What is an Africian-Americian?

[Dragoon68]

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

There's nothing about what I posted that should be dis-allowed on this forum. My view is that the term African-American is the product of race mongers like Jesse Jackson and that it serves to divide people of different races and group all black people into one group rendering them captive to that group by the people who advance such thinking. It extends far beyond the matter of fact ancestral origin of peoples. Ordinary people know this but just can't say it. It has become unacceptable to challenge such foolishness and that's what so bad about such political correctness in our society. The mere mention of something not in line with what people like Jesse Jackson say immediately cast that person as a racist not worthy to be heard. I say it's the other way around. I challenge the term African-American for what it is and the harm it does. I say black people should be free to stand on their own as individuals joining hands with others according to specific issues instead of most often being lumped into one group as if it could be no other way. Christians need to wake up to this travesty and call it what it is instead of falling prey to the "political correctness" of the world!

 

[JamieinNH]

There's nothing about what I posted that should be dis-allowed on this forum. My view is that the term African-American is the product of race mongers like Jesse Jackson and that it serves to divide people of different races and group all black people into one group rendering them captive to that group by the people who advance such thinking. It extends far beyond the matter of fact ancestral origin of peoples. Ordinary people know this but just can't say it. It has become unacceptable to challenge such foolishness and that's what so bad about such political correctness in our society. The mere mention of something not in line with what people like Jesse Jackson say immediately cast that person as a racist not worthy to be heard. I say it's the other way around. I challenge the term African-American for what it is and the harm it does. I say black people should be free to stand on their own as individuals joining hands with others according to specific issues instead of most often being lumped into one group as if it could be no other way. Christians need to wake up to this travesty and call it what it is instead of falling prey to the "political correctness" of the world!

No, there is nothing wrong with your post.... just group people together like lemmings and give the impression that just because someone like Jesse Jackson says 'we're suppose to stand together because of the color of our skin' and you think these people do it just because.

It's a simple question with a simple answer and webdog gave a great answer, but it don't fit into your mentality and you seem to think it's just being PC... Well you know some things are PC but they also happened to be correct too.

African-American has been used by men White and Black for a long time to describe people in American with African roots. ONLY now does some people cry about it because we have a black president.

If a black man wants to break free from a "group" he can and will, we have seen it happen many times before.

 

[Dragoon68]

No, there is nothing wrong with your post ..,

Then there was no need to imply that there was!

 

[JamieinNH]

Then there was no need to imply that there was!

Did you miss the rolling eyes... I was being sarcastic. I feel there was/is something wrong with your post.

You have had many discussion with people using the term African-American and not once have you stated your dislike of that word as it's used.

Why start now? What is the difference now vs then?

 

[Dragoon68]

No, there is nothing wrong with your post.... just group people together like lemmings and give the impression that just because someone like Jesse Jackson says 'we're suppose to stand together because of the color of our skin' and you think these people do it just because.

Think? No, I know it! There's a tremendous amount of peer pressure involved and people like Jesse Jackson have been playing off it too long. Most everyone knows this from their own personal observations and experiences yet it's just something that can't be discussed.

It's a simple question with a simple answer and webdog gave a great answer, but it don't fit into your mentality and you seem to think it's just being PC... Well you know some things are PC but they also happened to be correct too.

He gave his answer and I gave mine. The name should describe one thing but it goes much deeper than that. No it's not "correct" - it's just been made "politically correct".

African-American has been used by men White and Black for a long time to describe people in American with African roots. ONLY now does some people cry about it because we have a black president.

Jesse Jackson popularize the term African-American only about 20 years ago. It hasn't been that long at all. Many have objected to it since it's inception - not because of the term but primarily because Jesse said so and everyone had to get in step or suddenly they were racist.

If a black man wants to break free from a "group" he can and will, we have seen it happen many times before.

I don't think it's as easy as it might seem. It's not just the individual that has to break free. It's the rest of society that continues to view all blacks as being part of single African-American group. Other groups don't get viewed the same way and there's much less pressure upon them because of it.

 

[Dragoon68]

Did you miss the rolling eyes... I was being sarcastic. I feel there was/is something wrong with your post.

You have had many discussion with people using the term African-American and not once have you stated your dislike of that word as it's used.

Why start now? What is the difference now vs then?

You are mistaken about my prior discussions regarding the term. There is no difference now for me. I've had this position for a long time and I'm hardly ever shy about what I believe.

 

[righteousdude2]

He is Black, Leave it At That....

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?

He is black. He is what he is. If he wants to be black, I will protect his right to be that. He is 100% right on this issue, even though I agree with Lady Eagle and a few of the others.

As I said in another OPed:

In the eyes of the black community, he is "BLACK!" So let it be. There are other, more pressing issues in regard to this president. Color is not one of them. Let him be black, because to say he isn't, will get you knifed in the ghetto....:thumbsup:

 

[Creyn]

Well here's a question... Do other nations use the term similarly?

As in African-Englishman? or African-German?

Just a curiosity more than any point I'm trying to make.

 

[sag38]

It's a political correct term.

 

[dragonfly]

Anyone who doubts that President Obama is of African American decent needs to get their eyes checked!

 

[ajg1959]

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

My gggrandfather was owned by my other gggrandfather in 1825 when he fathered a mulatto child, so, does that make me African-American? I dont think so.

I hear alot of people claim to be "Italian" or "German" or whatever....and I always ask them what part of Italy they were born in...always, they say that they have never even been there, so I think its silly to say that they are anything but American.

Actually, my Dad's family was from Alabama, and my Mom's was from the Ozarks in Arkansas, so I tell folks that I am half redneck and half hillbilly.

AJ

 

[ajg1959]

My gggrandfather was owned by my other gggrandfather in 1825 when he fathered a mulatto child, so, does that make me African-American? I dont think so.

I hear alot of people claim to be "Italian" or "German" or whatever....and I always ask them what part of Italy they were born in...always, they say that they have never even been there, so I think its silly to say that they are anything but American.

Actually, my Dad's family was from Alabama, and my Mom's was from the Ozarks in Arkansas, so I tell folks that I am half redneck and half hillbilly.

AJ

In fact, if I had known when I was younger that I was part black, then I would have applied for Affirmative Action and the United Negro College fund, and lots of other benefits that white Americans dont get.:thumbs:

AJ

 

[BigBossman]

I never have cared for hyphenated Americanism. I am caucasian or white (I prefer the latter). I don't claim to be Irish-American becuase I don't have enough Irish in me to have Irish characteristics. Besides, I'm only 1/8th Irish & I don't even have red hair.

When you use the hyphenated American approach on everyone, it gets really confusing. I'll give you some examples:

1. A black guy who is born in Canada & moves to the United States. You can't call him an African-American because he just moved from Canada. Is he African-Canadian? I haven't heard anyone making that claim.

2. What about Tiger Woods? One of his parents was Asian. Does he consider himself Asian-American, African-American, Asian-African, African-Asian, or African-Asian-American?

Do you see what I'm saying? the hyphenated stuff is just too confusing to me.

Me personally, I could care less what a person's skin tone or heritage is (its okay to be proud of that). I've even gotten to the point where I'll just mark "other" in a survey asking about my race. There's just too much emphasis on people's origins when you mention a person's race. I would hate to have sit someone down & say that dad's side of the family came from Ireland & my mom's side of the family came from Sweden. It just too complicated.

I'm a mongrel. A mixed breed. An American. Let's just leave it at that.

 

[Crabtownboy]

I am a Heinz-57 variety-Southern highlander-Appalachian ridge running-Virginian-American ... I could throw in a few more to bring in the westward movement of one side of my family ... but why bother ........... :laugh:

 

[just-want-peace]

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.

Bolded mine

You must have spent the last several years in a cave then. I've heard this term castigated as divisive for at least 10-15 years & maybe longer.

As another poster mentioned, it seemed to come to the fore-front when Jesse & his ilk decided it was a more PC term than "Black", and most objected to the term simply because they (Jesse & other race-baiters) used the term as a distinctly divisive term.

It was a term co-opted (see the antiquity of use in another post) for racist purposes, just like the word "GAY" has been by the homo community.

 

[webdog]

I used to get all hung up on the semantics, but now I realize when someone says African-Amnerican, they mean a black person. Nit picking the actual origin of the person is a waste of time. If they want to be called that, call them that...who cares. I prefer to be called white, even though my skin is not white, I'm actually a peach-ish tan color. Nobody has ever told me "you know what, you are not actually white". Regardless of intent, or if the phrase was coined from a lost person, guess what...lost people act like lost people.

 

[Dragoon68]

You will, if you pay attention, find many black people living in America that strongly object to the term "African-American" for a variety of reasons. Its widespread use starting in the late 1980s was the result of a herd mentality - largely by white people - to adopt and propagate what was deemed politically correct by alleged "leaders" such as Jesse Jackson. Guys like him can't be successful unless they're stirring up trouble with racial issues. We should all know that by now.