Why are black americans called african americans srs

[steeler505]

why not just black americans? how many 'african' americans have even been to africa

[IPoopStandingUp]

It's probably best not to call them anything, because even if you use the correct term, in ten years that term could be considered racist, and if someone can prove you said it you could get fired.

[Vitaly0]

In on rep trading thread

[spacecowb0y]

Call me American

[steeler505]

tru dat OP. if i was black and somebody called me African, i would be offended. Africa is viewed as a poor area and if you've never been to Africa, why would you want to be called African? and aren't there black people who came from places other than Africa?

we don't call white people European Americans. nor do we say African Canadians..... it's a twisted term.

would make sense if your dad came over from nigeria and banged an american, then you're actually african american

otherwise you're just an american, with black skin

america race relations are weird af

[terrorgunt]

Do cucked American liberals call blacks in Europe 'African Americans'?

Lmao

[ParsleyTea]

I believe it was a term that Jesse Jackson came up with.

[x-trainer ben]

why not just black americans? how many 'african' americans have even been to africa

google is our friend


Most of us became familiar with the ethnonym African American in the 1980s, when Jesse Jackson began popularizing it as an alternative to black. (An ethnonym is a name by which an ethnic or racial group is known.) But the term is much older than that: recently, I found an example dating back to the earliest days of the American republic.

The Oxford English Dictionary traced its documented occurrences of “African American” back as far as 1835. (The related term “Afro-American,” which enjoyed a brief popularity in the 1960s, has an 1831 citation in the OED.) But last April, I did a routine search for the phrase in America’s Historical Newspapers, the Readex company’s very powerful database of early US papers, and was surprised to be led to a 1782 sermon published in Philadelphia. The sermon, whose only known surviving copy is at Harvard’s Houghton Library, was titled “A Sermon on the Capture of Lord Cornwallis.” The title page of the pamphlet includes the byline “By an African American.”

[steeler505]

google is our friend


Most of us became familiar with the ethnonym African American in the 1980s, when Jesse Jackson began popularizing it as an alternative to black. (An ethnonym is a name by which an ethnic or racial group is known.) But the term is much older than that: recently, I found an example dating back to the earliest days of the American republic.

The Oxford English Dictionary traced its documented occurrences of “African American” back as far as 1835. (The related term “Afro-American,” which enjoyed a brief popularity in the 1960s, has an 1831 citation in the OED.) But last April, I did a routine search for the phrase in America’s Historical Newspapers, the Readex company’s very powerful database of early US papers, and was surprised to be led to a 1782 sermon published in Philadelphia. The sermon, whose only known surviving copy is at Harvard’s Houghton Library, was titled “A Sermon on the Capture of Lord Cornwallis.” The title page of the pamphlet includes the byline “By an African American.”

A few pseudo-intellectuals used the word and now black people are african by default?

[steeler505]

what do we call asian americans who have never been to Asia then? are they yellow americans?

I'd call them americans but what do I know

[x-trainer ben]

A few pseudo-intellectuals used the word and now black people are african by default?

Or from the link posted, it was popularized in the 1960's...... and then Jesse Jackson made it more popular 40 years ago.
Something tells me if they did a 23 and me TEST they would mostly be "AFRICAN BY DEFAULT"

[cptamerica59]

why not just black americans? how many 'african' americans have even been to africa

The same reason i'm called a Scottish, Irish, Italian, Spanish, Native American American. Because I wanna be speccccialllllll.

[x-trainer ben]

OP lets turn this question around to other groups also.
Why are Caucasians, Asian, Latin American, Native Americans, and others called their labels by the US Census bureau, GO!

[Maestro]

I don't know anyone IRL offended by the term "black american" or black. Thats a media meme telling people what they think we're supposedly offended by.

In college I knew a white guy who was African American (from south africa), so it really doesn't make sense to call a black person born and raised in America, African American.

[Caeculus]

If you read Vaca's account of the Narvaez expedition in ~1527 there were already "african americans" here and living with natives so I dont think anyone knows anything about history

[Beast92]

If you read Vaca's account of the Narvaez expedition in ~1527 there were already "african americans" here and living with natives so I dont think anyone knows anything about history

this never happened

[Atrnmike]

If anything calling all black americans "african american" seems kind of racist to me, just gonna assume all black people are from africa? nah brah

[Caeculus]

this never happened

Read it. They encountered black natives and also natives that already spoke spanish which was suppsed to be impossible since they were the second spanish expedition to ever reach the modern day continental US. Historians explain away the natives speaking spanish as having somehow learned it from unknown shipwrecked pirates but I feel thats some BS.

[Rexcalibr]

I never say "African American" and always describe as "black" but I've actually had this discussion with some of them who hate being called that and try to argue they "aren't African" which, Imo is false, they still are to an extent, and the woman of course got all pissy and bitchy about it so I didn't even bother going into further discussion with her. It's like someone who's of Mexican heritage trying to argue they "aren't Mexican" because they weren't born in Mexico.

[JoshSP1985]

To be honest associating black Americans with africa is probably subconsciously demoralizing. Hell callling them black and not just American period is a problem.

[IllyrianSteel]

To be honest associating black Americans with africa is probably subconsciously demoralizing. Hell callling them black and not just American period is a problem.

No it's not, people have ethnicities and races they associate with. It's an integral part of identity, and a genetic reality. You can call them American, and they are American, but they've always been a minority different from the majority because they're a different race and always had an alternative culture of their own. No need to sugarcoat and ignore it when it's in everyone's face. They're Americans, but they're also Black.

[WABeast]

I don't know anyone IRL offended by the term "black american" or black. Thats a media meme telling people what they think we're supposedly offended by.

In college I knew a white guy who was African American (from south africa), so it really doesn't make sense to call a black person born and raised in America, African American.

Knew a few South Africans too. I go out of my way to say they are African American and lol @ peoples reactions.

[pengh]

Black girl i was friends with told me she hates that name. Something about she's never met an African in her life...... honestly thought about this stuff when I was in 2nd grade. Like why are they called African but we (whites) aren't European.... then i heard KRS 1 rap about it. We are Americans. It's fuking stupid. The whole race column in general is stupid. Cops shoot stupid people. Cops shoot people that resist and act aggressive. Nothing to do with being black or white.

[SwagMorris]

Too many syllables. I always just say blak peepo

[SwagMorris]

I never say "African American" and always describe as "black" but I've actually had this discussion with some of them who hate being called that and try to argue they "aren't African" which, Imo is false, they still are to an extent, and the woman of course got all pissy and bitchy about it so I didn't even bother going into further discussion with her. It's like someone who's of Mexican heritage trying to argue they "aren't Mexican" because they weren't born in Mexico.

Location: Ontario, Canada

[Wh1teDyn0mite]

It is odd,

I don't know anyone of black origin (my relatives and friends included who call themselves Jamaican British or African British)

Even 1st generation Ghanians i know with British passports claim British.

[Muzzlrpress]

You sound like a ******* if you say African American irl.

Was pissed at one girl I used to work with who refused to say black and would only say African American. Was an annoying, super liberal type.

[GaryRidgway]

I always just say "black" infront of my black frineds. They don't care

[Abzu]

I've tried to educate this forum multiple times on this but it never seems to stick

Stop calling Black Americans Africans Dave, there are only 2 million Africans in America.

Is it illegal to record? If it isn't why should he stop for this nice lady? Saying I'll do what I want and you won't like it could mean just calling the police or even better, uploading the confrontation, reverse the blast she tried to fire on him, get her fired and make her apologize lol.

Did Mr. Cooper immigrate from Africa or was he born in America? If he was born in America that makes him an American, not an African-American. Trevor Noah is an African-American.

You see 0 racism but believe that the man was lying in wait to record an unsuspecting not-racist? For financial gain at that? LOL...LMAO...please stop

[Bigdumogre]

My friend would get mad when they said that to him because he was not african he was Jamaican.