Irish. LOL!!! Using 1 word or another doesn't make u a racist. So use what makes u feel comfortable. Like u said some ppl are offended by both. I work with a large population of both and I said black or white no1 has ever said I was a racist.

Answer 4

In the 60's, the Black movement re-invented itself, gave Blacks a new moniker,"Black," as opposed to "colored." It made sense to me, for the old terms were derogatory and carried too many memories of pain. I use the term, "Black." I do not point out a woman specifically as Black...it is usually enough to say, "that woman...." But, if she is one of many women, and she is the only Black woman, then there is nothing wrong with the clarification, "that Black woman....." I see no difference in this or "that taller woman...." Personally, I have better things to do than to keep up with daily changes of adjectives. I do not use derogatory words for anyone, but I am not going to be at a loss for words simply because today's descriptor is different than yesterday's, IF that descriptor makes little or no sense to me. I think "African American" is misleading. That term indicates a person born in Africa that has been naturalized here. I would resent being called, "German American" simply because my ancestry came from Germany. And, if we were all to put descriptors in front of our race, good grief...the line would be interminable.. just how many Blacks today can say they are 100% African ancestry..probably very, very few. This nomenclature makes no sense to me.

Answer 5

I refrain from identifying people based on their colour. So I would say, this guy or that guy, that lady, etc. I think it's kind of rude to specifiy black or african american. I know I hate when people refer to me as 'that white girl over there.' It's rude. After all, there are a ton of things that can describe me other than white. Just as there are a ton of words to describe other people besides their skin tone.

Answer 6

I say black. Some people find the term African American offensive.

Answer 7

You do refer to a group as African American, or black, . If you
are talking about men, then do not call them boys. If you are
talking about an individual why not call him by his name.
Other than that why would you need to call them at all?

Answer 8

" that Lady or Gentleman " over there in the whatever description of clothing if such description is necessary. Personally have a problem with " African - American " because Africa is a Continent not actually a country.

Answer 9

I don't really think using the words black or african american are going to get you called a racist. But on the other hand, why do people always bring race into everything? Couldn't you just call him a boy, or a guy or something. People don't always have to be defined by race.

Answer 10

American.

...and I cannot find an occasion/situation when it's necessary to distinguish between differently colored pigmentation, of all the colors of the rainbow of the people on earth.

Venus Williams - how does referring to her as anything other than an American contributes to understanding her as a person, except if one do have a preconceived idea of what a color makes a person to be?

Jack Nicklaus - how does referring to him as anything other than an American contributes to understanding him as a person, except if one does have a preconceived idea of what the color of the skin makes a person to be?

Everyone remembers them as sports persons.

Their skin color has nothing to do with anything.

What's wrong with just 'American'?

Answer 11

African-American is offensive. Use black.