NEW ALBUM DROPS JUNE 5TH AFROPUNKATIERS
... the other Black experience
Why are we called african american?, Why Are we caled black? were brown
In the late 1980’s it was settled that African American was the best term for “blacks”. I’m a “black” but I don’t get how I’m African American. I’m American, I was born here so were my parents. Ancestors however I’m not sure? Say they were slaves from Africa..I was still born in America. Isn’t that one way how you become an American? Whats really crazy is a “black” person born in the UK is still at times call a African American? What? Their not even from America. The term is just switched up so much.
Thats why I just say I’m American. The term “black” doesn’t fit any human in this world. We should be called if any color brown. We are different shades of brown. “Brown American” has a ring to it? But that’s what we really are. Does the term “white” fit too? Everyone is a “colored” Right?
A white, yellow or “brown” man and their parents are born in Africa so they are African. No way around that. But say that white man comes to America with a white woman also a African and they have children. What are his children then? They should be what we are called right? But no its not like that.
Whites aren’t called European-Americans? On test at school when we have to mark our race (which is so silly…why does that even matter) the only option for whites is “white”, while “browns” have “black/African American”
I just don’t get how other humans can say what people are and it settled. while it doesn’t apply to all.
African-American vs. American-- youtube.
Please leave any feedback.
-Thanks Travarus.
Thats why I just say I’m American. The term “black” doesn’t fit any human in this world. We should be called if any color brown. We are different shades of brown. “Brown American” has a ring to it? But that’s what we really are. Does the term “white” fit too? Everyone is a “colored” Right?
A white, yellow or “brown” man and their parents are born in Africa so they are African. No way around that. But say that white man comes to America with a white woman also a African and they have children. What are his children then? They should be what we are called right? But no its not like that.
Whites aren’t called European-Americans? On test at school when we have to mark our race (which is so silly…why does that even matter) the only option for whites is “white”, while “browns” have “black/African American”
I just don’t get how other humans can say what people are and it settled. while it doesn’t apply to all.
African-American vs. American-- youtube.
Please leave any feedback.
-Thanks Travarus.
Tags: Are, Why, african, american?, are, black?, brown, caled, called, we, More…
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Wheredawhitewomenat on -
kifaru said:
Good vid.
I honestly can't see why people get offended when blacks in a America refer to themeselves as African. I was having a conversation with a dude from nigerian and he didn't seem to care.
What about the africans who refer to themselves as black? I thought only black (by U.S. standards) referred to blacks who were descendants about the trans-atlantic slave trade. So should I get pissed off at the Nigerians around here? Some blacks do. "They think they're better than us cuz they weren't slaves" ...Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit.
Look, there was a lot of unecessary hostility in some of these posts. I swear, only someone with deep seeded emotional issues would get pissed at someone in a dashiki or a "proud nubian princess" t-shirt. White folks do the same, thing. I know one dude who thinks he's Irish (Just because you rock a fat guy hat and drink Guinness that doesn't make you Irish)
I saw a documentary where Henry Louis Gates where visited a group of Nubians in Africa. "People where I'm from use the word Nubian all the time is that ok with you?" ...The nubians weren't offended at all. Now do those nubians speak for all Sudanese people? Uh...no. Just like a couple Boers or Afrikans or whatever don't speak for every white dude in Africa. Christ...
Call yourself whatever you want...I honestly don't think there any wrong answers in this topic. Heck, you think about race and ethnicity for too long, your head will hurt (No, really it will). Ha, I think I saw something on 60mins where this brotha from North Africa wanted to get "White" taken off of his Visa.
"Only spoiled American kids can say that they don't feel very American"
Oh, I'm spoiled because I have a lot of shit that I don't need and I'm not willing to share it with anyone? fuck you...You're probably from Oklahoma.
And I hate Filipinos because this one chick turned me down multiple times. And then I was all, "I hate Filipinos cuz they stink". And she was all "I'm filipino and I don't stink" and I was all like "You can't smell yourself".
Later losers...
-
Permalink Reply by Madamoiselle De Sade on -
I believe it was the other way around. The first reaction was for the Afro-centrics to get mad at anyone for NOT being Afro centric. How dare someone from Mother Africa not be an Afro centric? How dare any one with black skin not declare themselves African? And how dare a black person call themselves American? It's weird how "afrocentricity" pretty much protects the interests of people who like to keep America white.
Everyone can do as they like, just chill with the "mother Africa" stuff because that is not what defines us. Don't get huffy at a black who prefers to be a black American rather than African American. And don't get huffy or feel like your blackness is threatened by those who do not see themselves as African which is exactly what happened in this thread.
I hit a nerve. You are spoiled and short sighted. If you don't "feel very American" try and pull your spoiled rich American shit in some other country.
And are you honestly saying you've never heard of the tensions between African immigrants and the blacks from the slave trade? How many black people were you raised around because I heard the ignorance from *both*sides all my life.
From Africans calling us "impure" and viewing us just as badly as whites view us (like cockroaches) and bringing up slavery like it was OUR choice and therefore a detraction from our "African stock" to "plain ol' blacks" being ignorant asses to African immigrants every which way. I've heard it all. It's all stupid and it's all in fighting designed to hinder progress.
Wheredawhitewomenat said:I honestly can't see why people get offended when blacks in a America refer to themeselves as African. I was having a conversation with a dude from nigerian and he didn't seem to care.
What about the africans who refer to themselves as black? I thought only black (by U.S. standards) referred to blacks who were descendants about the trans-atlantic slave trade. So should I get pissed off at the Nigerians around here? Some blacks do. "They think they're better than us cuz they weren't slaves" ...Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit.
Look, there was a lot of unecessary hostility in some of these posts. I swear, only someone with deep seeded emotional issues would get pissed at someone in a dashiki or a "proud nubian princess" t-shirt. White folks do the same, thing. I know one dude who thinks he's Irish (Just because you rock a fat guy hat and drink Guinness that doesn't make you Irish)
I saw a documentary where Henry Louis Gates where visited a group of Nubians in Africa. "People where I'm from use the word Nubian all the time is that ok with you?" ...The nubians weren't offended at all. Now do those nubians speak for all Sudanese people? Uh...no. Just like a couple Boers or Afrikans or whatever don't speak for every white dude in Africa. Christ...
Call yourself whatever you want...I honestly don't think there any wrong answers in this topic. Heck, you think about race and ethnicity for too long, your head will hurt (No, really it will). Ha, I think I saw something on 60mins where this brotha from North Africa wanted to get "White" taken off of his Visa.
"Only spoiled American kids can say that they don't feel very American"
Oh, I'm spoiled because I have a lot of shit that I don't need and I'm not willing to share it with anyone? fuck you...You're probably from Oklahoma.
And I hate Filipinos because this one chick turned me down multiple times. And then I was all, "I hate Filipinos cuz they stink". And she was all "I'm filipino and I don't stink" and I was all like "You can't smell yourself".
Later losers...
-
Permalink Reply by Wheredawhitewomenat on
-
"You are spoiled and short sighted. If you don't "feel very American" try and pull your spoiled rich American shit in some other country."
Can I bring my Che Guevara t-shirt, iPod and Platinum card with me?
"And are you honestly saying you've never heard of the tensions between African immigrants and the blacks from the slave trade?"
Wow, is that what I posted? Allow me to elaborate. A friend of mine saw me having a conversation with a immigrant from Nigeria (He was ranting about Ann Coulter and wouldn't stop lol). "Why are you talking to them you know they think they're better than us?". "Oh really, why is that?" "
"THEY think they're better than us cuz they weren't slaves"
He said that as if every African immigrant looks down every descendant of the slave trade. And I know for a fact that that is not true.
Now lemme get outta here before you start ranting about Satya Sai Baba NAG Champa incense and stuff...
-
Permalink Reply by roxy stardust on -
there are a lot of really good responses to this topic and i'm enjoying reading the debates...
my only 2 cents is this...
just to put it out there... i'm actually against labels and separatism... i think its the government's way of breaking us down into a million different categories so we're easily governed and so scapegoats of every kind are within reach... but i do still think that it's important to understand who we are as individuals as long as it doesn't cause us to wanna separate or distance ourselves from those who are different than us because i believe that that truly weakens us as a whole...
anyway, i consider myself half african american and half central american because my father's side of the family is from boston and my mom's side is from Belize... but personally, the term "black" makes more sense universally... i have a black friend from panama who always gets upset when people call her african american... sure NOW she's an american citizen and her roots are in africa, but she was born and raised in panama and therefor understands different struggles than what we know as the descendants of those africans who landed in america...
ultimately everyone is allowed to call themselves whatever they want... but as a whole i don't think it's fair to categorize every person with black skin and living in america as african american... because, like it was stated by LesYpersound (i think): not all black people are african and not all africans are black...
and just a thought... would a person with a black parent and white parent break their label down even more as to not disrespect any ancestry? would they be and afro-italian-american? an african-irish-american? let's see how many hyphens we can squeeze into one person... a german-afro-cuban-american?
-
Permalink Reply by Sheila E. on -
I share a similar perspective that you do. I live in Canada and when blacks from the U.S visit I call them American. Obviously, term African American refers to the fact that your ancestors came from Africa among other things. But realistically culturally you are not African. I've gotten into debates with people about this. Often people think I mad for my point of view. I see black Americans as American period.
I often say jokingly Charlize Theorn is my favourite African American actress and she is.That is her nationality, African American and she is of course white too. I understand "whiteness" as privilege that is all. The privilege being not having to be labeled, judged or questioned. Conversely, "blackness" is life under a microscope, being constantly judged, and interrogated for not being black or black enough. Simply, being black or white is an experience.
These racial categories only exist to control people, what benefits they will have or what they will be denied. Once you categorize or define something you can decide how you are going to treat it or react to it. That's why I'm bothered by the ideal of being black what does it mean? I can name a millions steretypes detailed by comic of BETs comic view or any American movie or TV show yet non of these apply to me. I truly cannot connect w/ any of them. And that is because I live in the cold north aka Canada.
To me, "black" is another meaningless label that does not define me. I'd rather say I'm African Canadian, more so as my nationality that the actual color of my skin. I have South African friends who are not white or black but call themselves African Canadian too.I was born in Africa but raised in Canada. So I have values from both cultures which I accept.
I think people should identify themselves based on their nationality and ethnicity versus the color of their skin. I've met Haitians, Cubans, Dominicans and West Indians who have the same skin as I do, but culturally we are not the same. In this day and age, the only thing we share in common is the experience of racism, discrimination and being under surveillance. That is all.
DISCLAIMER: This does not mean I don't think I'm "black " I'm very aware of the melanin in my skin. However, I strongly believe that being black does not define who I am, emotionally, mentally, spiritually or intellectually.
-
Permalink Reply by Fashionfreak on -
imo black can mean anything, it can mean you're from africa, america, west indies, south america, even europe.
but how are you african american if you are from say france? WTF???
-
Permalink Reply by Kendrick Irvin on -
Thank you! I've tried to say this, but apparently people dont listen to me. lol
Juicyincouture said:imo black can mean anything, it can mean you're from africa, america, west indies, south america, even europe.
but how are you african american if you are from say france? WTF???
-
Permalink Reply by Madamoiselle De Sade on
-
No one said "every". But it does exist so don't act like it doesn't.
Wheredawhitewomenat said:"You are spoiled and short sighted. If you don't "feel very American" try and pull your spoiled rich American shit in some other country."
Can I bring my Che Guevara t-shirt, iPod and Platinum card with me?
"And are you honestly saying you've never heard of the tensions between African immigrants and the blacks from the slave trade?"
Wow, is that what I posted? Allow me to elaborate. A friend of mine saw me having a conversation with a immigrant from Nigeria (He was ranting about Ann Coulter and wouldn't stop lol). "Why are you talking to them you know they think they're better than us?". "Oh really, why is that?" "
"THEY think they're better than us cuz they weren't slaves"
He said that as if every African immigrant looks down every descendant of the slave trade. And I know for a fact that that is not true.
Now lemme get outta here before you start ranting about Satya Sai Baba NAG Champa incense and stuff...
-
Permalink Reply by chelles on -
fuck jesse jackson. he doesn't give a fuck about anything or anybody that doesn't keep him in the limelight or make his pockets fatter. that lying mother fucker. oh! yeah. Black, brown, black american...those are fine by me.
NpyHedBlkChld said:well i look at it as this...my heritage is african and black seminole which are seminole natives and escaped and free africans. I was born in american so that would make me american. African americans are indeed african by heritage and american by nationality (that means by chance). Jesse jackson and other prominent civil rights folks of yesteryear came together and decided on african american. in the past "black", "negro", "darky", the n word were all insults adjectives that were used as nouns. African American is a much better term because it is a modified noun which gives much respect to the reality that we are African by heritage and american in terms of the nation where we live at.
Personally i only answer to the term african...i do not and will not refer to myself as an american because with respect to my fellow people of african descent and various other groups stateside and worldwide america simply does not live up to the ideals that it likes to boast about.
-
Permalink Reply by roxy stardust on
-
i know someone who was a part of the civil rights movement... a very prominent person... he would tell me stories about how scandalous everyone around martin luther king jr was... including jesse jackson... everyone wanted to be the one to be remembered... everyone wanted to be "the voice" of the movement.... he said he wanted to write a book about it, but wanted it published after he died... that's how fucked up the behind the scenes ppl were... so, yes... fuck jesse jackson and his pseudo-revolutionary ideals
-
Permalink Reply by chelles on
-
for sure. gotta love his tale of cradling MLK in his arms when he died. lying bastard
roxy stardust said:i know someone who was a part of the civil rights movement... a very prominent person... he would tell me stories about how scandalous everyone around martin luther king jr was... including jesse jackson... everyone wanted to be the one to be remembered... everyone wanted to be "the voice" of the movement.... he said he wanted to write a book about it, but wanted it published after he died... that's how fucked up the behind the scenes ppl were... so, yes... fuck jesse jackson and his pseudo-revolutionary ideals
-
Permalink Reply by Kendrick Irvin on
-
I'm glad to see that there are people wh despise Jesse Jackson like I do!
We Need Your Feedback!
Dopeness
From The Community
Afro-Punk Merchandise
Irradio
Latest Activity
∑∉∅∲ replied to Ken E-fat's discussion 'Methods of Modern Mind-Lock'
Discussion posted by ∑∉∅∲
© 2012 Created by Matthew.
Powered by 
.
