Discussions About Being Bald > General Discussion
An Americanism
tomgallagher:
I refer to them as Black. I am never referred to as European-American but White.
BillOnBass:
--- Quote from: TGUSA on October 10, 2011, 05:26:25 PM ---I refer to them as Black. I am never referred to as European-American but White.
--- End quote ---
Ditto. If you're a citizen of the U.S. you should just be classified as American (unless you're dual citizen or something). No prefix.
Wouldn't you find it ignorant and maybe offensive if you were dark-skinned and born in Haiti, for example, and called African-American? How about if you were light-skinned and born in South Africa and referred to as European-American? What if you had Asian ancestry and were born right here in the U.S. and still called Asian-American? I'm all for people identifying with their ancestry, but I think racial qualifiers attached to the term American is uncalled for.
Racial semantics is a tricky subject. ???
Razor X:
--- Quote from: Chavster on October 10, 2011, 03:21:42 PM ---
As for my friend, I dont think he meant he was insulted by being referred to as African or American as such. I got the impression he was more insulted by the ignorance of the people he was talking to. They didnt seem to understand that people of colour (another term I hate, because we all have a colour) could be referred to as anything other than African American, which I find kind of dumb, because in my own living memory, I can think of lots of terms which have been used. Some respectful, others less so...
--- End quote ---
This is where political correctness leads us. Everyone is afraid of using the wrong term. And while some terms that have fallen from favor were clearly offensive, there are others that have been discontinued and I don't think anyone has a clue as to why. ???
And while it wouldn't have helped with your friend's example, I do wish that we on this side of the pond would just get into the habit of referring to ourselves as Americans and let it go at that. All these modifiers and hyphens serve no purpose but to divide people into different factions.
Razor X:
--- Quote from: BillOnBass on October 10, 2011, 06:08:14 PM ---[ I'm all for people identifying with their ancestry, but I think racial qualifiers attached to the term American is uncalled for.
Racial semantics is a tricky subject. ???
--- End quote ---
Looks like we both posted the same thought at the same time. Great minds and all that .... ;)
Mike:
When I hear the term African American to me it just means dark colored mutt.I had a teacher that was a proud Sudanese-American. Most of the 'real' African people I talk to, they refer to themselves as people from their country (Sudan, South Africa, Guinea, etc.). I just call them black and refer to myself as white, I prefer not to use caucasian because to me I think of the term in the way that caucasians are from the Caucas mountains which are mostly darker skinned anyway.
As for me, I am an American mutt. I am mostly German with some Scottish, Welsh, and flat out Brittish. My dad was 3/4 German, 1/4 Scottish and my mom was 1/4 Welsh, 1/4 Brittish, and 1/2 German. The funny thing is when folks see me they think I am more from Ukraine/eastern Europe.
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