How can blck people be "African-Americans" when they've never even been to Africa, let alone lived there?

Question

To be both Afrrican AND American, wouldn't they have to have dual citizenship?

Baton Twirla - Then, by your definition, a white person who is born in Africa is an "African-American". According to scientists, the entirity of the human race started out in Africa, so that would make all Americans "African-Americans" by your definition.

Answer 1

GOOD question. I've always wondered that myself. I never hear a white person saying "DON'T CALL ME WHITE! I'm an Austrian-Italian-German-Irish-American." Please.

Answer 2

ummm....this goes back to slavery times. And a person doesn't need to live or go to the country where their roots and origins came from. Black ppl, are descendants from Africa, so yea...u do the math. If someone is Irish-American or German-American, do u think they've ever been to Ireland or Germany or lived there?? The white ppl i know, who are of Irish or German decent, have never been to either of those countries. same with Asians and Hispanics.

Answer 3

What would you consider an asian who has never been to asia? An American, or Asian-american? Just because we're not BORN in African doesn't mean we not africans. Not all blacks are african-american either (thanks for pointing that out, you know who you are.)

Besides I have been to Africa (morocco) although most africans tell me i went to the wrong part (cant do anything about that. i was in spain and crossed over to the nearest country, morocco).

I know a few italians (born in america) who consider themselves italian. Or italian-american.

Answer 4

i don't know it is crazy. some balck people told my friend that she was not african-american, like them. even though she was born there, but raised here in america, which would make her an african-american not them. and they got pissed when she said that. and black people have soooo much other blood from other cultures that they aren't african anyway. black people are all mixed, whether they know it or not. because of slavery. but this is just a double standard and a way for people to continuously bring up slavery, something that ended more than 100 years ago, but people want to keep it fresh in people's minds. even though these people are american just like the white people who don't know where they came from exactly

Answer 5

We are called African- American because for some reason America feels the need to seperate itself. The same for the rest of the minorities here.
Not every black person is on welfare. In fact a large number of people that are on it are white. I work in health care. I've seen their medicaid insurance.

Answer 6

African-American simply means that their heritage is African and they are an American citizen. Kind of like an Indian would be Native-American, or a Cuban would be a Cuban-American. Not all black people are African-American though, for example someone from Haiti would be Hatian-American, or something of the sort.

Answer 7

My father is German my mother Irish. I was born in Northern Africa in Libya am I African American?

Actually so far all ancestors orginated in Africa so I guess we are all African American.

We are just humans any thing else was created by man.

Answer 8

Easy, I am both Italian American and Scotts American
That tells people that my family came from two places.
In my case , my mom came from the Abrutzie region in Italy, and My dad, well his family came from the Scotts island of Colonsay, then Nova Scotia Canada.
So, Me, I was born in Woburn Massachusetts, taken to a near by town to be raised.
But I am not called American, people look at my red hair, and blue eyes and say IRISH.
No, I am Scott/ Italian American
African American is the same.
It is the tale of our ancestry.
simple as that.

Answer 9

Out of repect for a nation of people who were forcably takken from their homes and sold into slavery, I'll call them what ever they want to be called. I think its more about black folks wanting to be identified with something that goes further back than enslavement, back to place and a time of their own culture. Besides, being called "African-American" today is more a reference to race than national origin. I have a buddy who is black and technically, he's a Jamacan-American.

Answer 10

People are sensitive about the term Black hence the new and confusing term African American was suggested since it did not denote any color.

Answer 11

what about some of the asian-americans.
Some of the asians who were born in the US, are known as Asian-Americans. (some never even went to their parent's country.)
(example)

your answer:
no........
African-American is for those who's ancestors ARE FROM AFRICAN, but they were born in the US.

geez, people these days.

just stick to calling black people/African-Americans, black people.
That's not too hard for you, right?