"African American"?

It just stuck me walking home today, isn't it a little weird that it's considered a sort of cultural taboo to call somebody not in africa african or black, yet we call whites whites, asians asians, and white's european. not european american, asian american, australian american or anything like that. i suppose it's some sort of lingering reminder of slavery and all that, but it seems like with slavery and racism mostly gone we shouldn't be yelled at for saying african or black....

It's just another question that can only be answered by................... 118!!!!!!!!1

Hahahaaaaaaa joking

You can call them blacks in Europe. Because in Europe, they're not American :)

true, and in europe they barely ever had slavery (or rather, barely had slavery only for africans)

It just stuck me walking home today, isn't it a little weird that it's considered a sort of cultural taboo to call somebody not in africa african or black, yet we call whites whites, asians asians, and white's european. not european american, asian american, australian american or anything like that. i suppose it's some sort of lingering reminder of slavery and all that, but it seems like with slavery and racism mostly gone we shouldn't be yelled at for saying african or black....

snowyfleury

I don't consider the term "black" to describe someone's race as something offensive. My black friends have never been offended by it either. Actually they think African American is a pretty stupid politically correct term that shouldn't really be used.

Everybody i know says black people

I personally think it is an improper term. There are white people from Africa. Vandalvideo

Yeah, I agree. I always get confused which part though:P

North or South

[QUOTE="Vandalvideo"]I personally think it is an improper term. There are white people from Africa. Snipes_2

Yeah, I agree. I always get confused which part though:P

North or South

well generally Caucasian also refers to ppl from Europe. And I have heard Asian American before.Ontain

"african american" is a stupid term. unless the person is from africa, living in america, then they aren't an african american. i'm not a european american, i'm just a white american, and black people born in america are just black americans.

It's funny how some people want to be called African American and they are not from Africa. I've talked with several people that are from Africa and they hate black Americans and they fact they want to be called African Americans. I myself was born in Germany, but if I want to call myself German American I would be called a Nazi. WTF!?

I prefer the term "Black". African American sounds tacky to me.

Like I said before, any individual has the right to be called whatever they want.

People need to stop acting a whole ethnicity uses groupthink. I've met blacks that take offense to being called African-american because they're weren't born in Africa ; I've also met blacks that take offense to the term black because their skin color isn't black.

If you're friends with a black person, chances are they don't care too much about what you call them, because they know you mean no harm in it. When you don't have many black friends or don't interact with blacks often you start asking stupid questions about race relations and etc.

Like I said before, any individual has the right to be called whatever they want.

the_new_guy_92

Like I said before, any individual has the right to be called whatever they want.

People need to stop acting a whole ethnicity uses groupthink. I've met blacks that take offense to being called African-american because they're weren't born in Africa ; I've also met blacks that take offense to the term black because their skin color isn't black.

If you're friends with a black person, chances are they don't care too much about what you call them, because they know you mean no harm in it. When you don't have many black friends or don't interact with blacks often you start asking stupid questions about race relations and etc.

None of the blacks I know (including myself) have a problem with being called black

Most black people I know don't like the term "african american". Most of them have no fmaily or cultural ties to africa so prefer to be called black.

[QUOTE="the_new_guy_92"]

Like I said before, any individual has the right to be called whatever they want.

needled24-7

You can demand that, but just as you have the right to do so. Other people have the right to call you whatever they want.

That why I think these threads are ridiculous. If you meet a black person and they take offense to you calling them black, why complain about it on the Internet? Tell them to their face you think calling them ________ is ridiculous, and you have the right to call them whatever you want.

Just hope you don't get the senses knocked out of you.

I say European American, Asian American, or African American.

I'll just call them by their names or i'll say black...

I hate PC terms that don't appear to make any sense....

"african american" is a stupid term. unless the person is from africa, living in america, then they aren't an african american. i'm not a european american, i'm just a white american, and black people born in america are just black americans.

needled24-7

This

It's rather funny that they are called "African Americans" in Fallout 3, as there is no America anymore. If I recall Asians are just called Asians and Caucasians called Caucasians.

I grew up in South Africa, and you know what the funniest thing in the world was?

When "African Americans" came to visit "The Motherland" so that they can get in touch with their African brothers, and they have NO CLUE as to anything about true African culture (Tribes etc).

I am white, and I am more African than most African Americans I have met. It makes me PMSL everytime black Americans come to Africa to experience their "true herritage". You are American. You are not from Africa. Just because my great-great-great grandparents were from Netherlands does NOT associate me with that country AT ALL.

There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism.

I 100% agree with Theodore Roosevelt here.