# "African-American" in other countries **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051 "2002-12-20T16:55:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/1 "2002-12-20T16:55:55Z")
Ok, with the advent of the PC “African-American” phrase taking the place of the word “black” or any other number of unflattering terms to describe the race, I’m wondering do blacks in other countries feel the need to have a hyphenated term to describe the race? If so, what phrase is used. Like “African-Anglicans” or “African-Russians”? Or is this totally an American thing? ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/2 "2002-12-20T17:05:21Z")
Here, most people I know just say “black” when it’s useful to be specific. Scotland was the same. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/3 "2002-12-20T17:11:21Z")
To be honest, most people here say “black” too. Especially black people. ---
**Author:** ![squid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@squid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squid)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/4 "2002-12-20T17:11:49Z")
When a white person moves to the USA from Africa are they considered “African American”? What do they put on applications “African American” or “white”. Just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/5 "2002-12-20T17:13:02Z")
The put “Nigeria” or “Kenya” or whatever country they come from. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/6 "2002-12-20T17:27:22Z")
Here in Panama, where racial lines are very blurred, people of mainly African heritage are usually called _morenos/morenas_ (brown), which is not considered offensive in any way. _Negro_ (black) is considered offensive when used to describe people. There are two groups of blacks in Panama. _Afrocoloniales_ were brought to Panama as slaves in colonial times. _Afroantilleanos_ came from English-speaking islands in the Caribbean in the late 1800s and after to work on banana plantations and on the Canal. However, these are more technical anthropological terms and are not used in popular speech. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/7 "2002-12-20T18:23:59Z")
Black is the most common here in the UK, but you’ll hear coloured sometimes. Few more from the UK are: Afro-Caribbean. African-Caribbean. Afrikan-Caribbean (As far as I know, the ‘k’ indicating blac **k** ). West Indian. [hijack] Is it true that a news reporter, on CNN or something, called Nelson Mandela ‘African-American’? [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/8 "2002-12-20T19:05:35Z")
Yes here in the Uk you’re black. No African-whatever infront, in general speaking. ---
**Author:** ![mrbuddylee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@mrbuddylee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrbuddylee)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/9 "2002-12-20T19:09:46Z")
Well, something that always bothered me was the following. Dave Matthews comes from South Africa. He’s now a resident of the U.S. Is he an African-American (even though he’s white)? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/10 "2002-12-20T19:24:50Z")
> [@](#): > > ”And now on _Television in America_, we’ve imported a successful comedy show from England, and adapted it to our own special tastes: Robin Williams stars in _Afro-American Adder_.” > > “Baldrick, get your ass in here!” > > “Hey, that’s _Folically-challenged_ Rick to you!” > > _—40 Nights in the Wildebeest_ ---
**Author:** ![EasyPhil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47c2d/32.png) [@EasyPhil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EasyPhil)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/11 "2002-12-20T19:36:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mrbuddylee \* > \*\*Well, something that always bothered me was the following. Dave Matthews comes from South Africa. He’s now a resident of the U.S. Is he an African-American (even though he’s white)? \*\* He’s a white South African and considered a white person here in the US. ---
**Author:** ![kip70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kip70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kip70)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/12 "2002-12-20T19:37:23Z")
I’m afraid this American PC-disease is slowly spreading to the rest of the world. For years it was perfectly acceptable to call black people ‘neger’ (negro) over here. I didn’t even know what else to call them. Now recently a small group of people are starting to take offence with this term, and want to be called ‘colored’ or ‘dark people’. I can’t think of any other source for this new attitude than the USA… ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/13 "2002-12-20T19:55:41Z")
I think black is better than any other term. ---
**Author:** ![Tia3child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tia3child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tia3child)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/14 "2002-12-20T20:59:10Z")
Personally I’d like to be called Black. It takes up less space, time and it specifies what I am. Another reason I say I’m Black is because I was raise to say that I’m Black. This PC-ness is a bit over rated like a few of you said. Oh well ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/15 "2002-12-20T21:11:09Z")
In Sweden, it’s _svart_ (compare to German _schwartz_), which means black. In Spain it’s _negro_, which means black, and is not in the least offensive. The Spaniards have offensive terms for other people, like Morrocans… That’s another thread, though. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/16 "2002-12-20T21:12:40Z")
In Canada, people tend to say black. ---
**Author:** ![lothos2002](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/df788c/32.png) [@lothos2002](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lothos2002)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/17 "2002-12-20T22:38:49Z")
In Mexico, the used term is also Black (Negro) or Negrito (Mexicans tend to use diminutives to make things more polite). I don’t think black people find it offensive, but then again there aren’t many in the country. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/18 "2002-12-20T22:44:30Z")
It’s “black” in Australia, unless you’re Aboriginal, Maori, Samoan, Tongan, or Torres Strait Islander, etc, in which case those terms are used. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/19 "2002-12-20T22:52:36Z")
I don’t see any references here (even by some of our more rabid anti-immigration policy politicians) to “blacks” for African immigrants. Such would have our Race Relations Conciliator down on the offender like the proverbial ton o’ bricks. Black African immigrants are still relatively new here in terms of immigration, mainly stemming from refugee sources. So, they’re still known seperately as Somali, Ethiopian, Eritrean, etc. As New Zealand has a city (my own) with the largest concentration of Pacific Islanders in the world, we know our neighbours by the island nations from where they came from, or from where their ancestors hailed. If we’re not sure, they are called Pacific Islanders. There _are_ derogatory terms, but that’s a whole different thread subject. A few Maori radicals term themselves “black”, but it’s a no-no for pakehas (us white newcomers) to do likewise. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051/20 "2002-12-20T22:54:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mrbuddylee \* > \*\*Well, something that always bothered me was the following. Dave Matthews comes from South Africa. He’s now a resident of the U.S. Is he an African-American (even though he’s white)? \*\* My brother’s wife is from South Africa, so their kids are white African-Americans. On the other hand, my sister’s husband is from Guyana, so their kids are black Irish-Americans. Among other possible variations. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by lothos2002_ > **In Mexico, the used term is also Black (Negro) or Negrito (Mexicans tend to use diminutives to make things more polite). I don’t think black people find it offensive, but then again there aren’t many in the country.** Actually, Panamanians will also use _negrito/negrita_, which is much more OK than _negro_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-in-other-countries/144051.md?page=2)