Why "African American"....

[Steve Dii]

I just don't get it, why describe a black person in America as "African American"?! In my opinion, they should be referred to as Americans, period. As long as they possess all rights to be American nationals, then they are Americans.
I don't know, i could be wrong, but honestly, i find this kind of reference somewhat discriminative.

Could you advice me otherwise please.....

Thank you.

SteveD.

 

[Mahesabu]

= Tanzanian Of Asian Origin....!
=tanzanian Asian....................!
=african Asian........................?

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

I just don't get it, why describe a black person in America as "African American"?! In my opinion, they should be referred to as Americans, period. As long as they possess all rights to be American nationals, then they are Americans.
I don't know, i could be wrong, but honestly, i find this kind of reference somewhat discriminative.
Could you advice me otherwise please.....

Thank you.

SteveD.

Nah...you're just being overly sensitive...

 

[Haika]

Kipofu- asiyeona
kiziwi - asiyesikia
kiwete -
zeruzeru - albino

hata mimi sijui kwa nini watu wanakuwa 'overly sensititive' ukweli ndio huo na jina ndilo hilo.
kuna black american, african american, indian american, latin, oriental, irish, italian na kadhalika
ndio kizazi chao
wewe unataka uitweje (ukiwa huko usa)? american sawa, zaidi ya hapo lazima uonekano wako unafuatia baada ya utu wako.
just love yourself, and love others.

 

[Steve Dii]

Nah...you're just being overly sensitive...

Ngabu, I too do feel i could be over reacting about this issue, but when I don't hear the same description being applied to Americans originating from Europe it's when the double standard and discrimination impressions kicks in...

So why can't they directly refer to other Americans (not Natives) as often and expressively as how they do to Afro-Americans?!

SteveD.

 

[Haika]

Ngabu, I too do feel i could be over reacting about this issue, but when I don't hear the same description being applied to Americans originating from Europe it's when the double standard and discrimination impressions kicks in...

So why can't they directly refer to other Americans (not Natives) as often and expressively as how they do to Afro-Americans?!

SteveD.

because black americans culture failed to blend, same as latin and oriental.
they hold on to their identity they do not want to let go of their origin and history.

 

[IndianTanzanian]

I don't see discrimination especially considering it was Black Americans themselves who came up with the term "African-American" to show pride in their African roots. The same way I am showing pride in my Indian roots as a Tanzanian of Indian descent. Nothing wrong with it as long as everyone is allowed to do it. For example you can't deny Whites from showing their pride while others can, that's discrimination.

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

I just don't get it, why describe a black person in America as "African American"?! In my opinion, they should be referred to as Americans, period. As long as they possess all rights to be American nationals, then they are Americans.
I don't know, i could be wrong, but honestly, i find this kind of reference somewhat discriminative.

Could you advice me otherwise please.....

Thank you.

SteveD.

Wala hujakosea SteveD,

When I was doing my major in History we debated on this subject for hours on
end and truth be told, there is no point in calling these folks African-Americans.
Such a conotation sounds like these Americans of Negro decent barely made it
to become Americans and thats why they got tagged with these labels.

Kisha notice that it is mostly used amongst the minorites yet the caucasians
dont get labelled with titles like Italian Americans or English Americans...ushasikia
hio title bro?

This is something that started from Slavery when kids born out of a Caucasian
and Negro consumation was labelled as black..sababu ni kwamba they wanted
to deny them any inheritance of the slave masters.Flip that to the present century
the slave masters have been replaced by corporate America!

These folks are Americans period!...hio biashara nyengine ni maswala ya kujaza
makaburi!

P.S. Mbongo akishachukua uraia wa marekani ataitwaje?...on my part nikishaepua
buku nitakua mnyamwezi na hizi lebo za kihuni mi apan'taka!

 

[Kevo]

Its not dicriminative coz they owe their origins to Africa coz they have a partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry.That is why we have Brazilian Indians or Red Indians in the US yet it is not discriminatory.

 

[tgeofrey]

That Is Their Identnty They Have To Be Proud That I Am Black Man In Usa.

 

[Pundit]

How about an African who is not an American being presumed to be "African American"

Like a Tanzanain going about his business and being addressed as African American.

How can one be "African American" if one is not even American.

There is the assumption in America that every black person is "African American"

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Its not dicriminative coz they owe their origins to Africa coz they have a partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry.That is why we have Brazilian Indians or Red Indians in the US yet it is not discriminatory.

kevo,

Kwa taarifa yako, in as much as they have ancestry in Africa they don't know
a lick about what goes on in Africa ( a big number of them though) na pia
they think that being identified with Africa is deragotory.Mathalani tazama hua
wanenda vacation zao wapi?...either The Caribbean or Europe.If you suggest Africa wanakuambia some stuff hata utamani kuwachapa makofi na kuwarudisha darasani...eti sijui Africa njaa na magonjwa kibao!!!!

So why force them into a corner they don't wanna be in?That was merely a label and it has no affiliation to Africa whatsoever.
Sijui mwisho ulifika lini marekani ndugu? Si kwa ubaya, lakini hilo neno Red-Indians halitumiki tena humu na if anything it is regarded as deragotory na mtu anaweza kukupeleka mahakamani kwa kumuita Red-Indian.

To the average "African American", the notion of being identified with Africa is
tied to Romanticism and an unquenchable thirst for an identity with a utopic concept of African people being smarter than whites.Thats where it ends.If you dig deeper you simply will find ignorance that will baffle you!

My 50 cents!

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

How about an African who is not an American being presumed to be "African American"

Like a Tanzanain going about his business and being addressed as African American.

How can one be "African American" if one is not even American.

There is the assumption in America that every black person is "African American"

Bonge la swali Bw Pundit!...

hata katika interviews na surveys, kuna sehemu
utakuta under race the only option available for the negroid people ni
African American.I had an issue with my doctor nilipoenda for my physical na
nikawa nauliza sehemu ya kujaza maana I'm not an African American.If anything I belong to the Negroid race just like 'white folks' are called Caucasians.I dont know when and where they came up with a race called African American.Sehemu niliiacha blank!

 

[Kevo]

kevo,

Kwa taarifa yako, in as much as they have ancestry in Africa they don't know
a lick about what goes on in Africa ( a big number of them though) na pia
they think that being identified with Africa is deragotory.Mathalani tazama hua
wanenda vacation zao wapi?...either The Caribbean or Europe.If you suggest Africa wanakuambia some stuff hata utamani kuwachapa makofi na kuwarudisha darasani...eti sijui Africa njaa na magonjwa kibao!!!!

So why force them into a corner they don't wanna be in?That was merely a label and it has no affiliation to Africa whatsoever.
Sijui mwisho ulifika lini marekani ndugu? Si kwa ubaya, lakini hilo neno Red-Indians halitumiki tena humu na if anything it is regarded as deragotory na mtu anaweza kukupeleka mahakamani kwa kumuita Red-Indian.

To the average "African American", the notion of being identified with Africa is
tied to Romanticism and an unquenchable thirst for an identity with a utopic concept of African people being smarter than whites.Thats where it ends.If you dig deeper you simply will find ignorance that will baffle you!

My 50 cents!

They are all wannabes.ila wale niliokutana nao Sullivan Summit were damn proud of their origin.Actually my friend the last time I was there was when I completed my IB Diploma at Long Island that is two years ago actually I came across a lot of discrimination one time in a bus from some rednecks and again one time in an Indian Motel so refering to them as red indians is no big deal to me.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Ngabu, I too do feel i could be over reacting about this issue, but when I don't hear the same description being applied to Americans originating from Europe it's when the double standard and discrimination impressions kicks in...

So why can't they directly refer to other Americans (not Natives) as often and expressively as how they do to Afro-Americans?!

SteveD.

Reality is reality my friend. And when you live in a multicultural society as a member of a minority group, you can't avoid having a hyphenated label. Afterall, blacks in America want to be called African-Americans. They take pride (somewhat) in their ancestry. But I'm just curious as to why you singled out only African-Americans because black people in Brazil, for instance, are reffered to as Afro-Brazillians.....so why America and not Brazil?

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

They are all wannabes.ila wale niliokutana nao Sullivan Summit were damn proud of their origin.Actually my friend the last time I was there was when I copmleted my IB Diploma that is two years ago actually I came across a lot of discrimination one time in a bus from some rednecks and again one time in an Indian Motel so refering to them as red indians is no big issue to me.

Hahaha...umenichekesha na hio ishu ya rednecks ndani ya basi...ndivyo
walivyo.
Hio observation yako ya Sullivan ni kweli kabisa na jiulize kwa sababu gani.
Hio ni the last generation that had any meaningful relationship with Africa.
Hapo nd'o unakuta watu kama kina Jesse Jackson who grew up in the civil
rights era and when Africa was fighting to break off the bondages of colonialism.Kwa hivyo unaona kunyanyaswa kulikua pande zote mbili..ndiposa
that identification with our suffering brothers.
Hata hivyo hii generation ya bling bling..."watoto waliozaliwa katika nyumba za mabati na luku"...hawana lolote kuhusu Africa.Infact when you walk in their midst wanasema eti tunachuki nao na tunajiona kana kwamba sisi ni
zaidi...(I believe hii beef ilianza na waNigeria naswi tumetumbukizwa mumo
tu kwa vile tunatoka Africa).

In all reality, our Negroid brethren in the US need an extensive program of
re-education.If they wanna be called African American they need to embody the whole concept...kitanda na kunguni wake...kwa kauli tofauti!

 

[Kuhani]

If you suggest Africa wanakuambia some stuff hata utamani kuwachapa makofi na kuwarudisha darasani...eti sijui Africa njaa na magonjwa kibao!!!!

African Americans hawatembelei sana Africa (zaidi ya SA), lakini hakuna aliyewahi kunambia hawezi kutembelea Afrika kwa sababu ya njaa na magonjwa.

Lakini kwa vile wewe wamekwambia hivyo, nataka kujua ulijibu hivi. Hakuna njaa na magonjwa?

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Reality is reality my friend. And when you live in a multicultural society as a member of a minority group, you can't avoid having a hyphenated label. Afterall, blacks in America want to be called African-Americans. They take pride (somewhat) in their ancestry. But I'm just curious as to why you singled out only African-Americans because black people in Brazil, for instance, are reffered to as Afro-Brazillians.....so why America and not Brazil?

Nyani Ngabu...heshima yako.

You are bound to open another pandora box...mathalani hawa wahindi na
wazungu waliopo kwetu, why do we just call them Tanzanians or Kenyans
whatever the case maybe.I don't think we hyphenate them like they do in
the Americas..ndilo swali la SteveD...just call the people by the name of the Nation na sio hizi hyphenated titles....that borders on discrimination.

Kisha ukitaka mfano mwengine kando na huko America, hebu wabishie
wayahudi hapo kwao.Unajua kwamba wale Ethioppian-Jews( thats how they
are called) are highly discriminated against in Israel.They are not really
regarded as Jews like the rest of the Jews of Middle eastern or American/European Origin

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

African Americans hawatembelei sana Africa (zaidi ya SA), lakini hakuna aliyewahi kunambia hawezi kutembelea Afrika kwa sababu ya njaa na magonjwa.

Lakini kwa vile wewe wamekwambia hivyo, nataka kujua ulijibu hivi. Hakuna njaa na magonjwa?

Huo ndio ukweli. Kuna njaa na magonjwa kibao. Sasa sijui kwa nini watu wakisikia hivyo wanakasirika. Ukweli ni ukweli tu hata mtu ukasirikeje. Ndivyo Tulivyo! Damn it!!

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Nyani Ngabu...heshima yako.

You are bound to open another pandora box...mathalani hawa wahindi na
wazungu waliopo kwetu, why do we just call them Tanzanians or Kenyans
whatever the case maybe.I don't think we hyphenate them like they do in
the Americas..ndilo swali la SteveD...just call the people by the name of the Nation na sio hizi hyphenated titles....that borders on discrimination.

Kisha ukitaka mfano mwengine kando na huko America, hebu wabishie
wayahudi hapo kwao.Unajua kwamba wale Ethioppian-Jews( thats how they
are called) are highly discriminated against in Israel.They are not really
regarded as Jews like the rest of the Jews of Middle eastern or American/European Origin

Answer this question: who came up with the term African-American?