What is an Africian-Americian?

[Salty]

In a thread about Rush- the subject of African-Americans came up. (post 6 & 7)

Before we can determine if Obama is an African-American- we need to define the term.

Does it mean the individual was born in Africa, or just an ancestor was. Now stop and think about that - you take a person who was born in Africa, and another who is 12 generations back - how can they both described by the same term?

Then, a person who is born in Africa, comes to the US as a visitor - is he an African-American? or does he have to be a temporary (say college student) or must he become a permanent resident. Or should the term be reserved for those immigrants who obtain citizenship?

Finally, you have a Caucasian couple who are residents and citizens of South Africa. They have a child in Africa. Later they move to the US and the child becomes an American Citizen. Is the child an African-American?

Salty

PS I detest the use of "hyphenated"-Americans.

I am an American - period. If you press me I am an American of the breed of mutts.:tongue3:

 

[billwald]

Common usage determines meaning. An African American is any citizen who claims a negro ancestor.

 

[Jim1999]

During the civil rights days, Blacks did not want to be called Blacks and Negro was an acceptable term. This changed over time and Black became the term of choice. I don't know who came up with the African-American handle. It never made sense to me,,,Like saying I am English-Canadian. I am just a Canadian who happened to be born in England.

I don't like the term French-Canadian either, but I fear it has been imbedded in our society.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Salty]

.

I don't like the term French-Canadian either, but I fear it has been imbedded in our society.
Cheers,
Jim

Interesting statement Jim - I suppose I have used the French-Canadian term myself - but I think I use it because of the language difference.
What do most (English speaking) Canadians think about it? And do most of the French spekers prefer the term?

 

[just-want-peace]

Personally, I never heard this term until the "acceptance" of PCism.

It's just another liberal method of dividing all of us into various classes so they can pit one against another.

Without this capability, most of their pet projects would die a natural death.

 

[Jerome]

From The Chicago Defender:

Jan. 23, 1915
"Bethel Church
. . . in the evening Mr. William Hale Thompson, one of the candidates for mayor of Chicago, will speak. Every citizen who can do so is asked to attend this service. Mr. Thompson will be given an opportunity to define his position on the question of the treatment he will accord to African American citizens if elected mayor. Delightful music by the choir under the directorship of Mr. James Mundy . . ."



Dec. 8, 1928
"Editor Chicago Defender:
As a member of the African race, I was inspired to write this open letter to African American and African Canadians in regards to our true name which is mentioned in the Montreal Daily Star in speaking of the election of Hon. Oscar DePriest. It spoke of him as the first African American congressman, . . . . We are called "Negroes," "n-----s," "negresses," "coons," "darkies," "race people," "Sams," "hams," and God only knows what else, and all are wrong. I hope that the leaders of the Race will speak of themselves as African Americans and African Canadians in the same sense as the Irish American, Russian American, German American, Polish American, etc. This would make us a better liked people.
ST. JEAN GRENEN
Montreal, Canada

Jan. 26, 1929
Editor Chicago Defender:
. . . my attention was attracted by a letter written by St. Jean Grenen of Montreal, Canada, relative to so many names being given to the Race in America and Canada. . . . had the Daily Star referred to Mr. DePriest as an American of African descent, no better language could have been used to express its meaning. Like all other Race groups born in this country, the Blacks in America (and others identified with them), are full fledged Americans (of African descent, of course), and not African "Americans" or "Afro-Americans," as some use the term. . . . I am in hearty accord with the idea of fighting down the habit of referring to the Race through a multiplicity of names, instead of the one correct name: but I am also in favor of fighting down the use of any and all hyphenated terms, when referring to one of the black group of the American nation. We are just plain, ordinary Americans --- unadulterated and unhyphenated."
T. B. WILSON
Jackson, Miss.

 

[THEOLDMAN]

The President is a Hawaiian now living in D.C. I'm a Mississsipian now living in Wyoming.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Definitions:

African American:

an American of African and especially of black African descent

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache...ned&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us&client=firefox-a

A Black American of African ancestry.

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache...ned&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a

African American: An American of black African descent. The term may also be written with a hyphen as African-American.

The term entered into usage largely starting in 1988, when the Rev. Jesse Jackson held a news conference to urge Americans to use it to refer to blacks. African American has largely supplanted black in health matters.

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache...ned&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a

American of African descent

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache...ned&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us&client=firefox-a

 

[just-want-peace]

From The Chicago Defender:

Jan. 26, 1929
Editor Chicago Defender:
. . . my attention was attracted by a letter written by St. Jean Grenen of Montreal, Canada, relative to so many names being given to the Race in America and Canada. . . . had the Daily Star referred to Mr. DePriest as an American of African descent, no better language could have been used to express its meaning. Like all other Race groups born in this country, the Blacks in America (and others identified with them), are full fledged Americans (of African descent, of course), and not African "Americans" or "Afro-Americans," as some use the term. . . . I am in hearty accord with the idea of fighting down the habit of referring to the Race through a multiplicity of names, instead of the one correct name: but I am also in favor of fighting down the use of any and all hyphenated terms, when referring to one of the black group of the American nation. We are just plain, ordinary Americans --- unadulterated and unhyphenated."
T. B. WILSON
Jackson, Miss.

Very interesting!! As I said, I never heard the term before it was co-opted as a PC term, but I do agree with the quoted letter above.

For now, IMHO, all the term does is magnify & focus on, our differences, rather that pull us together as a common citizenry.

Just an ole red-neck's humble opinion though, so I'm sure the elite will dis-regard as totally irrelevant.

 

[Alcott]

A fugitive from "continental drift?"

 

[webdog]

Simple, it's a person who's black, just like caucasian is a person who's white.

 

[Jim1999]

Salty, we don't get too excited about the hyphenated name thing. The Quebecers prefer Quebecois. Then, they would like to send all us English folk packing.

When I first came to Canada it was English, French, German..whatever country we came from, but we were all Canadians. Along with the strong separatist movement in Quebec came the Quebecois.....then the rest of Canada used French-Canadian...maybe because they couldn't speak French.

If I ever moved to the USA and became a citizen, I would be American,,,,,,as is my daughter since she became a citizen,,,,,,and we respect that.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Dragoon68]

An African-American is a black - or even part black - person living in America so named by Jesse Jackson, and quickly adopted by others, in order to advance their position and agenda as race mongers among Americans. They desired to group all persons of one racial background into one body of supposed like mind incapable of functioning independently and thereby making them dependent upon the likes of such race mongers for direction, tribute, attention, and never-ending captivity.

 

[webdog]

An African-American is a black - or even part black - person living in America so named by Jesse Jackson, and quickly adopted by others, in order to advance their position and agenda as race mongers among Americans. They desired to group all persons of one racial background into one body of supposed like mind incapable of functioning independently and thereby making them dependent upon the likes of such race mongers for direction, tribute, attention, and never-ending captivity.

Wow!!

 

[donnA]

Common usage determines meaning. An African American is any citizen who claims a negro ancestor.

from africa

an American of African and especially of black African descent
snip
A Black American of African ancestry.

Not all americans of african decent are black as not all peoples of africa are black.
Like obama is only half black, he therefore wouldn't qualifiy, as he isn't actually black, but half.

Simple, it's a person who's black, just like caucasian is a person who's white.

african american?
what about an american whose family if from africa and yet their all white? He's still american and still descended from africiana.
Unless people want to say in order to be african you have to be black. Wouldn't that be like saying in order to be american you have to be white?

 

[windcatcher]

A hypenated descriptive such as this smacks of a divided identity if that is what I call my-self. If another calls me that...... I wonder what is the motive? the purpose? for narrowing my identity or adding specificity to characterize me beyond my own representation.
Motive or purpose is not alway negative: For example it is useful when denoting a unusual acheivement or position which customarily is not associated with similar persons of my ethnic characteristic. So it adds to the perception of attainment which is possible.... an encouragement to those similar..... recognition of those who are dis-similar and had narrow sterotypes........ and begins a historic data base until it is sufficiently filled to the point where the novelty has worn off and achievement is regarded as a normal and equal possibility to all exercising knowledge and skill regardless of origin or ethinicity.

However, hyphenations serve to divide us..... as do other labels which we use to identify ourselves. I'm not ashamed to be called or identify as Christian. That is one label I wear proudly....and humbly...


But labels and hypenations focuses on what is different, and how it is interpreted by others limits their perception of one so labeled to that which is already a part of their previous experience and knowledge. In this respect I think labels and hypenations tend to limit instead of broaden a person's inclusiveness in society.

 

[Dragoon68]

<deleted - LE>.

What evil? What hate speech? The hate speech is what people like Jesse Jackson use to hold black people captive to his race mongering ideas. The fact is black people are like people of other races. They want to be free to think and act for themselves and associate with those of like mind regardless of their race. The black power movement was a round of the same thing by previous race mongers and it hurt a lot of people and divided a lot of people. The African-American connotation was a revised version of the same thing. It divides people by color and it tends to do so on all issues. That's the problem. If it were merely to group people by race - then the term Negroid was adequate just as Caucasian and Mongoloid are adequate. If it were merely to group people by recent origin - then perhaps African-American was appropriate just as Irish-American or Vietnamese-American would be. But it was more than that - it was to align people of one race together in all demographics and that's why it's racist. It is so by design of its authors. The truth can be painful but it is what it is.

 

[JamieinNH]

An African-American is a black - or even part black - person living in America so named by Jesse Jackson, and quickly adopted by others, in order to advance their position and agenda as race mongers among Americans. They desired to group all persons of one racial background into one body of supposed like mind incapable of functioning independently and thereby making them dependent upon the likes of such race mongers for direction, tribute, attention, and never-ending captivity.

Wow!!

I totally agree! Wow!! Why is this allowed on this board?!?!

 

[JamieinNH]

Simple, it's a person who's black, just like caucasian is a person who's white.

Prefect, non-basied, carried away answer.. Simple.

What amazes me is we didn't care what the name meant 10-20 years ago.. or even three years ago.. now Obama has won we care.

 

[LeBuick]

Not all americans of african decent are black as not all peoples of africa are black.

This is correct, not all African's have dark skin. There are south African's who are white as well as some in the North like Morocco and Tunisia who are not even close to dark skin.

However, if the term ever fit any person it certainly fits Obama. His father was African and his Mother was American so that makes African American true.

As far as blacks born in the US, there are no pure blacks. The slave owners would have kids with the slaves and the children would be considered black and would work as slaves. Usually a house slave since they had lighter skin. It is from this time that we understand any person who has any part Black is considered black. It came from slavery days.

Now there are mixed people who show more of their white ancestry than their black side. These people will generally pass and say their white since, well, who wants to be discriminated against?