Why are you an "african American" ?
953136
I think that is a very good question,I think that society as a whole has an incredible itch to categorize everything into neat easily classified little piles. There are so many different European creeds that have all blended together by now that would make SPECIFICALLY classifying anyone would be a huge mouth full. My best friend would have to say that she is an Irish-Scotch-Welsh-German and maybe some Italian thrown on for spice American, but she has had the privilege of at least knowing where her families came from, and can , rightly so, be proud of what her makes her who SHE is. African Americans, for the most part are held at a huge disadvantage in this respect. Most DON"T know where they hail from except for a few speculative hundred years, and maybe have an understandable need to have a claim on SOMEPLACE to reconnect with their roots. Everyone wants to know where they come from and Africa is at least a common motherland.                                                    I have been very lucky as a Mexican AMERICAN to be able to have access to that part of my culture close at hand, but it doesn't define me as a whole. I do speak spanish but I still think that English should be learned when you move here. ( What is so difficult in being able to speak more then just ONE language people!!! This is something to be proud of!! Other countries EXPECT thier students to MASTER more then one before they can graduate from school!!Since when should education be shunned???) I consider myself to be an American above all other census classifications, and my friends would say " goofball dork" if asked about me. I believe people all ALL races should be proud of who they are and anyway if we were to be invaded by any one of the many countries that hate us, African American, Asian American, European American, or whatever would still be considerd AMERICAN only. They wouldn't care.  ( BTW, you ARE German American, and it is a sad thing that untill WW II most Germans in the US had been speaking German for many generations untill they were unfairly made to feel ashamed about it, but that's govermant for ya)
731642
How come you did not mention your own nationality? Anyway, I've lived in some African countries and really liked the environments - very friendly and stress free. I've also lived in the USA and was in fact very disappointed - very stressful and hostile society (despite the diversity), especially down south in Texas.
888887
Actually, I like it a lot. For me I prefer to be around people of different backgrounds, races or cultures. It seems natural for me, I always had a black friend growing up.\nNow a days, I prefer to work with them cause they are easier to work and talk to, and its more fun. I like to learn about them, their traditions or history, and at the same time he/she is learning from me.\nI'm a student - and a teacher, at the same time.\nIts cool, you learn little interesting facts and tales from friends.
960948
I dont know why we are not even REALLY white nor black.  But it has been that way for years.   I perfer to call my self Caucasion and African American or what ever the case.
48563
An African-American is a person born in Africa that becomes an American through the naturalization process as regulated by the United States Dept of Naturalization and Immigration, just like the ethnic terms Black, Colored, and Negro, they are all defined as a Negroid person born in Africa according to the United States Census Bureau, and several Federal Courts and Laws. The academic definitions have been altered or eliminated since 1989 to misleading define Afrimericans, but these academic definitions don’t have the value as do the legal definitions, and the Afrimerican Word and definition is the only term/word that accurately, academically, legally, and politically describe and define Afrimericans.
359596
Either is just fine with me! Black seems more comfortable...it seems like a lot of times when people say African American they are trying really hard to be respectful, which is appreciated, but its not necessary, especially if it makes them feel uncomfortable in referring to me.  As long as you don't call me the n word, we're cool!
76914
Is the African American Black or White?
740324
I am not black but I would imagine it would be helpful to have people from ones own cultural background to relate to. Also a lot of what you get from college is connections and it may be helpful to network and develope alliances with other African Americans since things aren't always equitable in the world at large.
944928
Hey I agree with you baby - if you were born in America then your American, if you were born in Africa then your African and if you were born in Africa and moved to America and became a legalized citizen then you are African American.
613940
Ask the government people who created the labels to put on all the forms you have to fill out. Historically, African Americans did not chose that lable for themselves, it was given to us by the government. Same way they give everyone else a label because categories make people comfortable. Are white people really white? It's a color right? Not a nationality, so why is white on the forms, same reason African American, Asian, etc. is - because we hate ambuguity! And becuz we like to divide and categorize.
959259
Very good question, I don't know why black people are called African Americans. Some black people have never even been to Africa. But it everyone wants to get technical we are all African Americans. when life frist started we all came from Africa. When all the contenients were together it was call something like( shit I forgot the name ) but africa was the center of it all . even in biblicul times, it said we all came from that region. So again we are all African american in a way
501876
The term "African American" has been in common usage in the United States since the late 1980s, when greater numbers of African Americans began to adopt the term self-referentially. Malcolm X favored the term "African American" over "Negro" or "Black" and used the term at an OAAU (Organization of Afro American Unity) meeting in the early 1960s, saying, "Twenty-two million African-Americans – that's what we are – Africans who are in America."\n\nBeginning in the 1980s, many blacks began to abandon the term "Afro-American", which had become popular in the 1960s and '70s, for "African-American," because they desired an unabbreviated expression of their African heritage that could not be mistaken or derided as an allusion to the afro hairstyle. The term became increasingly popular, and by the 1980s, Jesse Jackson and others pressed for its adoption and acceptance. Users of the term argued that "African-American" was more in keeping with the nation's immigrant tradition of so-called "hyphenated Americans", who were known by terms like "Irish-American", "Chinese-American", or "Polish-American"), which link people with their, or their ancestors', geographic points of origin.\n\nOther terms used at various points in American history include Negro, colored, and black. Negro and colored were common until the late 1960s, but are now less commonly used and considered derogatory. African American, black and, to a lesser extent, Afro-American are used interchangeably today, but their precise meanings and connotations are in dispute.\n\nThe term African American is sometimes problematic because of its imprecise cultural and geographic meaning. The term as originally applied refers to only those descended from a small number of colonial indentured servants and the estimated 500,000 Africans taken to the U.S. as slaves (of approximately 11 million Africans taken to the western hemisphere in general).\n\nIn slightly broader usage, the term can include Afro-Latino immigrants whose African ancestors also survived the Middle Passage, recent African immigrants and their children, with or without American citizenship, but these groups tend to use the ethnic terms Latino or Hispanic, or even Afro-Latino to identify themselves by their countries of origin (i.e., as Dominican or Jamaican instead of African American).\n\nThe term does not include European-African, Indian, Berber or Arab immigrants from the African continent.Thus, even though people like Charlize Theron or Teresa Kerry were born in Africa and became Americans by naturalization, they are not termed as African-American.
859895
There's a book entitled, "Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria and other questions on Race" by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum that addresses this question from a sociological and psycological point of view. It's a good read. \n\nI can tell you why I feel comfortable gravitating towards black, at least at first. One thing we (fellow black people) automatically have in common is our personal experience. The biggest group of people still affected by hate crimes, according to the FBI, is black people. Another thing is that I get tired of questions. I understand that people are curious about black people, but sometimes I don't want to explain the history of why some black people are sensitive about hair, or why we are "allowed" to say the n-word and they are not.\n\nAlso, I'm a person in a subculture where most of my friends are white just because there aren't many black people involved in the culture in one area. It gets lonely sometimes. \n\nI do think black people need to branch out more but there are legitimate reasons for why they "segregate" themselves. Also, why not try to talk to some of these black people one on one? Often, black people will let you in if you interact with them individually.
888481
Loaded question: Sounds like you yourself are glad that you are not black or Asian. Sounds like you are nice little bigot.
1166028
You May Not Know Or Realize This But In The (Afro-American) Race There Are Many Shades of Colors,  So My Answer Is Afro-American People Are Proud Of Their Color No Mater What Shade Of Color They Are!......Most Afro-American People Was Wondering The Same Thing About Caucasion People,  Why Do Caucasion People Spend Lots Of Money On "Tanning Spa's And Tanning Lotions" Just To Become Shades Darker Like Afro-American People!....They Should Proud Of Their Color -White!
278545
I know many inspirational quote links but why only African'American?
1118685
interesting question.  i remember once when i was in college, i was talking to a friend of mine with whom i had just finished an african american studies course.  the friend  was black.  i was talking about the impact that the course had on me, and made some generalized statement about african american culture.  my friend was quick to point out that he wasn't african american - he was jamaican.\n\nblack is a race, much like white, asian, or indian.  blacks can be african - american, jamaican, haitian, brazilian, nigerian, or some other nationality.  i'd say this is comparable to the way whites can be australian, irish, or american.  i think that the term african-american, however, refers solely to the descendants of slaves who were born in and live in this country.\n\nso, to answer your question, i doubt any west indians take offense to being considered black.  they probably would take offense, however, to being called african american.