Are African-Americans considered "immigrants?"?

Question

I hear people always saying how this country was "built by immigrants" and say that this is so not true.
By looking at the definiton of immigrant, it says that (im paraphrasing) an immigrant is someone who "migrates" to another country. Well, I don't recall Africans "migrating" to America; as you all know, we were forced here against our will.
Once the Africans got here, they did all of the hard labor (farming, herding, building, nurturing, etc.) for their White masters; thus, when people say that this country was "built by immigrants," they are totally wrong. This country was built by slave labor; slaves who didn't "emigrate" here, but brought against their will.
So,for all those who want to say that "we are all immigrants," think again.

Answer 1

Actually, I thought they were considered Americans just like the rest of us that have embraced our Country and have worked to support it and build a life for ourselves.

Answer 2

Immigration by definition implies voluntary movement from one country to another to better ones current conditions or lifestyle. The Africans who later became African-Americans were sold into slavery, placed on a slave ships, endured the Middle Passage and were deemed 3/5 of a person in the New World. I can't, nor do I want to, separate myself from my slave ancestors. They did not immigrate to America. Therefore, we as a people (African-Americans) did not immigrate to America.

Answer 3

America was not built. America is still being built. It is an ever ongoing process. The railroads were primarily built by chinese immigrants. The Irish, Spanish, and Italian immigrants were amongst the primary builders of the factories during the industrial revelution. The West coast was primarily built by settlers and the gold rush. I'm sorry, but the role of slaves was primarily a southern thing during a portion of time. I am not an immigrant. The only people here now were either born here or immigrated here.

Answer 4

Immigration is the movement of people into one place from another. While human migration has existed throughout human history, immigration implies long-term permanent or forced indefinite residence (and often eventual citizenship) by the immigrants. So yes, those who brought over as slaves still migrated to here. If you were born here, you are not an immigrant. My ancestors migrated here from Europe and did not use slaves, but did help found this country by establishing businesses, and forming towns.

Answer 5

No, I don't believe African-Americans are immigrants, because of the reasons your outline above. In fact, you seem to have your mind made up, so I don't really think you need an answer to that at all.

However, you must also keep in mind that the term "built" refers to many things. As wrong as it is, didn't the White slave owners "build" the systematic distribution of labor and plantation systems on which they forced their slaves to work? Didn't immigrants to the Northern areas--the Irish, Italians, Eastern Europeans, et al--"build" the ambitious port cities of the Eastern seaboard and the factories that kept the Industrial Revolution thriving? Didn't immigrants become pioneers and settle every town and city in the West? Didn't the Chinese immigrants who were discriminated against build prosperity on the West Coast? Didn't Mexican immigrants build the population and formation of the southwest?

This country was not built by one, but by all of our ancestors. Unfortunately for yours, they were forced, but it doesn't take value away from all of the successes of the endless others who came to this country voluntarily to make their lives--and this country--as wonderful, ambitious, and hopeful as they were and it is.

Answer 6

The European , Chinese and Mexican peoples came to America to find a better way of life.Particularly in Europe if your parents were peasants you almost certainly were trapped into a caste class system to which there was little chance of escape.Most Europeans of this class were uneducated couldn t read or write they the serfs were treated as such by the landlords. Even under such terrible conditions they still were able to pack up and leave for a chance at a better life in the new world (North & South America) of their on volition, no one placed them in chains and boarded them on ships , again they the Europeans came here because they had a choice ! The Sons & Daughters of Africa were brought here in chains against their will, families broken apart wives , daughters and sisters raped repeatedly on the middle passage creating a bastard race ! For over 263 years black people Africans were slaves replacing white indentured servants. Black Slavery made the white plantation owners the most powerful (Millionaires 1789 most White Millionaires in America Natchez Tennessee).
These white men controlled the American political scene. Free slave labor gave America its foundational basis for wealth,and the black slaves and the descendants who created this wealth have ?

Answer 7

You worded your question wrong. You should have asked "Were African slaves in America considered immigrants?" The answer to your question is no, the slaves weren't thought of as immigrants. And I never say "we're all immigrants", I'm a native born American.

Answer 8

I completely agree with you, except to say that only part of it was by slave labor. There were lots of contributions by others, as well - indentured servants, the exploited Chinese labor, later immigrants, etc. I have actually pointed this very thing out to others in other questions I've answered in the past. When a person is moved against their will, I don't consider that to be emmigration or immigration. Good for you for pointing that out.

Answer 9

I get what you mean, but you forget the Eastern Europeans, Mexicans, and Chinese that came here. Their presence was key to the developments of the U.S in the industrial era of this country. No disrespect, but picking cotton and working on fields, sometimes even mines, was only the beginning. Cotton didn't make this country what it is today, it only sustained it's wealth in early colonial times. The industrial era made slavery obsolete. Machines were able to do much more then slaves could in shorter periods of time. So.... basically..... it's sad, but .... that's what it is..... The U.S exploited the immigrant workforce into taking themselves to the next level. The Chinese and Irish built the railroads, the Mexicans did a vast amount of work in the fields of the south, Eastern Europeans worked in factories. Not to mention the businesses they started. African-Americans weren't enough at that point I guess.

Answer 10

There may be some truth to what you espouse. I would like to add that many, many European "immigrants" came to the north east shores of this country and settled on this continent long before slave traffic began here. These people colonized and "built" America as well. Incidentally, slaves were used in the Caribbean and elsewhere, again, long before this continent was settled. I am NOT an immigrant since my ancestors came to America many generations ago...I was born and raised here so I am a "citizen", bottom line. I am not responsible for the reprehensible behavior of my ancestors and do not wish to be held accountable for their choices any more than you would like to be held accoutable for the passivity of your own.

Answer 11

First there are no African Americans there are Americans of African decent the same as I am an American of Irish decent. All of our ancestors came here from some where else unless you happen to have some American Indian in you. No you weren't forced your ancestors may have been but unless you are over 100 you weren't forced, oh and of course the Irish, Chinese and others had no part of the hard labor you speak of. If you don't like it here why not immigrate back to Africa where your ancestors came from... Simple solution to your problem.. Once again i will try to explain we are not Mexican American, Asian American, African American, Irish American, German American or any other kind of American if we are born in the USA we are Americans period. Now our ancestry may be one of the above countries but we are Americans now lets act like it...