Why is it that most of the people that I have encountered from that part of the world do not see African Americans as Black. As a visiter in Egypt I have constantly been told that I am not black, I am Arab or Iranian. Is this simply a problem that I have encountered or are African Americans viewed by the Africa and the Middle East as being something other than black. Maybe this issue has something to do with the fact that I am light brown skin, but then again so are just about over half of the population of African Americans; most of my family are either peacan brown or light brown. It is even worst when I have visited certian parts of kenya, some even call me an American white man. I REALLY WANTED TO KNOW HOW IN THE WORLD CAN THEY COME UP WITH THAT CONCEPT BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT ME THAT LOOKS WHITE!!!!!!!!
2007-08-23 01:26:09 · 8 answers · asked by Andre L 1 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
Must be the way you act and talk around people in Africa.I'm African (from Tanzania).I speak too much english(i simply enjoy it) and listen to rock music (no one here listens to rock music) so they say I act too western and they act like that around me too calling me names like 'white person' and blah blah blah blah.I have a friend who is from Swaziland, and she cant speak Swahili(the national language) so she speaks english all the time and they call her a 'mzungu' meaning white person.And the strange thing is-she's black!It's just the way Africans are.It gets really irritating but just ignore them.Africans can get really ignorant and unbearable,its either their way or no way-ignore them and move on.
2007-08-23 02:27:55 · answer #1 · answered by Lily 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I guess that the title African-American only works if you are in the US...In other parts of the world, a typical black person has dark colored skin, black curly hair and is from Africa. Anything different is hardly considered as black, much less by those people who have never been abroad...
Your accent and actions also make this people see you as white, afterall, America is a white man's land...
2007-08-23 10:09:46 · answer #2 · answered by boomboom 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm dark skinned African American and many Africans that I've met think that I'm from Africa before I open my mouth.
They're probably basing that off your complexion. Do you look like Alecia Keys or Vanessa Williams?
2007-08-23 10:47:20 · answer #3 · answered by Xena_fire 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it helps, my exgirlfriend from Egypt had olivette skin, but she claimed she was black - when peopel tried to call her middle eastern/Arabic.
2007-08-27 05:43:47 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
ALEX HALEY (AUTHOR OF "ROOTS" AND "AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X" ) WENT TO AFRICA AND WAS SURPRISED TO BE REGUARDED AS A WHITE MAN BY MANY OF THE PEOPLE. MOST AFRICANS IN THAT PARTICULAR REGION HAD VERY DARK SKIN. BUT IN TRACING HIS ROOTS ALEX WAS WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS BY THE PEOPLE HE IDENTIFIED AS THE GROUP HIS ANCESTORS SPRANG FROM. ONE DAY WE MAY ALL WELCOME EACH OTHER WITH OPEN ARMS.
2007-08-26 02:44:55 · answer #5 · answered by GENE 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They don't see you as black because you're not born and raised in Africa.....
2007-08-23 11:48:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why not just be Andre? Racial identities cause all kinds of problems and there's only one you!
2007-08-25 23:14:19 · answer #7 · answered by Incognito 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋