http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=1006040205282&r=w&pa=FYhiWzO4VTAT6jlutyorUWKsrkG80OMn3kvEiCcc#NbUvWjq4WDSQkvx71AkB\n\nI was born in South Africa, I'm white so my ancestors come from Europe and my uncle stays in America...what am I? African...European (even though I've only been there twice in my existence) or am I just another human on planet earth? I mean the USA was never a "white" country so why are they so self righteous? What about Australia is that not Abo land? Is this one planet or a whole bunch of fenced off civilizations? How deep does your roots go? Or are you a human like me with walking feet and an open mind?
212526
I'd like to believe we could become one big global community. Sadly, given the state of things in the world today, I don't believe that's possible. I may not agree with another persons' beliefs, but that doesn't make me hate, or even dislike, them. We aren't born to hate. Hate has to be taught. Prejudice is taught. I couldn't care less what color your skin is, where you were born, whether you're an "American" or not. America's supposed to be the great melting pot, but we discriminate against people for all sorts of superficial reasons.\n\nWhat makes me special? I'm a child of God.
507635
Jeff A, take off your pointed hood and open your eyes.\nLet's look at it from a bigger picture and ask ourselves a couple of questions.\nWhat percentage of the Global population living under the poverty line is black, asian, colored?\nNo matter how you look at it, there is a corelation between the color of skin and prevalence of poverty.\nNow, slavery and colonialism have various debilitating effects. These effects take a lot of time to heal. Every civilization in the past has at one time or the other had slaves from other conquered cultures e.g Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Nevetheless, in none of these cases has the proportion of slaves to citizens come close to the prevalence of the United States. At the height of slavery in the US, there was 1 african slave for every 4 citizen.\nIn the case of previous civilizations, the negative effects of slavery have been greatly healed by the passage of time. It has been barely a century since slavery was abolished in the US, and just a copule of decades since civil right reforms were implemented in the south. It is over optimistic, to the point of naivette, to assume that societal and racial relations in the US would be normalized after only a copule of decades.\nThis brings to mind a skit in an episode of "Family Guy" where a colonial white man removes the shackles from his african slave and says "Okay, its over now. We're cool, right?".\nIt is understandable that minorities unconsciously feel slighted about the past and wish to strike back. In roman history, an army of escaped and former slaves led the Thracean Spartacus led a bloody revolt against the Roman populace.\nIn modern US society, It is sometimes taken as a subconscious mental victory that it is politically incorrect for a white person to say "Ni99er" while black people can refer to each other that way. These irrelevant mental victories help to heal racial problems in the society.\nBeing born and raised for the first 20 years of my life in a West African country, I have the advantage of being able to look at the US society from an outsiders perspective.\nFor anyone who says that the current US society is racially fair, I ask them to research the average family income for a black, hispanic, asian then caucasian family. Numbers dont lie, but ultimately, time heals all wounds (hopefully).
670201
Isn't that funny, i was asking myself the same thing. I assume that most have never travelled abroad and experienced the world beyond their own back yard. Call it ignorance. But I do agree that there are people out there who don't know that there is a whole world of opinions and ideals that are waiting to be explored. By the way, explore some of the questions in politics and you will discover that there are a considerable amount of people who are questioning their present government in the US.
307444
Good question! But do you really want to know?..\n\nI'm from Australia. Not Austria, AUSTRALIA. Aka 'the land down under'. You know, that place Elle McPherson came from.\nSorry ;)\nAmericans (from the US) don't seem to have a clue where our country is or even seem to care. It seems that Americans think they are the centre of the universe and they have the right to go tell other countries what to do. - Granted, this is probably a minority view (at least I hope so!) but it is what has stuck in the minds of many people here.\nOne thing that has inflenced my view is what an American woman said to my friend's wife while visiting the US:\na.w. - "So do you have computers back home?"\nfriend - "Com- what?" (making a sarcastic joke)\na.w. - "Oh, don't worry. I've noticed that as far away from America you travel, the more backwards the countries are." (didn't realise the joke & stuck her fat arrogant foot in her mouth)\n\nSo yeah, my opinion of Americans isn't too great. I'm not saying all are like that, but it only takes a few to ruin it for everyone.
319002
Where would American be without migration?  \n\nI have no idea how you can sit there and say that white people are better than blacks because they've been chosen by God.  Are you crazy?! Even if you are a creationist and don't believe in evolution, the first people were in the MIDDLE EAST.  Jesus was JEWISH !  I mean - come on! \n\nPeople of all colors can be racist - sounds like your husband is. I grew up in Alabama, so let me tell you - there are a lot of obstacles that African Americans still have to overcome.  There are MILLIONS of racist white people and MILLIONS of racist black people.  You have to stop seeing people in regards to their skin color.\n\nJust so that you know - Britain, Spain and France didn't go around conquering countries so that they could "civilize" them.  They wanted MONEY and LAND - they took missionaries with them and converted the people to Christianity/Catholicism because it made them easier to deal with - easier to assimilate.\n\nDon't get it in your head that white people are better than blacks, Middle Easterners, or Asians.  That's RACIST, the very thing that you're accusing African Americans of.
198857
I don't know why.  You have a good point. I usually state that I am a New Yorker.  If I answer a question and they ask if I am an American I will answer yes but I always state that I am a New Yorker.  My g/f is from Holland.  My family has a tendency to state shes European.  No she's Dutch first. Europe is a big place.  Just as America is.  Need to be more specific in my opinion. People have been known to generalize.  And I for one dont like to be generalized so I help clarify where I am from.
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.
348282
because we're used to it...\n\nThink about it for a second. In history, America was discovered and war erupted. It would be the same concept, but differ from immigrating. If we all were to travel to another planet and establish a colony, we would have problems because we are bewildered of the resources on the planet. Does it supply water? Does it have air?  It's really the ecological questioning you want to develope in your debate. Otherwise, talk about how fun earth is. The most important thing when you reason... bring up questions that will make the listener think about the consequences of going to the other planet. If we all go to the other planet, will supplies last? WIll there be a politcal conflict of who owns the planet? Also, list your points. Then... at the end... mention how the world would be a better place if we stayed on Earth... Lets not abadon our planet... LMAO. good luck.
79217
This is one of the great flaws in labeling people, especially using politically correct terms.\n\nLogically, if someone with Irish ancestors is an "Irish-American", and someone with Italian ancestors is "Italian-American", then someone with white ancestors from South Africa is "African-American".\n\nMy friend Janus is very dark skinned, but was born in England to family from the carribean. Nothing sets her off like calling her an African-American. She'll tell you quite properly that she's English!!\n\nI have no idea what to call my friend who was born in India, raised in Tanzania, Toronto and New Jersey, and now lives in San Francisco. Perhaps "Well travelled" is the best description!
71381
I may not be Batman, but I know Aquaman VERY well  ;)\n\nI understand and agree with everything you have said. (you could have had more tact, but, at least you are up there and honest)\n\nTruth is- there is almost no culture that has not been enslaved and used at one time or another. Humans by nature are lazy creatures, and putting blame on someone else is the easiest way to get things.\n\nI am no more responsible for enslavement than my pet dog is. But, America is a multicultural country. Being multicultural means that people are going to blame others. There will be racists, and antiracists. People in the slave trade (that still happens even in America in modern times) and people who are antislave.\nI don't think its fair to say you should carry guilt, or that one race should. Almost all times in history when a culture has been enslaved, they were given a chance to get out. If they stay, they have no real right (in my opinion) to claim retribution. \nThe Jews were told to get out of Germany and go home, the Christians were told to get out of Rome and go home, The blacks were told to get out of America and go home.\n\nI am not saying that anyone should have had to go home, or that I don't appreciate all the races here. I am saying that I agree that we should work with one another, stop placing blame and get over ourselves. \n\nUnfortunatly, we are bigoted creatures.
515814
I'm not so sure on what you're asking, but I think most people want to know about their culture, race, ancestry, etc. because they want to know where they come from.  They want a "sense of belonging" if you will; what and who they can connect to. You can read and learn about other cultures and find it just as interesting, but for them, you can't relate or associate with it,  I suppose. Or, maybe they are looking for something to be proud of; like being able to say, " I'm a descendant of great people who invented this, conquered that, journeyed here," etc. I can't remember who the person was that said this, but I think this quote explains a lot too:\n\n"A people without knowledge of their history is like a tree without roots."\n\nI don't even remember if those are the exact words, but anyhow,  the quote is basically saying that a race or even nationality without knowledge of their people cannot grow as people; hence, "a tree without roots" it ain't gonna grow none!\n\nI hope that my answer has helped you understand this perspective a bit more ;-)
103416
What part of Illegal dont you get? Dont make me laugh just think IS THERE ANYWAY FOR THEM TO GET HERE LEGALLY? \nJust think about it pake & jerry. If you were a little bit smart there wouldn't be much your so called illegals  because they'll be here legally. Now let's see if you two have a little bit of brain to know that someone that does not have documents is called undocumented UN as of NO Comprende? Not Illegal no body is illegal in the world and nobody in this world is Alien because we all are Earthlings because we live in Earth. SO WHY IS THIS SHIT GOING ON? Just Plain BS. Close-Minded Sensenbrenner. It seems America is just not a free-country anymore at least for people that are not white.
289063
I don't know why you are called an immigrant all the time, as you didn't really expand on that but I'd guess that you look Mexican or something.  The Indians came here first and I don't know when, the first non-Indian was Eric the Red and then after a long time of no new visitors, various Europeans came over at about the same time.  I hate that argument too, I'm not an immigrant, I was born here and so were my parents.  My family came here legally too. I see that we have laws now. No, it don't compare in any way to the civil rights fight of blacks in the '60s and I also hate when people say that.  People argue that they just want a better life, no shit, how about they do it the legal way or be arrested.  I know, I'll start stealing everything I want because it will give me a better life - I won't have to work and I will have better things, it's a two-fold solution!  Then when the cops arrest me, I'll just say "I was just trying to have a better life, like your ancestors."  If it doesn't work then this shouldn't
234911
Because we smell nice?  LOL!  Because I am proud of my country and of being an American.  How would it look if I treated our visitors like crap?  It's no sweat off my butt if you want to come to my country and live.  We are the melting pot.  We all came from somewhere else and guess what?  Some of our most incredibly beautiful people here are all the result of mixed races.  I am friendly because I feel that I was blessed to be born here and I don't mind sharing the wealth this beautiful country has to offer.
55228
Good question, I noticed you said "some" white folks, thanks for specifing that. Not all us white people are a$$holes. I am sorry one of my "white" counterparts has done this to you or someone you know. It may stem from the INDIVIDUALS insecureness. However, I have been outcasted because I am white, and I haven't done anything wrong to anyone. Hell, I am married to someone of a different race, so why do black,brown,yellow,orange,red,green and or purple people instantley label all white people as racist slave owning hillbilly trailer trash? Same reason whites do it to other races, all races are racist, try this out, live in a homogenious (one race) country like I do, and then you will know what true racism is.
622869
cute question, shows good off the wall thinking, keep asking more, some people will think your just being a smart ass but I like the question.  \nP.S.\nIs someone from Egypt that now lives in America and African-American after all Egypt is wholly a part of Africa yet many are more Caucasian in appearance?
140719
zafrumi666 I would be most happy to return to the tropical paradise from which I originate if your western countries returned the wealth they stole from it and also stopped exploiting non-western countries for cheap primary resources (crops, minerals, oil, etc).\n\nBlond dyslexic I fully agree with you. Whether or not you believe in Karma most people would agree that at some time what you put around finally comes around. As those white oppressive colonialist farmers sowed, so they are now reaping!