I am NOT African American...

[Famine]

.... so why do people trip over words anyway? You know that with "African American" they don't mean that you were born in Africa, or that you ever went to Africa to begin with. You could say "American people whose ancestors originated from Africa", but that is too long of a phrase to repeat each time, so African American will do to get the point across.

Though as TM points out, everybody's ancestors originated in Africa...

 

[TheCracker]

Though as TM points out, everybody's ancestors originated in Africa...

I bet Swift would'nt agree with that statement.

 

[Flerbizky]

My kids are "beige".

Come on Gil - "Beige" is SOOOOOO 1980s

(On a trip the other night, we actually passed a (real) Beige Porsche.. Why someone would choose that color for a 911 )

 

[Diego440]

And why do we use America to reffer to USA?

at last! I'm not the only one irked by that!

America is a continent, not a country!

 

[Famine]

Come on Gil - "Beige" is SOOOOOO 1980s

(On a trip the other night, we actually passed a (real) Beige Porsche.. Why someone would choose that color for a 911 )

It wasn't Jarama Beige Metallic, was it?

 

[Flerbizky]

It wasn't Jarama Beige Metallic, was it?

Nope - it was Seriously "Straight out of the eighties" "Beige".. poor friggin' 996

 

[Swift]

at last! I'm not the only one irked by that!

America is a continent, not a country!

Well, it's the "United States of America" I think that's spitting hairs.

Omnis, sorry, this wasn't from your post, it's something I've been thinking on. Though you post is along the same lines.

Diego, Thanks

Cracker, I'm not worried about original points of origin for the purposes of this thread. More about the way people refer to each other.

 

[Gabkicks]

i've never heard anyone called a european american before.

 

[Swift]

i've never heard anyone called a european american before.

yeah, they get to be specified by country. Italian American, German American and so on.

I'm a black guy. You can call me black, I won't report you to the NCAA

 

[TheCracker]

I think i'll start refering to myself as Gaul Anglo-Saxon

I'm a black guy. You can call me black, I won't report you to the NCAA

Would'nt you just prefere to be called a 'guy' - without the need for labeling? at the end of the day isn't a person's skin colour an obvious fact that has no need for identification?

 

[Swift]

See, my main point of the thread was that we need to get away from this political correct mess. I'm not sure where you live Cracker, but if you live in the USA then you're American. It doesn't matter what your heritage was for these purposes.

 

[livemusic]

I live in Brazil and I'm American too.

 

[TheCracker]

See, my main point of the thread was that we need to get away from this political correct mess. I'm not sure where you live Cracker, but if you live in the USA then you're American. It doesn't matter what your heritage was for these purposes.

I think that's what i'm saying isn't it?
At either end of the political correctness scale you've got 'African American' and then the 'N' word. What i'm saying is that using either term is just as bad and infact any labeling is un-necessary.

 

[Diego440]

thanks for noticing I was kidding... on a side note, I got many AIM and MSN messages saying I was sure to get banned.

 

[Swift]

I live in Brazil and I'm American too.

Perfect Example of ths lunacy that this politically correct mess brings around! 👍

I think that's what i'm saying isn't it?
At either end of the political correctness scale you've got 'African American' and then the 'N' word. What i'm saying is that using either term is just as bad and infact any labeling is un-necessary.

My bad, not used to your style of sarcasam.

thanks for noticing I was kidding... on a side note, I got many AIM and MSN messages saying I was sure to get banned.

For what you said in this thread or other threads?

 

[Danoff]

Swift,

Thanks for creating this thread. I think I speak for a lot of white people when I say, we just want to know how to indentify your skin color (in much the same way as people would identify hair or eye color), without offending you.

When someone says "what does he look like" I need to be able to say "he's got black hair, brown eyes, and he's black" without sounding like I care.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that skin color will always be an important physical trait for identification - and so white people need a non-offensive way to refer to it. That's why the term "african american" exists in the first place. I think "black" is a fair term since we use "white" without any derrogatory connotation.

Now, I only need to know one more thing before I start using the term black from now own... can you guarantee that no black people will be offended by the term "black"?

 

[Kylehnat]

Also, why do some people think that it's a crime to point out someone's ethnicity? One time, in a conversation with a friend, I said "so-and-so is Chinese" (meaning of Chinese descent) and they responded with "oh, you shouldn't say that--it's racist". Huh?

In a nation where we're supposed to celebrate our differences, some people go an awfully long way to convince themselves that we're all just "American", and that there are no distinguishing factors between us. Fact is, there are roughly 300,000,000 different kinds of "Americans", and that's part of what makes this country such a neat place.

 

[smellysocks12]

See, my main point of the thread was that we need to get away from this political correct mess. I'm not sure where you live Cracker, but if you live in the USA then you're American. It doesn't matter what your heritage was for these purposes.

THAT'S RACIST!!!!!!!

 

[Swift]

Swift,

Thanks for creating this thread.

You're welcome.

Now, I only need to know one more thing before I start using the term black from now own... can you guarantee that no black people will be offended by the term "black"?

Sure, but I know a good amount of white liberals that will.

 

[Diego440]

For what you said in this thread or other threads?

for suggesting Gin n' Juice to be a black anthem.

 

[?whygostraight?]

This whole politically correct thing makes me sick. Why do we have to throw an American on the end of ever race, but white? White people are from European decent, so why aren't they called European Americans?

 

[Flerbizky]

Sure, but I know a good amount of white liberals that will.

White people suck... (Though I don't like the term white - I'm more like.. ehhrrm.. Pink (ish))

I think.....

Nonetheless - Good call on the thread Swift !...

 

[Swift]

for suggesting Gin n' Juice to be a black anthem.

Oh...well who's say I'm not going to?

Just messin. As I know you were kidding...correct?

This whole politically correct thing makes me sick. Why do we have to throw an American on the end of ever race, but white? White people are from European decent, so why aren't they called European Americans?

Because that would sound as stupid as African Americans.

 

[Diego440]

Oh...well who's say I'm not going to?

Just messin. As I know you were kidding...correct?

correctomondo!

Notice my new avatar title... Sarcastic Existence... 👍

 

[Swift]

correctomondo!

Notice my new avatar title... Sarcastic Existence... 👍

heh heh.

Also, I said there WAS a time for the black national anthem. But that time is gone. But of course, there are black people that just love to live in the past and anytime they don't get what they "think" they deserve the blame it on racisim.

Nonetheless - Good call on the thread Swift !...

Thanks!

 

[?whygostraight?]

Haha yea Swift it would. I guess we should Go to Home Depot, and get color swatches. Then we can hand them out to everybody, and tell them to put down the color that matches the best.

 

[Swift]

Haha yea Swift it would. I guess we should Go to Home Depot, and get color swatches. Then we can hand them out to everybody, and tell them to put down the color that matches the best.

That would be a trip! You know how many people would pick mauve?!?

 

[?whygostraight?]

Hahaha. I think i would check desert sky.

 

[MrktMkr1986]

I'm a black American or an American of African decent. I'm not saying this like "African American" is a bad thing. Because it's not. I know a lot of African Americans, people born in Africa and moved here, and they're fine people. But I'm not an African American.

I'd rather just be called an American or Black American. My family was taken from Africa(why do we always say it like Africa is one country. ) at least 4 generations ago. We are American and proud to be. I do NOT disregard my heritage or anyone else's or their pride in it. As I believe it's important to understand ones history. But America is being divided by this stupid politically correct, Latin American, Asian American, African American garbage.

We are Americans. We don't need to draw lines(except for hereditary health problems). There was a time when blacks in America needed a national anthem. Something to pull them together and make them recognized by the government of that time. But that time has passed. The civil rights movement for the most part as mutated into a "You owe me because I'm *insert desired color here*). This is absurd and just hurting our nation.

I believe it is way past time for all American's to get past the color barrier and take responsibility for their own destiny.

Though I'm talking specifically about America here, I'm sure this situation is being experienced in other free nations around the world and I welcome their input as well.

Sorry I can't post more... very busy. Quick question, Anthony:

What would you consider me? :

Both of my parents and grandparents were born in Jamaica (I was born in the US). I get called "African-American" all the time and it doesn't really bother me despite the fact that there hasn't been a direct African link in the family for a VERY long time. Even my great-grandfather was white (born in Ireland)!

Why do many people say "Africa" as if it's one country? Not sure -- but I do know that the borders of African countries were drawn in 1884 at the Berlin Conference by a bunch of people who didn't stop to take into account the different tribes. Hence, none of the "countries" created by this conference conform to ethnic boundaries.

Wow, that took longer than expected... gotta go.

 

[Keef]

The reason most people refer to Africa as one country is because there is no obvious difference from one counrty to the other. They all have black people and lions, right? Plus, nobody can pronounce the names, if they've even heard of them. How many Americans do you think could point out where Upper Volta or Mauritania is? What about Swaziland? I always thought that was an amusement park in Australia.