<p>People have always asked me whether I preferred to be called Black or African-American. I personally don't mind either, but I've always questioned if these were accurate titles. </p>
<p>My AP History teacher said that she considered first-generation immigrants from Africa to the US as AA and anyone who is a second-generation or beyond would be Black. My response to this was, "If this is true, then why is a third-generation American citizen from China still considered Chinese-American?" No answer. lol</p>
<p>So my question is, do you think there is a definitive difference between being Black and being African-American? Also, take into consideration people who aren't directly from Africa, but from Caribbean islands...if they become American citizens are they AA or "island"-Americans?</p>
<p>This is an interesting topic. It was brought up in my Spanish class and I honestly didn’t care either way. I’ve always thought black to be more a skin tone thing then a heritage thing. I personally am a first generation African American because I was born in Ethiopia and migrated over, and I feel African American is what I am. But like I said either way I’m not perturbed.</p>
<p>I’m interested in this too. I never considered those from the Caribbean Islands. College apps say “African American” right?</p>
<p>Well, I don’t know but I’ve always taken “black” as simply a qualifier for what people think your race is. So no matter where you’re from, your race is <em>black</em> if you’re of African descent. You could be born in China but if you’re of African descent your race would be black, not Asian (not talking about those of mixed race, that’s a different story).</p>
<p>I was born in Jamaica and even though I’ve grown up in America, I don’t consider myself African-American. Personally, I’ve always considered that term more for blacks who have been in America for generations just because for the most part they aren’t able to pinpoint themselves to a specific country/culture. Just like some of my white friends who either don’t care where their ancestors come, don’t know or are a mix of many different cultures. Technically they’re European-Americans, but the problem is that labels like Asian-American or African-America are to differentiate/specify people from just plain “American”, who people have a bad habit of just thinking about as white, as if they don’t also descend from a different continent.</p>
<p>I don’t think race really exists but it’s a reality in terms of how people are labeled so I’m a black girl/woman, in this country. In Jamaica a label like that isn’t really necessary for me for the most part. I identify myself as black, Jamaican, African descent, West Indian but not African-American. But that could probably also be because I don’t consider myself very American other than some cultural influences.</p>
<p>Sorry if certain parts aren’t very coherent.</p>
<p>Edit: Oh, and on the Common App it says “Black or African American” (including Africa and Caribbean) and then you check off whether you’re from/identify with: US/African American, Africa, Caribbean or other. So they seem to share my sentiments of African American being more of a term for blacks who have been in America for at least a couple generations.</p>
<p>maybe i’m uncommon in that i struggle with this question. After all, I was bornn in Lagos,Nigeria-right?
So i’m Nigerian. But then, why is it that I feel awful every time we talk about slavery in my classes why do I get depressed over statistics of Black in America why do I defend African American interests at evety juncture?</p>
<p>But yet, I live in America seeing it through a foreigner’s outlook. I often say, “the americans this or the Americans that…” i have my own language/heritage/culture but at the same time</p>
<p>the words:african American come up and I gravitate towards that </p>
<p>I can’t make the distinction and its killing me…</p>
<p>@kalamari I understand what you’re saying…the only race that should exist is “human”, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Both of my parents were born in Jamaica, too, but I was born in America. I consider myself to be Jamaican-American and Black. But, African-American? Idk…</p>
<p>I think black is just easier to use. Just because someone is black doesn’t make them African-American. A friend of mine is from the UK and people call her African-American all the time and I just think it’s really funny. I remember watching a sports match and the commentator described someone as an “African American German”. lol Black is all-encompassing, you really can’t make a mistake when using it (unless you run into someone who is vehemently opposed to it).</p>
<p>@nil desperandum: I know exactly what you mean. How I look at it though, is that even though my ancestors are not African-American, I am black, just like any other black person in the United States and so the African-American story ultimately becomes part of me just because it doesn’t matter where you’re from when racism strikes. I feel solidarity with other black people no matter the place we come from because we are united through injustices and similar experiences in America.</p>
<p>You don’t have to make a distinction, okay? Whatever you identify yourself as is more important than what others might identify you as. You can be (African-)American because you live here and you can be Nigerian because you know that experience, and you can be both and anything in between!</p>
<p>@sgtpepper08: I definitely agree. It really doesn’t make sense especially when people use “African-American” for people who aren’t American in the least.</p>
<p>@Dnerd: My uncle doesn’t like the term black either and uses “African-descent” but I find it bit long to use casually. I don’t believe in race either and if I could wouldn’t want to be called black but it would also be kinda naiive to believe I won’t be labeled that in life, just by how the system here works.</p>
<p>I had once read something that stated that “African-American” is used particularly to describe the people whose ancestry was of African descent and were brought over to America as slaves. It’s apparently similar to the words “Afro-Caribbean” and “Afro-British”, which describe those whose ancestry was of African descent and were brought over to those locations respectively.</p>
<p>I used to prefer African American because I felt that when someone called me black it sounded harsh. Maybe it was because I was insecure about my skin tone… Then I thought about it and I don’t like the term African American either. It suggests culture and past and when I look into my ancestry I know that they were slaves. I know nothing more nothing less. Were the from Africa? Maybe. Were the from the Carribean? Who knows. African American constanly reminds me of the hardships in my family’s past.</p>
<p>Mirror image- if your ancestors were slaves hey had to be from Aftica- even the Carribeans were Africans.
Haitian are probably descended West African slaves-
which makes it funny b/c any African American could end up being if you traced our genetic histories from the same country as me.</p>
<p>Growing up i never considered myself “black” or african american, because my experience and that of my family was different than those of the african americans around me. so even if on forms im african american, and even if thats all people see based on my complexion, in truth im not african american.</p>
<p>@ nil desperandum I understand what your saying but I have no ties to Africa. Maybe genetically but as far as in today’s life and society none whatsoever.
Were you or your parents born in Africa? I’m assuming from what you said (correct me if I’m wrong) and you probably have African traditions and cultures that you know and/or practice. For me it’s not like that. American is all I’ve ever known. I’m not saying my people don’t come from Africa. Haha I know. I’m black. It’s just that I feel that I’m a black american, not african american.
I don’t detest the term African American I just prefer black because I think it suits me better.</p>
<p>Racial nomenclature is incredibly backwards. My best friend is of undiluted Irish descent, yet there’s not a person that would call him anything but white. Then here I am, born to American parents just as honestly as my friend, and society expects me to lay claim to a continent, an abstract I’ve never seen, I’ve never asked for, I’ve never fathomed a connection to. That’s hardly fair.
No one who’s been entranced by the accent of an African born American goddess would dare call her the same as a tight little hood chick with fresh weave or a Black girl that’s only such for demographic purposes. I say you’re only African American if you’re an immigrant.</p>
<p>I really don’t mind either, but for college applications and things like that, I kind of wish they would put “Black” instead of “African-American/Black.” I can’t even describe how hard I rolled my eyes when I first saw one of those “I’m a White American, but my White grandfather was born in Africa. Does that make me African-American?” post. Nationality wise, yea I guess you could consider yourself part African-American, but ethnically speaking, no you’re not Black!</p>
<p>In person, I’d say I am Black over African-American. The term is so cringe-worthy to me for some reason. If we’re going to go by this whole skin color thing, brown would be more accurate, but that’ll never happen.</p>
<p>Weird that I just found out this subforum existed and I’ve been on CC for nearly 3 years.</p>
<p>that is really interesting.
personally, my mom’s kenyan and my dad is malian and french, but i’m usually called “kenyan” by my friends…i was born here and everything, though.
I don’t really think much of the difference between african american and black, but I think aa is preferable?</p>
Whatever you identify yourself as is more important than what others might identify you as. You can be (African-)American because you live here and you can be Nigerian because you know that experience, and you can be both and anything in between!</p>