I think I understand the term African American, being that their ancestors were displaced from Africa, but does like terms exist else were in the world? Such as, are black people in Canada and England called African Canadians and African English respectively?
Also, if a white South African has American citizenship, can he be referred to as African American also?
I’ve heard rumors of “White” South Africans applying for the African American scholarships and getting them, because of the way they were phrased.
This brings up the whole point about what “black” and “white” really mean, if anything when referring to people’s color. Is Colin Powell really “black”? Eminem may be more “black” culturally. This whole notion of race doesn’t really hold up to a strict definition.
I know a white South African dude who moved to the US and delights in referring to himself as an African American.
He’s not doing it seriously, though.
The terms in common usage over here are African-Caribbean (on official forms etc.) and Black British (colloquially).
I would be surprised to discover that similar terms are used elsewhere in the world. The term was specifically coined to emulate an American practice that I do not recall seeing in literature from other countries.
In some locations in the States, there has long been a practice of refering to recent immigrants or their children and the ethnic enclaves in which they lived as ethnicity-American. Thus, there are many Irish-American, German-American, Polish-American, and Italian-American clubs, mutual aid societies, etc. (I drive past British-American club on the way to work.)
It is not a new practice–Woodrow Wilson condemend the practice around 1916–but it is a habit of language that is old in origin and that has persisted in certain sections of the country.
When a group headed by Jesse Jackson was looking for a term that would identify blacks in the U.S. as more like their ethnic-American neighbors, they chose African-American (since there was no single African nation–particularly one that existed at the time of the slave trade–to which all American blacks could look back). This made a certain amount of sense in Chicago (where Rev. Jackson originates) along with Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and a few similar cities, but the terminology is less prevalent among people outside the Rust Belt, so the term seems affected in much of the country.
I can’t answer the OP but…
I used to live in North St. Louis County. I’m white. Across the street from me was a black man who grew up in Kentucky. Next door was a black family who immigrated from Kenya. My wife worked with a white woman from South Africa.
“African American” ? useless
What do you mean by a person being culturally black or white? Are you saying that since Colin Powell is a politician, he is culturally white?!? And Eminem, as a rapper, is culturally black?!? If I understand what you mean, WTF?!? It’s a good thing that this is not the Pit, because I’d be calling you an ignorant bigot.
Nate, where do you live? are you white or black? black and white culture do exist. realizing that fact does not make one a bigot.
Well what people need to remember is that not all people who look “African American” are actaully African American. I was on a cruise and the people who were from Jamaca (sp? I don’t carry dictionaries around) and the Bahamas and they would get SOOO pissed if you by any chance called them African American. “No! We are not from Africa! I am from The Bahamas dammit!” Same with people who are from South America and Spain, the people on the cruise would cry out “No I am not a dirty Mexican! I am from Columbia! or whatever” hey-they said this NOT me. Don’t shoot the messenger.
Black female checking in. See, this is why I don’t like the term African-American. It’s far too specific. It totally ignores black people who have never ever SEEN America, as well as non-blacks in America of African descent. Over 95% of my living family has never been anywhere near the United States. Surely they are black, but they’re not African-American by any means.
Cardinal, I had no idea there was a black culture. All this time I thought different nationalities had different cultures, and even within them, different subcultures. But looks like there’s one, huge, monolithic cultural identity for all black people worldwide. Good stuff.
Dare I ask why one doesn’t just use the term Negro when describing dark skinned people of recent sub-Saharan ancestry? I can understand AA in known cases, but in cases of doubt, what’s wrong with Negro?
there’s a black culture in the US, and it has its origins in the slave relationships. I don’t think you will find anyone arguing that it is inherently tied to skin color. there are centers www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html like this that specialize in american black culture. IMHO, it is more a culture of poverty and oppression, but that’s being really politically incorrect and brutally honest.
First, see MeanOldLady’s response to Cardinal’s post.
Check my location. Yes, I grew up in midwest USA. Why do you need to know my race? What makes a culture “white” or “black?” The color of the participants of the culture? Is that it?
Since (for some reason) it is so important for you to know, I am white. I have three black younger brothers. If one of them decides to be a politician when he grows up, I dare someone to tell me that they are being culturally white.
Jeeeeeez. If you all had the chance to know me IRL, this wouldn’t be a problem. I’M the one telling people that “Jack is Jack, and his color doesn’t enter into who he is as a person.”
What I mean is that Powell is not very dark, relatively. This is an objective fact. I would bet that he has more “white” ancestry than “black”. Therefore, is he “black”? How do you know? My entire point is that these labels are kind of pointless in the end.
I have NO idea where you got this. Powell is not as pointedly “black” as some others (remember, I’m saying that the term is lame and has nothing to do with him as a person). He is not as dark as some, and is about as “white bread” as I’ve ever seen a “black” person be. (For that matter, as I’ve seen about anyone be, period. You can’t “cool” your way into being Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.) Being a politician doesn’ t enter into it all, per se.
Eminem is certainly associating himself more with traditionally “black” culture than I am. That’s fine. He can dance on a pogo stick wearing a yarmulke and a clown suit, I don’t care. It’s not I who has made comments about how he’s “acting black”. I think it’s about time that the whole thing got dropped in general.
Well, then don’t jump to conclusions.
I’m going to be picky here.
Nations are people groups. States are areas that have common government. Ironically, I do mean that nations have culture, yes. Exactly.
Come on. To deny that on a veeeeeeeery broad basis American “black” people have a different subculture than American “white” people strikes me as just being deliberately obtuse.
I’m not at ALL saying that there’s a world-wide “black culture”. One of my favorite stories is how my old roommate came home from a teaching class and told about the always-mad-at-The-Man woman in his class. At some point she apparently referred to “the colors of the African flag”. That’s hilarious. I told that to some Nigerian substitutes I met, and they got that look like if you found out that someone thinks aliens talk to them in his sleep.
I know this might sound like the old cliche, but my two roommates are “black”. I’m “white”. They do listen to different music. Their grammar structure is often different. Whatever. Knock yourselves out, boys.
Blake, negro’s accurate, but a lot of people associate it with the period in which it was popular (what with Jim Crow and the like, the word’s got a nasty connotation to many), so black works. I like it just fine, but I can understand why other people wouldn’t. African American just doesn’t fly with me, though.
Destination Unknown, sure, I’ll buy the black American culture bit, but just black culture in general? No such thing. Even so, there are subcultures within black America. Wouldn’t you say blacks in Harlem have different experiences, lifestyles and a culture than blacks in, say, Mobile, AL?
Cardinal, I’m not branding you a bigot. I’m just saying there’s no such thing as black culture, which I now see you agree with.
Of course not.
My grandfather was from Cape Town South Africa. He moved to the US in the late 30’s. Therefore, I could be considered African American.
I’m white.
On job applications or polls if it says “african american”, I check it. I’ve noticed these days it says “black/african american”. If that’s the case I just check “other”.
I’ve always disliked the term African American. I think it strokes an inaccurate picture. There are many black people not from Africa.
In fact, I dislike most of the Blank-American titles. Arab American, Asian American, Native American. I think they’re silly. What’s wrong with just saying “That guy is Asian” ? In fact, saying he’s an Asian American assumes he is a US national… he might not be.
I also have German blood in me. Can I be German American as well as African American?
Thanks MeanOldLady. The problem I can see with black is that it’s a little to broad perhaps. South American Indians are black. Sri Lankans are black. Maoris are black. I guess the term negro is a bit more specific.
I have black friends who are not African or not American; and I have white friends who are African-Amercian. So I do not use the term.
A PBS special on vaudeville once referred to Bert Williams as “the first African-American to star in a Broadway show with whites.” Bert Williams was born in the British Virgin Islands . . .