Am I an African American?

Question

I was born and raised in Sun City, South Africa and immigrated (legally) to the U.S. a few weeks ago. I am white.

Am I an African-American? If so, will I be accepted in the African American community?

I meant to say I earned U.S. citizenship a few weeks ago. So I am a U.S. citizen but I'm having a hard time figuring out how I should be classified. Thanks for the helpful responses.

Answer 1

I don't think so. Black people are very racists.

Answer 2

You are an American from South Africa. I am a black American woman who has never been to Africa, but I can find it on the Globe to the scumbag that suggested otherwise in regards to my race. Will the African American community accept you? Is there just one African American Community? NO. But if your heart is in the right place and you have a good personality you can hang out with me! I am color blind.

BTW I really wish people would stop classifying people based on a large racial square. All black people don't respond to bad situations using violence, live in the ghetto, don't pursue education, classify all whites as racist, etc. All of one race simply cannot act the same way and it is STUPID to blanket any race with the term "ALL"!!!

Answer 3

I was born in america but my family lived in South Africa for generations before hand, does that make me african-american? Technically Yes. Will I be accepted by the African-American community? Depends if they're racist or not. Same answers apply to you i suppose.

Answer 4

No you are either African or American. If your African, white, black or what ever, and you thank Africa is so good then renounce your American citizenship and go home. If you are an American then you have the responsibly to act like one. My family roots are in Ireland but I am not an Irish-American I am American period. African-Americans, as they call themselves in America, are blacks. They call themselves that so they can be different and not become part of the American society, they do this by choice. America can not help these people any more they will have to at some point stand up and help themselves.

Answer 5

Technicaly speaking, I believe yes you could call yourself that, of course any decendents of yours should call themselves simply Americans.
As to being accepted into the African American community, good luck White-bread.
Besides, If you want to be an American and you want your offspring to be Americans, why would you want to assosiate with anyone who would put loalty to a coountry they have never lived in over the country they are born and raised in?
As difficult as it is in this country to do, I would say to put on your little color-blinders, try to forget race, and just look for loyal non hyphenated Americans.

Answer 6

Some of the comments from people here are insane!! When I have to check for classification of ethnic group on an application i check African American... I think you should check other... I have friends of every culture and color. I think it would be best to say you are from Africa. Do not worry about fitting in a group of people... that is the problem with people today. And NO I won't "beat your ***" and NO I won't laugh and call you names or discriminate.

Answer 7

Doesn't matter if you are white or black or green or blue. If you are a citizen of the USA you are an American. We would all get along better if we dropped the Afro-, Latin-, Mexican- American title. If you came to America & applied for citizenship than you wanted to be an American, so be one, not an Afro-America.

Answer 8

Short and simple answer is ... NO. Some black people will want to beat your azz simply for being a white person from South Africa ... they'll think you had something to do with the oppression of blacks, the jailing of Nelson Mandela, etc.

"South-African expatriate" if you really must classify yourself, but really you are a white American of foreign origin.

Answer 9

Sorry to sound like a nay sayer here... I'm not american myself, nor am I african but I will be moving to the US in a few years...

And it annoys the crap out of me when people call themselves AFRICAN-AMERICAN...

Surely you're ONE of THE OTHER?

Sure it's good to keep true to ones roots and I'm certaininly going to be doing so when I get there, But I feel it's this kind of deliberate, self imposed labelling that deepens rifts that already are too great within society.

Again, I'm sorry... but if you move there and do not become an American Citizen, you are South African... If you do become a citizen, you are American.

You can't have it both ways.

Answer 10

Once you have become a naturalized citizen you renounced your allegiance to Africa. THat make you All American now.

When I became a Naturalized American I was proud to say I am a citizen of the USA and also proud to say I am also Jamaican,(not that most people believe me as I am white) but my allegiance is first and foremost to the USA. Came here without choice as a child and chose to stay legally as I love it here.

Answer 11

You're white? .......... I've never seen a white "African-American".........

Don't call yourself "African-American" on this forum because people will start attacking you saying how you're not patriotic and that you're either African or American but not both. (doesn't make sense to me but just warning you)

You can call yourself whatever you want as far as I'm concerned.

If they accept you or not is a decision they will make & there's no way for you or me to know if they will or not.