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African Americans? Anyone Else Offended By That Term?

I am just curious on people's opinions on this matter. Do you find it offensive and/or a slap in the face to real Africans that live in horrendous situations like Somalia and Rwanda when people in America call themselves African Americans?

These "African Americans" call Bill Clinton their first "black president"..yet Bill Clinton did nothing for Somalians and very little for the Rwandan genocide.

They go on and on about their struggle yet they never lived in Africa. They walk around with their bling bling and most do not donate money to their "African" brothers and sisters.

I never hear any mention from these "African Americans" on the AIDS crisis in Africa either.

And why is it we do not hear people call themselves "African Europeans", "African Canadiens", "African Asians" etc etc...why are American blacks so quick to call themselves African Americans yet, for the most part dont know jack shit about the struggle in Africa?

I find it disgusting when people like Oprah WInfrey and SPike Lee or these rappers who live in million dollar homes and drive 200 thouaand dollar cars talk about they are Africans.

Or was caring for Africans an 80's thing for these people?

What are your opinions?

A person can choose to identify themselfs as they will. Whether we choose to accept the identification is a different thing.

Personally I recon people will choose whatever option gives them the biggest feeling of pride.

If they choose to separate themselfs then fair enough thats what they identify with.

I mean if I moved to America (or anywhere) I'd still feel Scottish, and I want my kids to feel part Scottish. My grandkids.... well I'd say they would be pretty much stright up American or whatever.

The Irish and Itailians seem to do it to a lesser extent too (possibly just conjecture).

quote:

Originally posted by Dervish A person can choose to identify themselfs as they will. Whether we choose to accept the identification is a different thing. Personally I recon people will choose whatever option gives them the biggest feeling of pride. If they choose to separate themselfs then fair enough thats what they identify with. I mean if I moved to America (or anywhere) I'd still feel Scottish, and I want my kids to feel part Scottish. My grandkids.... well I'd say they would be pretty much stright up American or whatever. The Irish and Itailians seem to do it to a lesser extent too (possibly just conjecture).

Right but you were BORN in Scotland...you ARE Scotish. I am tlaking about black Americans who never step foot on African soil...who's ancestors have lived in America for centuries.

Yeah but thats what I'm saying my grandkids would be pretty much all American (with a Scottish great grandad).

There are millions of Americans who would consider themselves "Irish Americans" and they would consider former American president John F Kennedy as an "Irish American President" and most of these people have never been to Ireland, i meet lots of them every summer here as tourists, and they would normally not have been to Ireland before, but would still consider themselves Irish American.

I suppose its about your heritage and where your ancestors have come from, America is still a relatively young country, and with the blacks its about having come from a background of forced slavery mainly from Africa.

you're making some pretty big assumptions there.

why shouldnt they call themsleves african-americans? what do you suggest they call themselves? Black?

after all they were dragged kicking and screaming from africa, to america. hence african-americans. regardless of how often they visit, im sure they all realise that in the end they came from africa.

in america everyone seems to have to idenitfy their roots, and i think these people are just doing the same..as Dervish pointed out.

quote:

Originally posted by svens_bath you're making some pretty big assumptions there. why shouldnt they call themsleves african-americans? what do you suggest they call themselves? Black?

They should call themselves Americans.

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Originally posted by svens_bath after all they were dragged kicking and screaming from africa, to america. hence african-americans. regardless of how often they visit, im sure they all realise that in the end they came from africa. in america everyone seems to have to idenitfy their roots, and i think these people are just doing the same..as Dervish pointed out.

I dont think rappers, Oprah and Spike Lee were slaves...

Just seems to me that they pay attention to Africa when it becomes chic to do so.

I just dont see how u can call yourself African American yet i guarantee if u went up to half of the blacks in NYC that they couldnt tell u what happened in Rwanda or name more then 2 Afircan countires besides Egypt....let alone tell u about the AIDS crisis. I feel it is an insult to true Africans.

quote:

Originally posted by tiesto14 I just dont see how u can call yourself African American yet i guarantee if u went up to half of the blacks in NYC that they couldnt tell u what happened in Rwanda or name more then 2 Afircan countires besides Egypt....let alone tell u about the AIDS crisis.

is that a money back guarantee? i should hope it is.

its not so easy to call yourself American, when for centuries you have been oppressed by those who act in the name of America.

even if you are correct, and they dont know much about what happened in Rwanda, id say this is more down to lack of education than a failure to 'care' about what happened.

quote:

Originally posted by tiesto14 I just dont see how u can call yourself African American yet i guarantee if u went up to half of the blacks in NYC

just noticed this. so you would call them Blacks then?

see, you have thought it necessary to label them not as Americans, but as Blacks..and so you see why they themselves choose to identify themselves a certain way.

quote:

Originally posted by svens_bath just noticed this. so you would call them Blacks then? see, you have thought it necessary to label them not as Americans, but as Blacks..and so you see why they themselves choose to identify themselves a certain way.

No i would label them Americans...is aid blacks cus saying whites would make no sense..or if i had said Americans it would of made no sense...dont jumble my words.

ok well ive said all i have to say here. ill leave everyone else to draw their own conclusions about your argument.

quote:

Originally posted by tiesto14 They should call themselves Americans. I dont think rappers, Oprah and Spike Lee were slaves... Just seems to me that they pay attention to Africa when it becomes chic to do so. I just dont see how u can call yourself African American yet i guarantee if u went up to half of the blacks in NYC that they couldnt tell u what happened in Rwanda or name more then 2 Afircan countires besides Egypt....let alone tell u about the AIDS crisis. I feel it is an insult to true Africans.

No, but i bet they could tell you about recent American history regarding black Americans, Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement, where they were discriminated against by white people.

You could also argue about more recent history, during the 2000 American Presidental election, with allegations of fraud mainly disenfranchising black voters in Florida and possibly swinging the election as a result.

quote:

Originally posted by zig No, but i bet they could tell you about recent American history regarding black Americans, Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement, where they were discriminated against by white people. You could also argue about more recent history, during the 2000 American Presidental election, with allegations of fraud mainly disenfranchising black voters in Florida and possibly swinging the election as a result.

you are probally right...but thats not about Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by tiesto14 you are probally right...but thats not about Africa.

No, but it probably explains why they would want to hold onto their identity, as African Americans.

Re: African Americans? Anyone Else Offended By That Term?

quote:

Originally posted by tiesto14 I am just curious on people's opinions on this matter. Do you find it offensive and/or a slap in the face to real Africans that live in horrendous situations like Somalia and Rwanda when people in America call themselves African Americans? These "African Americans" call Bill Clinton their first "black president"..yet Bill Clinton did nothing for Somalians and very little for the Rwandan genocide. They go on and on about their struggle yet they never lived in Africa. They walk around with their bling bling and most do not donate money to their "African" brothers and sisters. I never hear any mention from these "African Americans" on the AIDS crisis in Africa either. And why is it we do not hear people call themselves "African Europeans", "African Canadiens", "African Asians" etc etc...why are American blacks so quick to call themselves African Americans yet, for the most part dont know jack shit about the struggle in Africa? I find it disgusting when people like Oprah WInfrey and SPike Lee or these rappers who live in million dollar homes and drive 200 thouaand dollar cars talk about they are Africans. Or was caring for Africans an 80's thing for these people? What are your opinions?

I am white British (thats what I have to put on the census) but do I know everything about Britsh history? Do I fuck. And what has what is going on in Rwanda or Somalia got to do with how people define their ethnicity? Dervish's grandkids will probably watch Braveheart and believe that that Scottish **** shagged our Queen but its a load of shit, but are they still not from Scottish decent? Your American, but I doubt you know your entire history inside out ... and I will put a lot of fucking money on it that you are the type of American who knows fuck all about what your country is upto today, seeing that you are obviously so far right

oh my...
the first post is full of unfounded, spurious and offensive generalizations. not all black people talk about "their" struggle and i have yet to meet a black person who compares racism and discrimination in contemporary america to the ravages of disease and civil war. "they" also don't all walk around with "bling bling" and some of "them" do a lot to raise money and awareness for the plight of africans. also, it wasn't the entire black community that called clinton "the first black person," it was one person, toni morisson, and the comment was made tongue-in-cheek. it may surprise some to find out that black community is not monolithic...

beyond the obviously incorrect stuff, if people can legitimately claim an ancentral heritage who are we to tell them they can't -- especially if that group has historically had that ancentral bond torn asunder? and i'm not sure why a hyphenated association demeans the struggles of Africans in Africa... almost every racial and ethnic subgroup refers to itself in hyphenated form for a number of reasons that certainly don't bother me and shouldn't bother anyone else.

furthermore, it wasn't african americans that first chose to be pidgeonholed and labeled according to the color of their skin -- it was a government and culture that's been obsessed with race since 1619 that did the deed.

quote:

Originally posted by Konijn oh my... the first post is full of unfounded, spurious and offensive generalizations. not all black people talk about "their" struggle and i have yet to meet a black person who compares racism and discrimination in contemporary america to the ravages of disease and civil war. "they" also don't all walk around with "bling bling" and some of "them" do a lot to raise money and awareness for the plight of africans. also, it wasn't the entire black community that called clinton "the first black person," it was one person, toni morisson, and the comment was made tongue-in-cheek. it may surprise some to find out that black community is not monolithic... beyond the obviously incorrect stuff, if people can legitimately claim an ancentral heritage who are we to tell them they can't -- especially if that group has historically had that ancentral bond torn asunder? and i'm not sure why a hyphenated association demeans the struggles of Africans in Africa... almost every racial and ethnic subgroup refers to itself in hyphenated form for a number of reasons that certainly don't bother me and shouldn't bother anyone else. furthermore, it wasn't african americans that first chose to be pidgeonholed and labeled according to the color of their skin -- it was a government and culture that's been obsessed with race since 1619 that did the deed.

i have been defeated!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by svens_bath regardless of how often they visit, im sure they all realise that in the end they came from africa.

It really depends how involved you want to get with this...i mean if you trace your family tree way way way back you too, and every other homo-sapien on this earth would have come from Africa.

Well I'm not offended by being called a "Latin American" so I'm not sure what the big deal is. Neither word is derogatory.

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Originally posted by BadBadNeil Well I'm not offended by being called a "Latin American" so I'm not sure what the big deal is. Neither word is derogatory.

Yes, But there is a region called Latin America. There isnt a region called African America.

[Generalization mode on] I think that the major problem is that there is not really a lot to be "American" about. The US seems to be a country of loads of different people with not a single thing in common except their geographic location. However, most humans *do* need a sense of belonging to a tribe, so many Americans choose to identify themselves as -american (e.g. Irish-american, Dominican-american, etc.), and cultivate the associated beliefs and practices. This is very obvious once you're aware of it and you don't need to look any further than at the many Americans who boast a non-US flag in their profile to see evidence of such a state of affairs.[Generalization mode off]
Now, assuming that what I wrote above is taken as valid, then it's quite understandable that blacks in the US would want to call themselves African-americans. First of all, they have the same need as anybody else to belong to a tribe, and secondly, there's not any other words/tribe they can use: The nations in Africa are so young that it doesn't make sense to call ancestors of slaves taken in the area now known as Ghana for Ghanesian-americans, and furthermore, most blacks cannot trace back their origins as at some point their pedigree will end with people considered a goods.
So when someone call themselves an African-american, it doesn't mean that they consider themselves more sympathetic to Africans than you or I, but simply that they associate themselves with a specific tribe. Hence, there's no need to get agitated at that.

Every American is an African-American in that they have ancestors who lived in Africa. It's just another non-sense term invented to make up for the inadequacies of the average mind.

Offended, however, I am not - I am not one to take offense. The concept of offense itself is nonsense as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Arbiter Every American is an African-American in that they have ancestors who lived in Africa. It's just another non-sense term invented to make up for the inadequacies of the average mind.

Well, ultimately yes, but there's a difference between whether the migration happened 300 years ago or 30000 years ago.

Personally I don't see what the big deal is. If they take so much pride in outlining their african ancestry, oh well, let them have it. As long as they don't get offended when they're called blacks as well, I don't really have much of a problem with it.

quote:

Originally posted by DrUg_Tit0 As long as they don't get offended when they're called blacks as well, I don't really have much of a problem with it.

why do you say this? dont you think that some people may find offense in being labelled as Black? particulalry when theyre actually brown. and if so dont they therefore have a right to be offended?

quote:

Originally posted by svens_bath why do you say this? dont you think that some people may find offense in being labelled as Black? particulalry when theyre actually brown. and if so dont they therefore have a right to be offended?

And what colour are You?.........im caucasian but being described as white is hardly accurate either.....splitting hairs my friend, splitting hairs.

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