When you think of Africans

[Anonymous]

do you consider people from countries in north Africa (e.g. Morocco, Libya, Egypt, etc.) to be African?

Is is appropriate for Americans from north African countries to check off African American on a college application?

[Anonymous]

Yes to both, in my book.

[Anonymous]

Never really put much thought in it. No, I don't think of people in North Africa as African in the stereotypical sense.

[Anonymous]

Depends. Aren't some people descended from Africa and others are from Arabic??? countries so the former are darker and the latter are more olive toned?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:do you consider people from countries in north Africa (e.g. Morocco, Libya, Egypt, etc.) to be African?

Is is appropriate for Americans from north African countries to check off African American on a college application?

Yes. There on the continent of Africa, so they are Africans.

There are... interesting dynamics at play when people separate northern African countries from the rest of the continent.

[Anonymous]

African American is a term that applies to US blacks whose ancestors were brought over during slavery. We don't have a reliable way to trace our exact country of origin in Africa, so African America is a nod/tribute to our ancestors who toiled in the US.

African American does not apply to: African immigrants, Jamaicans, Haitians, Bahamians, white people from Africa, etc. It ONLY applies to US blacks whose ancestors were enslaved in the US.

To answer your questions:

"do you consider people from countries in north Africa (e.g. Morocco, Libya, Egypt, etc.) to be African?"

Yes, though it would be more accurate to identify them by their country rather than their continent of birth. (US citizens don't routinely say we're North Americans).

Is is appropriate for Americans from north African countries to check off African American on a college application?

Absolutely not. Neither should immigrants from any other African country check this option.

[Anonymous]

23:44 here with a typo correction-

Yes. They're on the continent of Africa, so they are Africans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:do you consider people from countries in north Africa (e.g. Morocco, Libya, Egypt, etc.) to be African?

Is is appropriate for Americans from north African countries to check off African American on a college application?

Yes. They're on the continent of Africa, so they are Africans.

There are... interesting dynamics at play when people separate northern African countries from the rest of the continent.

Oops, I didn't answer your second question. No, African American is an ethnic group with its own distinct meaning. If they consider themselves black (and I know N. Africans who do because they have African blood), then check black. But checking AA when you're not is just misclassifying your ethnicity.

[Anonymous]

My friends from Libya applied for African-american scholarships. They talked about the looks they got LOL.

[Anonymous]

Terresa Heinz Kerry got a lot of flak for self identifying as AA.

[Anonymous]

A lot of those forms say "Black or African American." In that case I would think that, say, a Ghanaian or a North African of a native African ethicity could check "yes" but an Arab Egyptian or white South African prob. shouldn't. I think those questions are trying to capture ppl who are African by race/ethnicity, not nationality.

I'm not black or AA but DH is West African and our kids will be "African American" or "Black" on their forms.

[Anonymous]

The boxes that are available are either black OR African American, you don't get a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The boxes that are available are either black OR African American, you don't get a choice.

I suppose they could check "other" but that's splitting hairs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:African American is a term that applies to US blacks whose ancestors were brought over during slavery. We don't have a reliable way to trace our exact country of origin in Africa, so African America is a nod/tribute to our ancestors who toiled in the US.

African American does not apply to: African immigrants, Jamaicans, Haitians, Bahamians, white people from Africa, etc. It ONLY applies to US blacks whose ancestors were enslaved in the US.

To answer your questions:

"do you consider people from countries in north Africa (e.g. Morocco, Libya, Egypt, etc.) to be African?"

Yes, though it would be more accurate to identify them by their country rather than their continent of birth. (US citizens don't routinely say we're North Americans).

Is is appropriate for Americans from north African countries to check off African American on a college application?

Absolutely not. Neither should immigrants from any other African country check this option.


Then what should they choose? Caucasian is not appropriate for some. There is no box for Arab and not all north Africans are Arab.

[Anonymous]

The more interesting question is, "Do they consider themselves African?"

It made my (African) husband C R A Z Y that Ethiopians generally don't identify as "African" but as "Ethiopian."

It's a fascinating dynamic, really.

Politically, some Libyans may identify as "African." I can't see Tunisians or non-Berber Moroccans doing the same thing. And, I'm kind of tickled when I think of their reactions should you ever pose the question directly.