Date: 8/14/2004 5:24:00 PM
From Authorid: 55386
African-American is a race, a color, that's it. Not the way you act, nothing. No matter where you are brought up, it's only a type of color, nothing more, that rarely means anything, just as 'caucasian' means barely anything.  |
Date: 8/14/2004 6:26:00 PM
From Authorid: 6473
The term African-American is meant to describe people whose ancestors (or themselves) come from Africa. Just because your skin is white does not mean you cannot be called an african american. Everyone always wants to fit the color of someones skin into an issue that has nothing to do with color at all.  |
Date: 8/14/2004 6:27:00 PM
From Authorid: 5886
I suppose it counts. Africa & America are places, just because one is from Africa doesn't mean they must be black. I know some Egyptians who call themselves African-American (since Egypt is in Africa) and they're racially Arab.  |
Date: 8/14/2004 6:59:00 PM
From Authorid: 62424
nope...although she was born and raised there the term "African American" is just another way for saying "black decendant" I would know lol....if a black person was born and raised in Asia...wouldnt it be so odd to call them Asian?  |
Date: 8/14/2004 7:06:00 PM
From Authorid: 31255
to me, you can call yourself whatever you want to call yourself. It's all a bunch of labels anyway. Maybe this world will be better when we stop defining people by labels and start just seeing them as individuals, but that's probably too much to ask.  |
Date: 8/14/2004 7:31:00 PM
From Authorid: 47618
African American has come to usually refer to those of black descent, but I don't see why we shouldn't consider her African-American. Technically she was from Africa. We've just gotten so caught up in color it's sickening. And that radio ad is sickening in a way. I know some "white" African-Americans and NONE of them were rich people raised in Africa surrounded by servants. People just stirring up the hate.  |
Date: 8/14/2004 7:43:00 PM
From Authorid: 57726
............. If she's from Africa, why not??? Isn't it more of a thing about hwere they come from and not their color???  |
Date: 8/14/2004 8:05:00 PM
From Authorid: 6867
Well, I'm black...not African American. I say that because I am not 100% sure that I am a descendent of African slaves. I mean, what if I am Haitian or something crazy like that? lol, you never know, seriously. Technically, people like Charlize Theron and Dave Matthews are African Americans....I think they are both from S. Africa(I might be wrong) But, I guess most blacks would have a prob w/them walking around saying they are A.A. because everyone is so used to it being identified with the "black" race. Heh, just like white ppl are a big mixture of all kinds of crazy things; german, irish, etc., us black folks don't realize that we are a mixture of alot of crazy things like cuban, haitian, puerto rican, etc. Just rambling...I'm bored.  |
Date: 8/14/2004 8:16:00 PM
From Authorid: 17081
Why not just call herself American. Why put the African part on it.  |
Date: 8/14/2004 9:23:00 PM
From Authorid: 47296
Legally, a white person living in America, who is of African descent, does have a right ot call themselves African-American. The reason I say legally is because there have been several cases that I know of where caucasions have filled out job applications for state or federal jobs and put down that they were African-American. In at least two of those cases, the government questioned the people on their claim, and both responded that although they were white, they were descendents of families with a long African history. The government accepted their arguement as technically true.  |
Date: 8/14/2004 9:50:00 PM
From Authorid: 18928
people have the right to call themselves anything they want  |
Date: 8/14/2004 10:00:00 PM
From Authorid: 15228
I think that Americans should stick with calling themselves Americans with no hyphens, no matter where they are from. Since we do have to have labels, I suppose THK has as much right as anyone to call herself African-American since she was actually born there and has more of a connection to the place than your average black person. If I tried to hyphenate myself it would become very long. On the census form I write in "none of your business" in the 'other' box. Or I could put; Irish-German-Native-American(much easier when it was simply Indian) and some Jewish background thrown in for good measure-English-and Lord only knows what else-American.  |
Date: 8/14/2004 10:11:00 PM
From Authorid: 36704
African-Americans are supposed to be classified as a person whose ancestors were brought to America as slaves. People who move here nowadays from Africa are not African Americans but the country they are from is usually placed in front of American, like Algerian-American so technically no I don't think she would be considered African-American as it's actually defined, but who really cares, it's kind of a petty thing for people to get upset about.  |
Date: 8/14/2004 10:27:00 PM
From Authorid: 22308
no, i don't think so because they are not of African descent, even though they live on the continent. my aunt and uncle are missionaries over there and they don't call themselves that!  |
Date: 8/15/2004 3:42:00 AM
From Authorid: 46530
erm, call me stupid if you like, but doesn't her being born in Africa make her african. Where does the american come into it. I am Welsh, but live in england. I dont call myself a welsh englishman. I am just welsh. She is just african.  |
Date: 8/15/2004 9:03:00 AM
From Authorid: 47218
such a phrase usually conjurs up images of people whose ancestors were indigenous to the continent (and generally black), as that is the meaning it has been given in our society. Anyhow, shouldn't Mrs. Kerry call herself just plain "African," since she is an actual native of Africa? I'm just thinking,for instance, if someone migrates from Germany, then they refer themselves as "German," or from Ireland, then "Irish." It's their kids who are born in the states that take on the identity "German American" or "Irish American." I also think it depends on how much you identify with the culture where you are born. Like, someone who was born on the American military base in Germany wouldn't refer to themselves as "German" just because they were born there and resided there for a while.  |
Date: 8/15/2004 9:10:00 AM
From Authorid: 18527
I don't see why not. I guess that makes me Filipino-American because I was born on Mindanao  |
Date: 8/15/2004 11:47:00 AM
From Authorid: 42792
I think because of where we live; we can call ourselves whatever we want. I think she looks more like a corpse but if she calling herself an African American then so be it.  |
Date: 8/15/2004 12:02:00 PM
From Authorid: 56063
If she was born there she is african american  |
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Date: 8/15/2004 12:54:00 PM
From Authorid: 61410
African American is somebody who came here from America and is a legal citizan of the U.S. |
Date: 8/15/2004 4:25:00 PM
From Authorid: 51070
If they're from Africa and come to America, why not?  |
Date: 8/15/2004 8:47:00 PM
From Authorid: 19460
well if she is an American from Africa, who cares what color she is? That would be like if I was born in Mexico but became a US citizen, even tho I am white, I would still consider myself Mexican American.  |
Date: 8/15/2004 9:57:00 PM
From Authorid: 25756
I don't think so.  |
Date: 8/16/2004 10:08:00 AM
From Authorid: 62675
Yes!! I had a socialogy professor who was as white as canm be but was from Africa. Technically the black people here who have never lived in Africa and are generations and generations removed should NOT be able to use that title. Just like I do not use that I am German American because I am not from germany.  |
Date: 8/16/2004 10:57:00 AM
From Authorid: 25828
i guess they have the right. but they know the context in which that phrase is used..so i would have to wonder at their motives.  |
Date: 8/16/2004 1:05:00 PM
From Authorid: 13119
I think she has more right to use it than someone who has been living in America for generations and generations and is using it as a crutch. Everyone who was born in America is AMERICAN, not African-American, not Indo-American not Japanese-American JUST PLAIN AMERICAN!!!! If she was born there and raised there then she is African. If she has a dual citizenship then she is African-American.  |
Date: 8/16/2004 5:12:00 PM
From Authorid: 1225
I think it has more to do with your ancestry than your color. Not all African-Americans are black, conversely not all black Americans are African-American. I would prefer dispensing with titles like that: Afican-American, Asian-American, Latin-American, Mexiacan-American, etc. Shouldn't it suffice that a person is American without adding racial or ethnic qualifiers? Or how about something meor general which could be used throught the world: human. I suggest that everyone replace any racial or ethnic qualifiers like "African", "Mexican", etc. with the word "human" at least for a week. See how it can change you outlook on the country or the world. My name Andrew and I'm a Human-American.  |
Date: 8/16/2004 7:36:00 PM
From Authorid: 8817
yes she is. If that is where u were born and raised and your family is then yes. My family moved to america so am i not american? I am who cares what the color of my skin is  |
Date: 8/17/2004 5:26:00 PM
From Authorid: 57225
she's from africa.. and she's american.. so why not  |
Date: 8/17/2004 6:08:00 PM
From Authorid: 4144
i don't think it matters what we call ourselves. we are all people. i've never understood all that black-white-asian-mexican stuff. we are people with arms and legs and heads. they may all look different but i bet if you slice us all open we all look the same inside. sounds kinda gross i know but...........! my great grandparents were both half cherokee so i guess that makes me an indian??  |
Date: 8/17/2004 8:32:00 PM
From Authorid: 22080
shes african american, no argument  |
Date: 8/19/2004 7:25:00 AM
From Authorid: 2030
I would say teresa kerry is more African American than Jesse Jackson by the definition of the term. Africa is not an all black country and anyone born there would most certainly be an African American. Black Americans born in the US are in reality NOT African Americans.  |
Date: 8/21/2004 3:39:00 PM
From Authorid: 12084
Well there are Mexican Americans, Irish Americans, Scotish Americans. So I think a White born bred and raised african, can become an american citizen, and then have the right to say he or she were an African American.  |
Date: 8/26/2004 3:51:00 AM
From Authorid: 30229
I agree with BCAR here...  |
Date: 8/26/2004 4:40:00 PM
From Authorid: 30786
I think she does, because as far as I have ever known, it is not because you are black that you are African American, it is that you are from Africa and then moved to America, or vice versa. I don't think that the term shouldn't be applied to someone simply because they have a certain kind of upbringing. If you are from Africa, why not call yourself African? If an Asian person, for example, is born in Canada, are they not called Canadian?  |
Date: 9/17/2004 7:05:00 PM
From Authorid: 34476
Yes, if their ancestors or they are from Africa.  |
Date: 9/17/2004 7:59:00 PM
From Authorid: 12341
"Mixed" and people of color rarely need to be titled. Some just want more notice than others. And some don't feel the need. I still remember when my grandson was just about three and he looked at the white and darker skinned babies long and hard before he picked one close to his color. And I have yellow hair, according to him, and he has black, how SIMPLE is that? Same as skin, it's just a color, but some have to label and there is where the definition begins between people. He's my baby, and the US census required I "label" him and myself, and I don't really know why, other than to number us as being of different race, living in the same household. But someone gets a "good job" just for doing that, and someone else gets another job for adding up all the numbers and so on and so and so...  |
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Date: 9/17/2004 8:03:00 PM
From Authorid: 12341
And Bcar made a really good point. Seems like the country one is born would define residency, and not skin color. |
Date: 2/5/2005 2:39:00 PM
From Authorid: 12709
Um, that's really strange that she would call herself that. I was under the assumption that "African American" was the technical term for "black"... The same way "Caucasian" is the technical term for "white". But, okay... lol  |
9130 Category:(Debate) Created:(8/14/2004 5:20:00 PM)