I'm African-American myself and I sort of understand why many African Americans give their children names that are extremely different from English names.  I understand that ever since the late 1960s African Americans have made attempts on trying to get back to their African roots by naming their children names that seem to be African, but damn, most of the names that I have known and heard of my entire life are ridiculous!!!  For example, "Bonquisha", "Crontavious", "Mikqueena", "Keisha", "Donketrus", "Rainaysha", etc.  We need to look in a book of REAL African names and give our children THOSE names if we want to go back to our roots!
133990
I know the name "Keisha" is a legitimate African name.  It means "favorite".  Believe it or not "Latifa" is also a legitimate African name meaning "gentle".  So is Mandisa, Maisha, Malika, Naima, Ashanti, Aisha, Rashida, and Shaniqua!  What gets out of control is the spelling because these are foreign words and you can spell them anyway you want.  But that goes for American names as well.  Take for example, Catherine, Katherine, Kathryn, and Catharine!  Then there's Brittney, Brittany, Britney and Brittanie!  I guess some people just want to give their child a name that nobody else has, something unique and special.  Personally, I'm with you on the ridiculousness of some of the names, but the most ridiculous baby-namers of all are the movie stars.  I mean, who the heck names their kid Apple?  And what was Demi Moore thinking when she named 2 of her daughters Scout Larue & Rumer!  But the all time worst is David & Victoria Beckham naming their kid BROOKLYN! That's my home town...and no proud Brooklynite would dare do that!
195320
It's so funny you mention that. I work with an 83 tear old man who still uses "negro" and every one thinks he's like the Grand Dragon or something , what they fail to realize that in his generation,that was the acceptable terminology.Jesse Jackson came up with African-American and most blacks,including myself really cannot accept this because we are all mixed anyway. If you took all of us and dropped us off in Africa,we'd be lost. The N word,however,is unacceptable no matter what. It has become envougue for the younger generation to use,that disgusts me.
597062
Oh boy. This is a question most intelligent people try to avoid. Not me. And I guess that says something for me.\nHaving grown up and been an active participant in the civil rights demostrations and activities of the 60s, I have observed one very problematic concept that was adopted, early on. Black men and women of that era feel into and adopted the concept of a seperate identity and observance of customs of their original countries. There is nothing wrong with this except in a fight to be absorbed and accepted into American culture it has become impossible for Whites and other races to accept them since any moves to do so will be rejected.\nMany of the injustices done to Black Americans by those who pervert our way of life were, of course, wrong and horrible.\nIf you look at the European style of life and society you see that this hasn't happened, mainly because the injection of those of color in their societies happened over a very long period of time and gradually. We on the other hand forced the issue and moved ahead, perhaps, too fast.\nNow, something worse has happened. White Americans are adopting the culture of African Americans in a big way which makes the problem worse because they are recognizing the differences.\nThere is no easy answer and I am glad you didn't ask how we can fix it because, I have no answer to that question.
183476
It's a club mentality.  As we all should know, American black slaves were tragically persecuted and this name was used with vicious slander to degrade their existence to a level of inequality.  As the slaves gained freedom and modern society has evolved, the term is an insider way of being one of the club and a cultural reminder.  A person of different race, using the same term, even if attempted to be used in the same inclusive, brotherly manner, cannot expect to be recognized as one who could possibly relate, thus there is most often resentment and feelings of hostility.  It's one thing to tell people I'm a dirt bag, it's another to have someone else call me one...them's fightn' words.  Think it's a double standard?  Maybe, because it is discriminatory in its own way, excluding outsiders and promotes a negative sense of separation, holding on to a victimized past.  Then again, who didn't come from a victimized past?  If you live in America, most of our ancestors didn't come here because things were so wonderful in the old country.  They left because anything was going to be better than the life they had.  The sad difference for the blacks Africans is that they were kidnapped, forced into ships, and treated like livestock.  Most others had at least some limited choices.
425998
i think it's because black people grew up sayin' it & it became kind of a cultural thing cuz black people have always been called that throughout history. so it's kind of ironic that we can call each other nigga, but if a white person says it, we get offensive. it's kind of like when see a girl call her friend b*tch, but if you call her a b*tch, they'll get mad. it's the same overall principle.
214768
My daughter is in daycare, one day I came back to drop her off something and all the black kids were at one table and the white kids at the other, she is mixed so she was at the black table.\n\nI really don't know if this was intentional or a method like last names. It is a really good daycare and she has never had a prob there.
588275
It is ridiculous the way african americans always have to try and make the white caucasions look as if they are being prejudice. Life is not a racial issue and should not be looked at that way. Everyone has has their own inner beauty and should let that overide any feelings of hate and or prejudice. I sometimes wonder if the african americans are more prejudice than the caucasions that surround them.
65147
>>>>Not to be racist, but it's as if only white people are >>>>allowed to have an identity.\n\nThat's simply not true. \n\nHow many people do you know of who could explain the cultural differences between a Libyan and a Turk? To most Americans they are simply Arabs, white or not. Similarly how many people do you know of who could distinguish between a Boer and a white Kenyan based purely on cultural difference? Both are simply Africans. How many people do you think understand the difference between a Georgian and a Muscovite? How about a Berber and a Taureg? A Kurd and a Sikh? A Lapp and an Norwegian?\n\nYet those are all white people. Quite clearly this cultural ignorance has nothing whatsoever to with skin colur or race.\n\n\n>>>>>Nobody confuses an Irishman with an Italian just \n>>>>>because they are "European".\n\nThat is because America has huge numbers of Italian and Irish immigrants. Try the average American on groups from European areas that haven't emigrated to the US in large numbers. How many people wouldn't confuse a Dane and Norwegian as both being Scandinavian? Or a Frenchman and a Belgian? Or a Spaniard and a Portugese?\n\nFor perhaps the perfect example, even after 20 years of being a major public figure my experience tells me that well over 25% of Americans still don't understand that Arnold Schwarzenegger is not and never has been German. \n\nThe simple fact is that there are far to many cultures and ethnicities in the world to have even a cursory knowledge of them all, even those of us that are interested. We need to lump cultures somehow to get any sort of handle on what is out there. Sometimes that lumping is ridiculously broad, as with your examples of "Africans" and "Asians" but we still need to do that. And African is no more ludicrous as a grouping than “Russian”, and Russians are largely white.\n\nAs we become more and more interested in regions and people we narrow down those divsions. So most Americans can separate out Sicilians and Italians generally. Many now can also separate out Hmong and Vietnamese generally, which is a very fine scale split. \n\nBut the parts of the world we have no reasons to be interested in tend be populated in our minds by "Africans" and "Russians", even though those groupings are more or less meaningless.\n\nBut rest assured it has nothing to do with race. Americans are just as almost as ignorant or European cultural differences as Africans.\n\nBut just to make you fell a bit better, my experience has been that most Africans don't draw any real distinction between Americans and Canadians either. The USA and Canada are usually treated the same way Americans treat Austria and Germany. Everyone more or less knows they're separate countries, but the differences in language, culture and so forth are so small that they feel they can be ignored.\n\nLike I said, nothing to do with race.
295027
Many people have qualms about it because it's "different". What people don't understand is that "Americans" wouldn't be here if our relatives and ancestors didn't mix. That's what makes us American.\nIt is true that, sadly, your son will have to deal with the confusion of the two races and being picked on. No matter how far in time we go, there will always be someone teaching their children that it's "wrong".\nI would say to not change who you are. Who you love is who you love. Don't let someone scare you or talk you out of it. As for your son, try and make sure he has an understanding and appreciation for both cultures and sides of who he is. And as he gets older, continue to remind him that people just don't understand things sometimes, and they can be mean; but don't hold a grudge. That's the last thing you want him to do. It'll be hard, but continue to encourage him to be himself, not black or white.\nGood Luck and God Bless :)
157380
Yes, if you're born in Africa you're African American. That's why some people prefer to be called black because African American classifies anyone born in Africa.
225495
I refer to my self as white.  and when I am talking about a black guy I say, that black dude.  It just sounds too touchy feely to say African American,   and hey what if they are cuban!!!    just grow up poeple, these are not insults!  Blacks are black, whites are white, and asians, um ok their just asian. and all latinos, sorry Im from california your all mexicans!
462694
Some people say that since there is a Central, South, and North America, people in the US aren't the only Americans. It is annoying because we have been called Americans forever, and I don't know why this word is popping up now.
51052
The word you are referring to was a place people were from. Thats how at that time they were labeled, by where they had been taken from. It didn't originate with 2 G's but one as in Niger. But over time thats how all african americans became reffered to. In all honesty, it might not mean as much as it does had it not been used the way it was. But because it was said with such hate and disgust it became a new curse word. And I think the reason that african americans can use to word on each other without being offended is this. Not all of us are like them and we can't say that we know how it is to be them. So for someone of a different race to say it to them is to be discriminated against.
543073
In college, we called our African friends Africans... and they were all black.  Even though lots of Africans are white... so I would just use a generic regional term such as African, Jamaican, Haitian, etc.  And let everyone have to ask if that person is black or white...
441515
Ignorance.  I live in a community with a large black population and I never hear educated blacks use the word.  The whole "term of endearment" is BS.  Why would anyone refer to themselves in a negative way?  Its a learned response from a household that is probably poor and uneducated.  The truth is that there are many such households in our country.
343498
Here is a good list of Jewish surnames and what biblical name that are derived from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_surnames\n\nI also find it interesting, doesn't mean that I'm racist either. Jewish history and culture are fascinating and teach us valuable lessons.
81308
I'm not black either but, most post i see if it's asking about a black person it starts off as the "N" word instand of the intelligent way of saying African American.That's not to say you can't ask a question about them.It's usually how it's frazed that "GETS" some people.