When you think of Africans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't forget all of the internet scams, either.

In general, Blacks from other countries who got to immigrate here instead of being dragged in chains TOTALLY look down upon "African-Americans" and do not want to be associated with us in any way.

Well actually, YOU weren't dragged in chains to America either. Neither were your parents so let's not be laying claim to things we didn't have to endure.

You are DEFINITELY white. LOL...Why do you even care about this issue? You aren't black, you aren't African-American....and you aren't a factor in this discussion. Please note that the days of whites telling blacks what we're allowed to call ourselves are long over. You are about 60 years too late in the making.

I am black (Jamaican) and I agree with this poster. You were not dragged here in chains - stop obsessing about crap that happenned hundreds of years ago.

I did not make that comment, but that's not what the poster said. S/he said "Blacks from other countries who got to immigrate here instead of being dragged in chains". Where does she claim that she was dragged here? She's just making the distinction between those who came to the US voluntarily vs involuntarily. You and the pp read WAY too much into that person's statement.
self-identify as you please. But getting defensiveness and/or sulky helps no one.

Wow, I'm glad that at least one person got it. I wrote "dragged in chains" originally, OBVIOUSLY alluding to my ancestors. Most of you who have posted above are ignoring the spirit of what was written to nitpick...

Oh no you don't, you worded your post exactly how you wanted it to come across, as if you endured the chain dragging, you got caught and then got defensive.

Or that you should get some special status just bc your great great great grand mother was dragged in chains.

[Anonymous]

You last two posters sound really bitter and immature. You're still black....damn. Who the fuck gets mad over an invented term?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't forget all of the internet scams, either.

In general, Blacks from other countries who got to immigrate here instead of being dragged in chains TOTALLY look down upon "African-Americans" and do not want to be associated with us in any way.

Well actually, YOU weren't dragged in chains to America either. Neither were your parents so let's not be laying claim to things we didn't have to endure.

You are DEFINITELY white. LOL...Why do you even care about this issue? You aren't black, you aren't African-American....and you aren't a factor in this discussion. Please note that the days of whites telling blacks what we're allowed to call ourselves are long over. You are about 60 years too late in the making.

I am black (Jamaican) and I agree with this poster. You were not dragged here in chains - stop obsessing about crap that happenned hundreds of years ago.

I did not make that comment, but that's not what the poster said. S/he said "Blacks from other countries who got to immigrate here instead of being dragged in chains". Where does she claim that she was dragged here? She's just making the distinction between those who came to the US voluntarily vs involuntarily. You and the pp read WAY too much into that person's statement.
self-identify as you please. But getting defensiveness and/or sulky helps no one.

Wow, I'm glad that at least one person got it. I wrote "dragged in chains" originally, OBVIOUSLY alluding to my ancestors. Most of you who have posted above are ignoring the spirit of what was written to nitpick...

Oh no you don't, you worded your post exactly how you wanted it to come across, as if you endured the chain dragging, you got caught and then got defensive.

LOL you are insane. Yeah, I go around imagining I was dragged in chains...

BTW I have no opinion about who self-identifies as African-American, I just have observed that the Blacks I know whose ANCESTORS weren't dragged in chains tend to eschew being associated with those of us whose ANCESTORS did not have a choice in coming to America.

ANCESTORS. Not me personally. Got it?

[Anonymous]

Can we stop with the chain-dragging debate? I want to get back to the question of where it says or what authority there is that black Americans whose African ancestors came from the Caribbean are not African American. I've seen that sentiment repeated several times on this thread as if it is the gospel truth, but no one has said where that particular definition comes from.

[Anonymous]

You are DEFINITELY white. LOL...Why do you even care about this issue? You aren't black, you aren't African-American....and you aren't a factor in this discussion. Please note that the days of whites telling blacks what we're allowed to call ourselves are long over. You are about 60 years too late in the making.

NP here - but it appears the only person who is telling others what they call themselves is you. You have a problen with 2nd or 3rd generation descendants of African immigrants referring to themselves as African American. Or rather, you say, "well, they can self-identify as AA, but that's not the correct usage of the term."

The only problem is, the "authority" (not that I consider Wikipedia an authority on anything, but you brought it up) directly contradicts your statement: "African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans or Afro-Americans, and formerly as American Negroes) are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa."

So now you've resorted to dismissing other posters' statements with, "You must be white so your opinion doesn't matter." The lack of intellectual integrity is stunning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we stop with the chain-dragging debate? I want to get back to the question of where it says or what authority there is that black Americans whose African ancestors came from the Caribbean are not African American. I've seen that sentiment repeated several times on this thread as if it is the gospel truth, but no one has said where that particular definition comes from.

I think someone provided a link to a wikipedia entry in a previous poster. The whole idea is crazy.

- A pround AA woman (whose parents were born in Jamaica)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we stop with the chain-dragging debate? I want to get back to the question of where it says or what authority there is that black Americans whose African ancestors came from the Caribbean are not African American. I've seen that sentiment repeated several times on this thread as if it is the gospel truth, but no one has said where that particular definition comes from.

I think someone provided a link to a wikipedia entry in a previous poster. The whole idea is crazy.

- A pround AA woman (whose parents were born in Jamaica)

Yes, I read the wikipedia definition - it actually said that AA is a US citizen/resident with at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa. So by that definition, Obama is AA, I am AA (Bahamian ancestry) and you are AA. But there has been a lot of insistence that this is not the case, so I want to know what the source of that insistence is.

[Anonymous]

Fine, I'll just call everyone black, because who knows whose ancestor is what.

Dumbest stuff ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You are DEFINITELY white. LOL...Why do you even care about this issue? You aren't black, you aren't African-American....and you aren't a factor in this discussion. Please note that the days of whites telling blacks what we're allowed to call ourselves are long over. You are about 60 years too late in the making.

NP here - but it appears the only person who is telling others what they call themselves is you. You have a problen with 2nd or 3rd generation descendants of African immigrants referring to themselves as African American. Or rather, you say, "well, they can self-identify as AA, but that's not the correct usage of the term."

The only problem is, the "authority" (not that I consider Wikipedia an authority on anything, but you brought it up) directly contradicts your statement: "African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans or Afro-Americans, and formerly as American Negroes) are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa."

So now you've resorted to dismissing other posters' statements with, "You must be white so your opinion doesn't matter." The lack of intellectual integrity is stunning.

I'm simply providing the definition. Don't blame me if you don't like this definition. It is what it is.

I'm EXTREMELY proud of my ancestors and the way in which they persevered in the US. I honor them by calling myself African American. So, while I don't begrudge anyone the right to call themselves African American, I don't get why they would even need/want to. Doesn't make any sense at all.

What's even more ironic is that most African/Caribbean immigrants don't want to be called AAs and recognize that they aren't. The only ones bent out of shape are folks who were misguided in their Black American identity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we stop with the chain-dragging debate? I want to get back to the question of where it says or what authority there is that black Americans whose African ancestors came from the Caribbean are not African American. I've seen that sentiment repeated several times on this thread as if it is the gospel truth, but no one has said where that particular definition comes from.

I think someone provided a link to a wikipedia entry in a previous poster. The whole idea is crazy.

- A pround AA woman (whose parents were born in Jamaica)

Yes, I read the wikipedia definition - it actually said that AA is a US citizen/resident with at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa. So by that definition, Obama is AA, I am AA (Bahamian ancestry) and you are AA. But there has been a lot of insistence that this is not the case, so I want to know what the source of that insistence is.

Doesn't matter what anyone says. You two will persist with your AA declarations. Have at it. And while you're at it, READ some scholarly articles and actually learn the history of the term if you're going to label yourself with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fine, I'll just call everyone black, because who knows whose ancestor is what.

Dumbest stuff ever.

That's what you should do anyway. I don't walk around calling all white people Irish and/or Europe-American.

[Anonymous]

For those still confused about the AA thing, wander over to CityData's Politic forum sometime. Search the forum for threads dealing with the definition of AA.

EDUCATE yourselves. Or don't and be bitter.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fine, I'll just call everyone black, because who knows whose ancestor is what.

Dumbest stuff ever.

Do you feel the same way about folks calling themselves Irish-Americans, Italian-American, Chinese-Americans, Korean-Americans, etc?

[Anonymous]

People will always associate and group all Blacks together. In this country everyone gets grouped as African Americans. It is not something you can avoid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You are DEFINITELY white. LOL...Why do you even care about this issue? You aren't black, you aren't African-American....and you aren't a factor in this discussion. Please note that the days of whites telling blacks what we're allowed to call ourselves are long over. You are about 60 years too late in the making.

NP here - but it appears the only person who is telling others what they call themselves is you. You have a problen with 2nd or 3rd generation descendants of African immigrants referring to themselves as African American. Or rather, you say, "well, they can self-identify as AA, but that's not the correct usage of the term."

The only problem is, the "authority" (not that I consider Wikipedia an authority on anything, but you brought it up) directly contradicts your statement: "African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans or Afro-Americans, and formerly as American Negroes) are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa."

So now you've resorted to dismissing other posters' statements with, "You must be white so your opinion doesn't matter." The lack of intellectual integrity is stunning.

hear here!.