deep
Blue Crack Addict
I knew my cable t v subscription would pay off, eventually
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/black.in.america/
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/black.in.america/
Personally, I always considered the term "African-American" (or indeed ANY prefix) to be extremely offensive. To remind a black person that his origins were in Africa and that his forefathers were brought to America in chains is more degrading and insulting than referring to him as black or a negro (which is the scientific classification).
You don't see a white person protest or get angry if someone calls him "Caucasion"(SP?), right? That's why I don't see why blacks should be offended if someone refers to them as Negros - which is what they are.
I don't think that there should be ANY prefix before the term American - because EVERYONE is an American - either by birth or naturalization and the origin doesn't matter. Just like I'm an Israeli and not a Canadian-Israeli (because I was born in Canada).
Am I making sense? I hope so. And I hope I haven't offended anyone.
All people just want to be treated with respect and dignity.
"mexican".
That's why I never call people "mexican". Its just so offensive.
I don't understand the original post - or the ones following it. Is there something wrong with the show? Sorry, I haven't seen it, and the link went to a brief description, but judging from the title and synapsis it's a documentary on black single mothers....is that bad - I don't follow. Also how did it lead to a "black" vs "african american" conversation?
I've also noticed that the term "african american" is generally only used in mixed or formal company. When people are just talking socially and comfortably I think the word "black" is used almost exclusively - by everyone - in front of each other.
Speaking from a South African perspective here, I personally feel that the "Black vs. African American" debate is a little bit...well, difficult to understand. Where I come from, the term African is not exclusively synonymous with the term Black.
Like the US, South Africa is a multi-racial country. Like the US, South Africa has had a long history of slavery, segregation and racial tension. Unlike the US, South Africans don't bat an eyelid if someone says "black." It is considered perfectly normal and acceptable by members of all races in SA to refer to one another as black, white, etc. These words are mostly used as descriptors, not as insults (SA's racially insulting terms are seldom based upon words that describe colour - k****r, for instance, is taken from an Arabic word that means "heathen.") There is no such thing as an African South African or a European South African anymore. We are all equally African, regardless of the amount of melanin we have in our skin. Usually, the only people who disagree with this are radical whites or radical blacks who have refused to accept the fact that South Africa has been a racially united country for the past fourteen years.
Anyway, the reason why I bring this up - aside from the discussion in this thread - is that I recently witnessed (via a YouTube comment) a black American telling a white South African that she was "more African" than he was, simply because she was black. The statement struck me as completely and utterly bizarre. You can only claim to be African if you were born and raised in Africa, or if you are a legal citizen of an African country. It would be like me telling a black British man that I am "more British" than he is, because my Great Great Great Great Grandpa was a white man from Essex and his Great Great Great Great Grandpa was a black man from Harare. Really, her statement made no sense whatsoever. I know her opinion isn't representative of the entire African American community, but it did bring me to this question - if I were to renounce my South African citizenship and become a US citizen, would I be thought of as an African American? Even though I am white? I really don't know.
Getting back to the main point now... I realise, of course, that the word "black" has negative connotations in the US that date back a long way. I avoid using the term around African Americans for this very reason, unless they indicate to me that they are okay with it. However, I sometimes wonder if all the worrying over its usage is actually worth it in this day and age, considering that it isn't really a big deal in certain African countries that have had similar (if not worse) racial conflict. I know it probably isn't my place to say that, and I really hope I haven't offended anyone by suggesting that it shouldn't be a taboo word...but I just thought I'd throw it out there.
I As I mentioned, it might be because (unlike in South Africa) "black" has been on occasion used in a perjorative sense. . .e.g. "get your black ass over here" or "these blacks are getting real uppity these days" or perhaps--and maybe I'm stretching here-the association with terms like "darkie".