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Sat 27 Aug, 2016 10:50 pm
I´ve recently realized i find the term "African American" to be absurd and discriminatory and can´t understand why it is seen as the correct and non racist term to use nowadays. Let me explain: in my country several cultures and races have coexisted over the years and, as a consequence, different physical characteristics are present among the population. My father is red-haired and my sister and i have quite fair skin, light color eyes and sharp facial features ;my best friend, on the contrary, has black hair, dark skin and her facial features are quite round and full.... we have obviously different origins and heritage but i´m not a "northern european or "eastern european" or "northern italian" spaniard nor she is called "middle easter" spaniard or "mediterranean" spaniard or whatever you call it.... we are spaniards....
Black people should be referred about as an USA citizen when talking about their nationality and black people when talking about their physical appearance. First of all, because "american" could be apply to Canadian, Brazilian or Colombian people and "African" could be also used to name South Africa white people..... is Charlize Theron described as an African American woman too? I may be wrong about it being related to black people specifically
I don´t mean to offend or anything like it, i just want to know why the term has become of common use and if you consider it to be appropriate, whether your white, black or any shade of color in between.
It stems from a movement in the late sixties early seventies by radical groups like the Black Panthers to try to polarize themselves from the rest of American society. At first they were called colored and then negro but these radicals decided they wanted to be called Black and started adopting African first names for changing their surnames. Then as time went by black was considered an insult as well and they adopted Afro-American and now that is morphed into African American... it would appear as though they're having some type of identity crisis. But in actuality it's still a movement not to assimilate as other races in America have done but to stay separate in order to perpetuate the victim mentality.
@giujohn,
For a long time black people tried to assimilate and be perceived the same as white people in America, and realized that despite their efforts to conform they still wouldn't be looked at the same as white people. People can only assimilate if society allows them to. America was already polarized. The Black Panthers didn't try to polarize themselves. They embraced the difference they experienced all their lives instead of staying white America's doormat. as it were, I think black people in America probably
were having an identity crisis.
Quote:perpetuate the victim mentality
implying black people weren't victims
@perennialloner,
They were victims... But not anymore now they're victims of their own devices. As I have always said if they can't get past the fact that they're black then they can't expect anyone else to either. Other races have done it Asians Italians Irish Jews the list goes on and on.
@giujohn,
you're conflating the experiences of peoples with completely different histories in America
@momoends,
The reason we seldom hear the neutral "negro" is precisely that it began to sound "discriminatory"
@momoends,
As long as we have a textbook racist like Donald Trump running for the highest office with such huge support tells many of us that discrimination is still a fabric of this country. There's nothing wrong with the term African American as there is nothing wrong with Japanese American. None of us are willing to forsake our cultural background. It's who we are.
@cicerone imposter,
Get your money back for that text book your reading...but I suspect you may have wrote it
@giujohn,
Your diversion is infantile. Are you 8 years old? Really, it's a serious question.
@cicerone imposter,
It's not serious when you use terms like textbook when in fact you're basically stating your opinion or someone else's opinion that you heard
@momoends,
The worst thing about it is white American referring to black non Americans as African American. They're not bloody American.
For yearsI have gotten away with saying, simply, Black Americans, but African American is accurate and the term most accepted these days. It has to do with pride and attempting to rise above victim-hood. It is a push back at racists.
@edgarblythe,
My mother and father were born in Sicily... I was born here...I'm referred to as an American.
@giujohn,
Then why don't you act like one?
@edgarblythe,
Hahaha!
This laugh made my day seem much more bearable!
Thanks Edgar!
Black Americans are no less American than any other country of origin.
There is only one race... human.
@momoends,
I think your view of what it means to be Black in Spain is a little naive. Many Americans travelling to Spain find that racism (both overt and implicit) is a big problem in Spanish society.
I find it troubling that this thread appears to contain the opinions of a bunch of White people talking about what Black people should call themselves. Here is an interesting perspective from an African-American about the racism she experienced while traveling to Spain.
Quote:During my first few weeks, when I ordered food at a counter, a woman at the cashier smiled warmly and said, “Hola morena.” I smiled back and fumbled through my order. This was the first time of many I’d be called morena by random strangers on the street, or africana or negra, the latter of which I took offense to because it’s close to another ill-fated n-word I’d been told my name sounded like my entire life. Though I found out ultimately that morena and negra are considered terms of endearment for Black women, I knew from then that my experience in Spain would be different than what I had imagined.
Quote:Race manifested itself in both overt and insidious ways. People often stared at me wherever I went. I was followed several times while I shopped. The waiters often took long to provide service when I went out to dine, or completely forgot about me altogether. I lost a teaching job without being given any substantiated reason and feared race was the unspoken reason. People laughed when I explained I was Nigerian. A student once jeered at me when I wore a head wrap to class.
Other Nigerians and Africans were also treated differently in the streets. Many shared their stories of discrimination with me: being followed by police, asked repeatedly for their papers to prove they were legally allowed to reside there.
http://matadornetwork.com/life/im-black-woman-wanted-move-spain-years-heres-lasted-months/
In my experience, the United States does a much better job addressing racial issues than Spain does. This deosn't mean that we are perfect... but we are at least having the discussion. Spain still has a very long way to go even accepting the racism in Spanish society.
@edgarblythe,
Why don't you teach me your idea of how an American is supposed to act...I'm dieing to know.
@maxdancona,
maxdancona wrote:In my experience, the United States does a much better job addressing racial issues than Spain does. This deosn't mean that we are perfect... but we are at least having the discussion. Spain still has a very long way to go even accepting the racism in Spanish society.
The difficulties between the Castilians, Galicians, Basques and Catalans won't be solved soon.
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