Why do white people call Black Americans African Americans?

If I must explain it more easily I will. I was hoping that the knowing of my Way would make this understood but I suppose it is nuance.

We as human beings use words to describe what we experience. No matter what word that is it is only possible because of experience. When we know the word we use the word. Correct? African American, Asian American, Irish American, German American. All are words to describe what we experience. Yet all this experience means nothing, because it is only human experience. The Way is in both the knowing and the unknowing.

 

in short;
yes,
I don't know for sure, Google it, at least that's more or less how I remember it developing as I grew up, from "negro" to "colored" to "black" to "African American", and that's within my lifetime, and I think that in course, each term initially was adopted by the black community in America as a replacement for what had become a term(s) associated with racism, and we are now seeing that same cycle again with the term "African American".

This is another one of those things that "don't make sense" to many non-Americans simply because you do not live here and don't understand the unique cultural diversity that is present in America.
It's one of those things you kinda got to live to understand.

 

Seriously dude?

take it to the philosophy forums :mickey:

 

:frown:

Are you 150 years old?
I think along the way there was some 'white' influence.
Black people wouldn't have had the 'power' to alter forms where identifiers were placed, such as within education.

In 1997, the OMB issued “Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity.” In these new standards, two modifications included: 1) the Asian or Pacific Islander category was separated into two categories -- "Asian" and " Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander," and 2) the term "Hispanic" was changed to "Hispanic or Latino" (the term “Spanish Origin” may also be used in addition to Hispanic or Latino).
There are now five categories for data on race:
1) American Indian or Alaska Native
2) Asian
3) Black or African American
4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
5) White

http://www.ir.ufl.edu/OIRApps/ethnic_code_changes/info.html

Perhaps there was some pressure to change these identifiers to better reflect how black Americans identified themselves.

And many choose to identify themselves as that due to being disenfrachised for the best part of Americas history.

I think the vast majority of black people in America didn't have relatives that willing moved to America. So, to a degree, I agree that it is to: maintain a unique cultural identity.
After being shafted by, amongst others, the white man for centuries.

It does make some sense to me.
I do live in a multi-racial society where similar (but not the same, granted) changes have occurred.
Who do you think started the whole process off?
Americans?

 

I agree. Everybody knows 'Bird' is the word.

 

yup everybody know the "bird" is the word.

 

is it this bird that's the word?

 

the magic eye says so

 

I'm pretty sure there were several people in this thread that said the same thing you did. But that's not what I'm talking about.

Somewhere along the line "African American" became the PC term to call black Americans. Of course there are some real African Americans that want to hold on to their culture, but the vast majority of black people the term is used to identify have never been to Africa and they don't even know anyone who has. These people are Americans. Plain and simple. They do not have anything in common with Africans besides their skin tone.

I have noticed that on there has been a trend leading away from it. But still today if you see a white person trying to describe a black person, odds are they are gonna say African American. I think it has something to do with racial guilt and the way society wants to tiptoe around issues like this so to not offend anyone.

Racism will continue to exist till the day comes when we all look at skin color in the same manner that we look at eye color.
-Jimi Hendrix

That statement holds a lot of truth. But the people who fight racism don't seem to get it. They still want to put emphasis on race and continue to separate people accordingly. We are all American. The pigment of your skin doesn't change that.

 

not.

 

in America. ALL black people qualify as African American. It's used to Describe the color of their skin, not nationality.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDXPpfGAZrU"]MALCOLM X: We are Africans who were kidnapped and brought to America. - YouTube



hotwater :2thumbsup:

 

I stand corrected sir, forget about you blokes down under

 

I think this more or less supports what I said about the Black community being the main impetus for the changing terminology to refer to their particular status in America. It was the ideas put forth in this video that I remember being the impetus for the term "African-American", not some white cultural attempt at being "politically correct". He very clearly made the point of being Africans (descent) living in America, and that is where I believe it started in the mid-late sixties and by the '80's had become the accepted "correct" term.
But I guess a lot of you are too young to remember it.

Does that help any Odon?

 

No, but I do clearly remember eating in restaurants with "White Only" and Colored Only" sections, as well as on the bus, in the stores, (the one my mom went to had a checkout for colored only), etc., do you?

 

When I was growing up in Maryland in the 50's and 60's, the most common term used by white people was "colored people". Jews would call them "schwartzes". NAACP is "The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People", even to this day. But if you wanted to be correct, you said "Negroes", as opposed to "Caucasians".

In the 60's there was a transition to "blacks". "Black Power", for instance.

Much later, I think there was more guilt about slavery and emphasizing skin color, so it became "African Americans", to try to restore some pride in their heritage.

I find political correctness distasteful, so I still say "blacks". It's just the Golden Rule -- I don't mind being called "white".

 

I think the use of "African Americans" took root after the airing in 1977 of the TV mini-series "Roots", which was seen by a lot of people and had a positive influence on race relations.

 

Kidnapped my ass, They were the lowlife trash of Africa and were traded away as slaves and they brought them here.

Odon
Have you ever been to the US? Not a 'city' but a run of the mill state and town? I highly fucking doubt it. So you and you're 'high and mighty' talk does not mean shit to me.
I don't give a fuck what you call them, And I sure as hell am not going to change what they are called in my part of the world 'cause you don't like it'.

Its funny, They can throw up 'black power' as they please, But if it said 'white power', Ol al, Jesse and Osama would be on it like stink on shit. They still have a panther party, But you cant have klan party or rally or its 'racist'. There are fine lines a 'white' have to walk, But not of color.

Im glad we still have it in a way, Its called 'Right to refuse service' to anyone you don't like, Want around etc and nothing can be done.

 

because pretty much anything else is impolite. that is, for people of african ancestry in america. and there are no white people either, and pale skinned people in america don't all come from the caucasus either, so the logical thing to call so called white americans would be euro-americans. whereas american americans would be those who's ancestry was in the western hemisphere more then a thousand years ago. this would included all the indiginious people of north, south, and central america.

 

It's enlightening to see a real racist defending his opinion with no shame whatsoever. At least any blacks that come across him will know exactly where they stand. Some blacks have said that's better because barely or completely hidden racism can lead to disappointment when discovered.