I need an African-American ''friend''

[BabiGayPimp]

Gee guys it seems like some of you are going on like somone touched a raw nerve.

What actually is an african american anyway? I mean like do you actually have to be black to be able to be an african american, or do you have to come from africa, or can you be white or indian if you want to. Cos i am a white african, so im also wondering what a white american is called? are white americans maybe called european americans, or dont they get to have a continent named after them. And do you think that african americans deserve to be called african if they were not born in africa, have never been to africa, and probably will never get to go to africa.

Could i maybe call myself an american african even though i wasnt born in america, have never been to america, and probably will never go to america. Hey thats quite cool, black people from america are african americans and white people from africa are american africans. Yeah. Now i remains to be seen what white people from america and black people from africa could be called.

And then of course there is the bit about racism. Can only white people be racists or can any colour people be racist. And if only white people can be racist then are all other coloured people automatically anti-racist. And the other thing id like to know, is what would you call a person who called a white person a honky or some other derogatory name like umlungu or abelungu. Would they be racist or would they be anti-racist.

It all seems so confusing to me, this stuff about colours and continents and all the furore it stirs up.

Fascinating stuff Hey!!!

You are making this entirely too complicated for yourself. African Americans are black Americans ("black folks") that we used to call (and sometimes still do) negroes or "coloreds."

Don't get all twisted and confused in a blizzard or willful blindness. You can call yourself an "African American" or whatever else you want to, but you will be the only person who does. What's the fun in that?

You would still be "white folk" to most sighted observers. So wear it out!

 

[kayman23]

And the term African American was introduced to move beyond the narrow-mindedness of colorism, to recognize that the group of black people in America represented a unique ethnic group with a history and cultural traditions that were deeper than the skin.



There are almost no white US citizens born and raised in Africa, whose ancestors were also born and raised in Africa, so the term wouldn't be very useful in that situation.

Uh, there are plenty of native born whites on the African continent especially South Africa.

 

[LilBit]

On the other hand, I would ask white people born in Africa if they are "African Americans"...

My high school French teacher was a blonde-haired, green-eyed, light-skinned Algerian Jew whose family had been living in Algeria since 1492. She was born in Africa and moved to America as an adult. She insisted on self-identifying as African-American despite the fact that many people told her that she had no right to do so. She claimed that she had more right than most to claim that identity because she, unlike most African-Americans, was actually born in Africa.

 

[BabiGayPimp]

My high school French teacher was a blonde-haired, green-eyed, light-skinned Algerian Jew whose family had been living in Algeria since 1492. She was born in Africa and moved to America as an adult. She insisted on self-identifying as African-American despite the fact that many people told her that she had no right to do so. She claimed that she had more right than most to claim that identity because she, unlike most African-Americans, was actually born in Africa.

The problem with your friend's perspective is that she is taking a term that orginated among BLACK Americans of African Ancestry to describe themselves and twisting its intended meaning to serve some other agenda.

"African-American" was never intended simply to describe American residents who were born in Africa. The term was coined specifically to describe BLACK Americans of African ancestry, regardless of where they were born.

The irony that most black americans are physically detached from their mother continent, yet carry the label "African" is purposeful. I just love social engineering.

 

[chace1617]

Hey Chace, can I be your African-American "friend?"

If you help me meet Zac you can be even my Chinese ''friend'', i don't care

 

[kayman23]

My high school French teacher was a blonde-haired, green-eyed, light-skinned Algerian Jew whose family had been living in Algeria since 1492. She was born in Africa and moved to America as an adult. She insisted on self-identifying as African-American despite the fact that many people told her that she had no right to do so. She claimed that she had more right than most to claim that identity because she, unlike most African-Americans, was actually born in Africa.

My sentiments exactly. Too bad Unclean can't figure that one out...

 

[blackbeltninja]

^^As in from the Caucasus Mountains located in Azerbaijan, Russia and Georgia?

I object to African-American, frankly. I'm African; the bulk of you identifying as African-American are not. I'd think it's fair to say that after three generations, you should lose the African part if you aren't actually from here.

I can trace my heritage in the last few generations to Scotland, England, Ireland and at a push the Netherlands; but I'm damned if I'm going to insist on being called a European-African (assuming of all course that, like Africa, I can simply umbrella the entire continent as just one nationality) or any likewise hodgepodge of terms. PRoduce a passport of an African nation and I'll happily endorse your use of the term.

While I'm at it, you Italian/Irish/etc-Americans need to produce the passport of the hyphenated country as well, otherwise I think you'll find they'll just consider you as a, you know, plain ol' American. Bad luck.

-d-

 

[Deandbn]

Caucasian.

Hi Trav, yeah the americans used to call white americans caucasians until an indian who wanted american naturalization proved there are 3 types of caucasians. Asian Indian ones, Turkish / kurdish / Iranian / Iraqian arab ones, and aryan ones which were the white ones that old hitler liked so much. The americans changed their tune very quickly when they had to naturalize an asian indian because he was also a caucasian.

So I suppose that makes me an Aryan African, and Causcasian Americans will become Aryan Americans.

Hope this helps.

 

[chace1617]

god! can't believe my thread has already 3 pages and people are still arguing! you have way too much free time guys, i just needed a friend and you keep arguing and analyzing stuff, didn't you got bored of replying? there are way more interesting topics in the forum to check out!

 

[Deandbn]

Its all cos we want you as a friend. So when are you gonna make one or all of us your friend??

As I said, I am Aryan African. Does that appeal to you???

 

[chace1617]

Its all cos we want you as a friend. So when are you gonna make one or all of us your friend??

As I said, I am Aryan African. Does that appeal to you???

i have no idea what an Aryan African is but i am really interested in knowing you

 

[LilBit]

Sounds like your French teacher - constituting an N of 1 - was, as BGP said, serving her own agenda just to create controversy.

Well, that's what she does best. She enjoys stirring shit up. Sometimes she stirs up shit that shouldn't be stirred up. She doesn't have the best judgment.

Why didn't she simply describe herself as an Algerian American? Part of the reason descendants of black American slaves are called African Americans is that they do not have the luxury of using a more specific ethnic designation, such as Italian-American or Mexican-American.

Of course she could call herself an African American, but it should have been with an asterisk or some other qualifier (eg white, Jewish North-African American). It wouldn't be the only example of such qualifiers - Russian Jew, Scotch-Irish, Irish Catholic ...

She does identify as Algerian American. And French-American, Jewish, white, and lots of other identities. It's possible to embrace multiple identities simultaneously. (c.f. Tiger Woods and his "Caublasian" identity.)

 

[chace1617]

No - we just wanna see ur naked pics.

a lot of people do, only a few actually see them

 

[bankside]

Yes, I agree that there is a distinct African American culture in the United States, composed of those black people who are descendants of African slaves. And there is a telltale "blaccent" that I can certainly detect among even the most siddity negros trying to "class-up" themselves. They know who they are and I know them too.

In my black social and professional networking circles, I deal with these pretenders constantly.

To the extent that we deny and minmize our uniqueness, we seem to suggest that there is some shame or embarrassment in not being exactly like whites and asians. Black folks really are different, and Black Americans with slave ancestors are in a class by themselves.

Chile, when they let us out of hell they changed the locks!

Culture is not only what is, it is what ought to be. Black and white people do not need to be different, nor are they necessarily, though at times they may be.

If I might stick up for a friend of mine whose Caribbean ancestry goes back if you look far enough to India and Africa. His family moved to Winnipeg. My family moved to Winnipeg. We went to the same school, had the same circle of friends, have a lot of the same ideas about life. He isn't really different from anyone else in that room full of friends when we were growing up, and he is miles away from feeling like the black culture you are talking about is representative of him, though he will easily say he's black to anyone who asks.

I have no big issue with what you've said as long as it is clear that some black and white folks really are the same, and there should be no sense of shame or embarrassment either, for either him or me, that we have so much in common.

 

[chace1617]

Your mom and your gym coach don't count.

ew! why would i show my mom my naked pictures? that's gross...

is it something you're used to doing huh?

 

[Ram]

I want an Indian friend. Never had the pleasure of befriending one. Sue me.

Oh Oh Oh! Sir! Pick me, Sir! Me!

 

[chace1617]

You have absolutely no right to tell people they can't discuss things that have affected them throughout their lives, simply because this is your thread.

you have absolutely no right to tell me what i can and can't tell in my thread, if you don't know grammar and can't read it is your fault that you can't understand what i mean when i post something, use your brain and understand first my posts, otherwise if my thread annoys you don't read it at all

 

[Jayden]

 

[DJ1990]

So you want to get robbed?
JK

 

[blackbeltninja]

I know it's a difficult concept for some to grasp, the hyphenation.
(If they were African, they would call themselves Africans, not African Americans.)

But they're not African, so they should just call themselves American. QED.

My grandfather who was English became a naturalised American. Can I call myself American because my grandfather (whom I never even met) lived there for most of his life? Exactly.

Why?
And three generations seems pretty arbitrary. Why not two? Why not four or five?

Many countries will offer a passport and nationality to someone if one/both of their parents has citizenship of that country; very few will extend that as far back as a grandparent having citizenship (usually only through birth) there. That's three generations and, I think, a fairly good benchmark.

-d-