I've got the most rude question ever but ...?

Question

... it's not intended to be rude just very curious. This from a guy first male born in USA in his family. Don't het me but just curious. The question is ... Why do black people consider themselves African American if nobody in they're family has ever seen Africa in 100 years. Wouldn't you be considered just an American who happens to have a dark skin tone? I feel rude... I just feel too many Americans claim to hold title to a place they have never seen, don't want to live in, nor have any family members in many decades. What's wrong with being just American?

Answer 1

This is a very good question and I like many other people have wondered what the answer to it is.

I have never seen a person with black skin.

I do always see people with many different shades of brown skin.

Yet we are called "BLACK PEOPLE". Why is that?

I'm not from Africa.
Yet my racial classification is describe as African-American because my ancestors are decedents of Africa.

I have never seen a person with white skin.

I do always see people with light colored skin.
Yet they are called "White People or Caucasian".

What is Caucasian?

huuummmmm

And what about everyone else in between?

Are there really any answers to all of this?

Answer 2

A good question. I think it's because people like to hold a title. It gives them a place to fit in. Quite frankly, I know more about some African cultures and their beliefs systems then some of the black people around here that call themselves African American. I don't mean any offense. But I agree that it's strange that people do that.
"African American" is coined as a politically correct term for a black person. However, there are black people that result from other countries. Which leads to an interesting question.
Suppose a African family lived in England for a few decades, then their descendants generations later came to America. Would they be still be African Americans? What about African-English-Americans, or would they only go with English-Americans? And the black people that were born and raised in England, would they just be English? Or would they be Black English?
I tell people I'm American. Not An German-Irish-Cherokee American Indian with Scotch on the rocks! Shaken, not stirred! LOL!
But seriously though, the fact is people are more comfortable when they have a group they feel they belong to. I think that is the reason for lots of different classification we give people, no matter if it is based on race, social status, occupational fields, or religious groups.

Hope this helps!
VH

"Looks can be deceiving, that's why women wear makeup!" - Violet. Haze

Answer 3

Great Question. People of Mixed races are sometimes considered African American and I have began to think that anyone who isn't strictly or directly from Latin, Asian, Caucasion or Native American ethnicity, are pooled into African American. My parents have told me dont' fuss just accept it. Moms parents are Native American cherokee, and her dad is Irish, My dads parents are Choctaw Indian mom and his Father is Scottish, I don't see any connection between Northern Europe and North America that has any link to Africa, but since its a confusing situation I'll put either mixed or african american on a document or application.

Also, if Person was born here in the United States, don't lay claim to where someone else came from, just consider that your life began here in the United States so call yourself an American even if your great grandparents are from somewhere else. After all we are speaking of our own personal identity rather than the identity of a family, clan or generations prior.

Answer 4

Maybe it's just because the American way of talking about our heritage is unlike any other in the world. To share a terribly embarrassing moment, a college recruiter from St. Andrew's in Scotland asked me if I was Dutch, because my maiden name started with Vander. I said yes, and that I was also part Scotch-Irish.

So, first there was my total lack of understanding that he was asking me if I was a person who was born in the Netherlands, not if my father was born a 3rd-generation American in a tightly knit Mid-Western community. And then I had to go and say "Scotch-Irish", which in America is an accepted name for the Presbyterians who left Scotland for the mountains in Virginia and North Carolina, by way of Ireland. So I had no idea that Scottish people don't like to be call Scotch. I wince even remembering it.

So anyway, I think you are just experiencing our American way of remembering our heritage. And in the case of African Americans, they do not have the luxury of knowing exactly where they came from in Africa. If my history had been stolen from me, I would certainly think that European American was justified.

That said, among friends of all races, we all say black anyway. I think African American is used more in formal writing or speeches.

Answer 5

That's actually a very deep question.

The truth is that the distinction is so blurry that people constantly take advantage of it. Nobody stops to examine the difference between heritage and ethnicity and such. I have a friend who is perhaps the whitest girl on the planet, but her mother is South African and her father is a white French Moroccan. So technically, she says, she's 'African American'. After stating so on her SAT test, she promptly received about 20 cubic feet of 'diversity' spam from every college in the nation. When she 'explained' to the college board that she was white and what they were doing is racist, she stopped getting mail altogether.

Case in point, it is not a rude gesture at all to question the absurdity of all this. In fact, I'd say it's more rude not to.

Answer 6

There is nothing wrong with just being American. Generally African-American is used to describe some of African heritage (it doesn't matter how far back, as long as they look it) living in America.

Answer 7

Many people wonder about this question. We say "black" around here, and that's perfectly acceptable. In some other areas, though, it is not.

I'm white. But I could be "French-German-Welsh-American." We had some relatives from those lands some 100 years ago.

Answer 8

Very good question! I think it's what they came up with because 'black' has too many negative connotations (think of how many negative things are called 'black'; black magic, black knights, etc). They had to come up with something else than the most obvious, visible skin color, so they took the place where most black folks came from... but you're right, it ceases to make sense after a while.

Answer 9

Totally agree. People of mixed race are even more confused. Take this person for example:

Her father is 1/4 Navajo and 3/4 Mexican (which is a combination of indigious people of North and Central America and Spaniards).
Her mother is mostly German with Dutch and a smidge of Irish.

What does she mark on a form for race (choose ONE)?
1. White - not hispanic
2. Hispanic
3. Native American

Obviously, there are many more categories, but these are the only three that come close.

I don't understand why it even matters. If I were to design a form, I'd put this:

Race:
1. Human
2. Other

I asked this question to a form-taker one time. They said that it was for demographic reasons. I stated that demographics are in and of themselves for racial discrimination. When they tried to deny it, I refuted that the only reason for wanting to know demographics of an area is to decide whether you want to live with a predominance of a particular race. Sounds like racism to me.

Answer 10

You scored a goal on that question! Very interesting,My ancestors came from Scotland and Ireland, does that make me Scottish/Irish American? No, I'm just a Caucasian American with Scottish/Irish ancestors