I'm curious- Why its it politically correct to call black people "African American" and we are called "white"?

Question

Why aren't we called "Caucasion American"? Why do we not feel offended by being branded as "white? I honestly do not care which of these we are "labeled". I just want to be known as a PERSON and not a COLOR!

Answer 1

I judge people as individuals, if I judge at all.

I use "black" and "white" as easy terms of reference. They have the advantages of being short and well-understood.

I prefer to be called an AMERICAN! (Notice the lack of a hyphenated term.)

Answer 2

You have to remember that African American is a kinder term than what they were called before. I guess I never thought that anyone would be offended by being called "white". It is a color issue. I am Mexican myself and I am not offended being called Mexican instead of Mexican American. I'm proud of my heritage. I don't like being called Hispanic or Latina though.

I'm glad you asked this question, it got me thinking. I guess there should be a "nicer" way to say "white". I don't know if caucasion would be it though. Because sometimes I am labeled caucasion on applications of all sorts when there is no ethnic catagory.

We should all be known as a person and not a color or race, but this isn't a perfect world. Labeling has always occurred to differentiate individuals. We have never been known as just a human race.

I'm now going to look at things a little different where my AMERICAN friends are involved. Thanks.

Answer 3

I call black people "black" because "African American" only means the black Africans, not the white or Mediterranean ones.

If someone from African countries like Morocco, Algeria, or Egypt can't be "African American", then it is a senseless term. And it certainly cannot be used to refer to people like Teresa Heinz-Kerry, although she was born and raised in Africa, which is more than can be said about most "African Americans", then it certainly seems like a waste of time to use 16 letters and 7 syllables to say "black".

Answer 4

Because, it is a way for African Americans to keep racism alive and bind themselfs to there roots.

Honestly, a TRUE African American, is a African person who obtained citizenship in the usa, not there descendants. They are called, Americans.
But I say, all prase the white guy, Lincon for comming up with the Emancipation Proclamation that set all slaves free! Not just black, ALL, the white ones and red / yellow ones to. =)~

Answer 5

You've got a point. Not all black people are Africa. I'm from Miami so I knew Dominicans, Jamaicans,Haitians, and other people of color who were in no way African and they'd get REALLY peeved if someone refered to them as an African American. Miami's funny that way, you have to learn to discern Colombians, Puerto Ricans and Cubans from each other because if you refer to a Hispanic person using the wrong country (say you refer to a Cuban as a Puerto Rican) they'll just about kill you, seriously. They all frigging hate each other. 3 of my grandparents were Eastern European, so when I'm asked my race I don't put down Caucasian, because I'm not, I'm Ashkenazic.

Answer 6

A lot of "black" people aren't crazy about being called African Americans anyway - when blacks talk with each other, they say "black folks" just like they would in the South. "African Americans" is only for academics with nothing better to do but make up silly names. That's OK, you don't have to call me "European" Americans - white boy will do!

Answer 7

Well people of African decent used to be called *****'s. This became an offensive term, and later on they were referred to a colored people, as that became a term not well liked, african americans, followed by blacks, followed by as I've heard the term used recently people of color. Kinda went full circle sort of.

Answer 8

Ive always refused to use "African-American" due to its terrible inaccuracy (leaves out Aussie, Carribean, and other descendents while including white people in South Africa), Ive only had a few people ever take issue to it, and most change their mind after I explain. Luckily the phrasing is changing to black, so things are getting accurate.

Answer 9

I prefer no hypenated Americans but If I must I call myself European-American.

There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all.
This is just as true of the man who puts “native” before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance.
But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else.
The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English- Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian- Americans, or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality than with the other citizens of the American Republic.
The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country. The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American.
Theodore Roosevelt -Addressing the Knights of Columbus in New York City 12 October 1915

Answer 10

Actually, I think the PC term is black now. We're white people, they're black people. Seems simple to me. If you're black, and you were born here, you aren't the least bit African. It may be your heritage, but I've heard some blacks complain "I'm not African". Black works for me, it's simple and descriptive.