Student not 'black' enough to be African-American

The term African-American never sat right with me, and it's uncomfortable to even say it. Why is someone African-American just because their skin is black? A professor of mine once asked her class what race she was. Someone said "African-American" and she asked how he could possibly know if she was from Africa or not. She was from the Carribean, and the point was well made.

So this Omaha boy enters a contest to win the "Distinguished African American" award at his school and gets booted. It's ironic that he was suspended when he was likely the ONLY African-American there - straight outta Africa.

If I trace back far enough- I'm African, too. Aren't we all? If you were born in the USA along with your parents and grand parents and great grand parents, doesn't that make you American? Doesn't simply being a citizen of America make you American? Doesn't American mean a mix and a meld of people going back to how this country was founded? Do we really need to distinguish every single type of ancestry when we say American?

Political correctness is losing the 'correct' and becoming way too 'political.'

Sincerely,

African-Scottish-Irish-English-AmericanIndian-American Me

So, he's from Africa, and now he's American... but he's not African American?

But we're supposed to call people here who weren't born in Africa, African Americans?

Well that kinda blows open the whole thing, doesn't it? African American is just another racist term. Politically Correct, for retards, but still part of racist ideology.

Maybe this is why a lot of people still use the term Black. It makes no sense to call Americans African Americans.

We have to call people 'people.'

[edit on 18-10-2004 by taibunsuu]

It's just another high school kid trying to be witty and get noticed...Personally, I find it amusing - and at the same time, disturbing....the reaction of the school officials I believe was overly harsh and an unfocused attack...

The kids is African and he is American, but to be technical he's an American from South Africa...whether or not this qualifies him for any awards, I'm not aware of...

Race, ethnicity, origin....all are words we use to desrcibe our skin tone, heritage and culture...When they become befuddled in politics and bureaucracy, they begin to become meanignless cues for social deviance....

Maybe I don't get out enough, but I don't remember this from January. Is World Net Daily trying to get people angry over race?

There was a thread on this a long time ago I myself can not help but wonder how someone who is 10 generations removed from Africa can be called African but some one born IN Africa can not.

My Family is from Scotland but I am NOT SCOTTISH AMERICAN, I am an just AMERICAN.

I am Cherokee, and I despise being called Native American much
to the chagrin of others. I simply believe, if you are born in America,
you are American. I hear all of this stuff about what country someones
ancestors come from, blah, blah, blah. It doesn't matter what your
bloodline is or what country your great great grandma came from,
if YOU are born here in the US, you are American. Get over it folks.
ZOOMER

This whole racism thingy is stupid. Alot of the aborigines that I've know, refer to white people as "white fellas", and dark skinned people as "black fellas"... so tell me, how is that being racist? Shock! Horror! He called that person with almost black skin, a.... BLACK FELLA!!! Shock! Horror! In general conversation you call an aborigine an "abo", because it's shorter and easier to say. Does that mean I should be offended by anyone who calls me an "aussie" or as americans pronounce it "ossie" instead of Australian ? Should a british man take someone to court because they call him a pom instead of British? Or an American a yank? Or a Lebonese a lebo?

Ok so in the past terms such as "Abo" where used as derogatory comments, but in the most part, terms such as "Abo" are merely slang, and not meant to connotate bad feelings towards a specific race. The only word I can think of that still that it's original racist meaning is "'n-word'"...but again. if you are a "non-white" referring to another "non-white" as 'n-word', it's acceptable. If you are white and call someone 'n-word', shame on you...

My spin is:

My family comes from Croatia.

If I, in the future, decide to move to Japan, after 7 years , I can become a Japanese citizen. I am no longer "American", but Japanese. I will always be Croatian no matter where I live, that's my blood. So I agree with the fact that the student claimed a right for the contest.

peace

I think most have a valid point here, but I would definitely question the intentions of the the individual who was put up for the award.

Was he politically aware enough to take a stance, or was he just trying to be awkward. In a school that has such a vast majority of white students he seemed to choose a strange place to put his point forward.

As long as we continue to hilight the colour of a persons skin as a way of categorizing, we will have racism.

Whichever politically correct term you choose to use, at the end of the day, you are differentiating by colour and race.

It will be a great day when we no longer have to have specific awards for specific colours or races.



[edit on 19-10-2004 by Koka]

I refuse to use the term "african american" to describe anyone not born in africa. I call black americans............................... AMERICANS
I am so sick of the poitically correct bs its not even funny.
unless you were born in Africa you are not african-american you are AMERICAN

Face it, the message here is, that if you want to claim to be "African American" you HAVE TO BE BLACK.

How racist is that?

Why not Black-American then?

I'm just loving this. This kid is just showing us how ridiculous we have become. PC gone too far.

Why not say screw Political COrrectness and jsut say we are american. I have gotten in trouble here at school many times during ethinticity studies when you have to trace you roots and find out what you are. I refuse to do this because i am nothing more then just American. Yes its good to be conscience of your past, because thats the key to the future. I was born here, many patriots paid too high of a price for me to not claim this as my home and be proud of just being an american.

This kid might have just wanted to be witty adn get attention but it has risen a good point. He is an African American but people form the NAACP dont want him to be considered one because it would hinder there plans for racial profiling. I am sure they cringed when they heard this because they knew the kid was right and this is a small attack on the legs of affirmative action. This whole thing gets me pissed off. Why cant we all just be equal. Thats what this country was sposed to be its taken us 200+ years to get this close and were being ignorant and not wanting to do it. Its kinda ironc the people who were soo against racism are the ones preaching it now but they dont care cause there are tryin to put down the people who put down there grandparents or great grandparents. THIS IS BS

K my two cents... i personally believe you should keep track of your heretage and remember where your roots are. Especially in the new world where you run into danger being homogenized into one "super culture".

In my eyes the natives are americans, everyone else is whater it is you are when you come from wherever it is you come from but in the end you call call yourself whatever you want.

Whe i meet an american i ask him firstly where he is from and the where he is REALLY from (ie his roots) and thats usually the most interesting part of the conversation.

Here's an idea....


Don't separate out awards, requirements, schools, scholarships, etc. based on race, and then there wouldn't be an issue..

All could compete for such things equally...

It's a case of various races wanting their cake but to eat it too....

Personally, I think the whole thing is rather hysterical...

IMHO racial terms such as Afro-American, African-American, black or white do more to WIDDEN the racial barrier.
Isn't it a kind of segregation?
There is no equality when certain groups have to have special programmes for them to have the SAME opportunities as everyone else.

get rid of the labels, forget about the color.

BTW i was born & raised in England and I have US citizenship (duel nationality)
so am I English, American or English-American?
Or am I too close to the mother land?

Well cornthas I am relly from america. Its where I was born and where I was raised. So where my parents. Some of my grandparents were, some weren't. But that doesn't matter becuse I am neither my parents nor grandparents.

This is so ridiculous to have special privaledges only available for those deemed worthy by the NAACP. how is that accepted in society when if special privaledges were giving to the whites "the supposed oppressor of the african american" then racial profiling would be screamed and lawyers brought in. This boy has everyright to apply for this award, african american is not a color it is a place of origin from which a person settle in the USA.

I have witnessed in the university system many examples of ethnic minorities being given opportunities unavailable to others. This is through special grants/ and whats more disturbing is lower academic standards for acceptance. Accepting one student with lower qualification over another simply because of his ethnic background is extremely racist.

We will never have peace in this country until the fight for equality is given up. There will be no equality. Two people of the same race are not even equal one has different genetics giving him an advantage in life. People must get past the little fraze " all men were created equal" because they were not. being equal in the sight of God and being equal to others in the physical realm are not the same. Races want to be around those of their own race, so why do politicians continue to try and interweave races of people that are different. They don't want to be mixed in with another race of people, and they never will in my opinion. birds of a feather flock together is what politicians should be focusing on. let races do their own thing and forget trying to make them all the same and equal it only builds tensions on both sides we will all have to face at one point in time.

This is funny, but also sad. Whatever the kid's motive was, it is a good point. This whole focus on racial differences is the main point that turns me away from the Democrates. I'd have to agree with Gazrok.