What is an “African-American”?
Over the past few weeks I have been speaking with friends about the term “African-American”, what it means and who it refers to in light of the Barack Obama phenomenon
Legally, Barack Obama is an “African-American” as the census defines it as such:
A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa
Before beginning, I want to be clear here that
- I am not speaking against anyone else’s heritage.
- I am not speaking of biracial individuals that are descendants of slaves. Make no mistake. I am not making the “Is Obama black enough” argument.
- I am not denying that people who appear to be “African-American” (or otherwise for that matter) face racism. I am talking specifically about culture and ethnicity here.
That said, everyone has his own unique traditions and culture which they should be proud of, including those of us who have a unique American experience reaching back beyond the formation of our country. This question is bothering me because I feel that the term “African American” has come to take on such a broad and expansive meaning that the uniqueness of my own culture is becoming “generic”.
Senegalese, Nigerians, Kenyans, Ethiopians, and Somalis all have their own distinct histories, languages, cultures and experiences. There is nothing wrong with that and no one is trying to take that away from them. But what people fail to realize is that there are many descendants of American slaves who pay hundreds of dollars in search of their ancestral histories, most importantly of which is the original homeland, a knowledge that all other “black African” groups view as a birth right. However, it should be noted that we who are the descendants of slaves likewise have a common culture, history and experience.
Unlike all other groups which classify themselves as “black”, the descendants of slaves have no place else to call “home”. Though some may try to deny it (even some black Americans) we have a rich history here in this country.
We are WEB Dubois, Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglas, and Harriet Tubman. When I reflect on our unique culture and experience, I think of authors like Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison, Alice Walker, Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston and James Baldwin . I think of women like Mary McLeod Bethune, Josephine Butler Parks, Rosa Parks and Elma Lewis. I think of sports figures like Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Hank Aaron. I think of the hardships of my late grandparents in confronting Jim Crow segregation and racism. I think of the hard working small businessmen, family reunions and bar-b-ques at the park. I think of strong fathers and loving mothers. I think of so many things that others may not when they speak of the descendants of slaves. Our identity and history here in America is all we have and now I feel that it is being obscured.
Again, this does not detract from the culture and experiences of other groups of blacks, but when the moniker “African-American” is applied to those black groups with distinct identities of their own (Nigerian, Ethiopian, etc), as it is now, where does that leave the descendants of slaves? What is our distinct identity? What and who we are as a people is further obfuscated by the troubling lack of clarity and precision which the inherently clumsy term “African-American” connotes.
Defining “African-American” as anyone from Africa dilutes and diminishes the distinct history and culture of the descendants of slaves in this country. For one thing, they mean sub-Saharan African, because North Africans are classified as “white”. To draw a crude analogy, it is like classifying 5 different groups of birds like this: Cardinals, Sparrows, Orioles, Blue Jays, and birds. The generic “bird” is what the descendants of slaves are becoming.
It is for this reason that I admit to cringing each time I hear or read about Obama speaking to “his own people” while referring to the descendants of slaves. It is rooted in an unfortunate tendency of some non-blacks’ - no matter how well meaning - to see all groupings of blacks as one big, all-purpose bag of blackness. Would they ever refer to a Korean addressing a group of Japanese as “speaking to his own people”? I suppose I would feel better if they said his “adopted people” or something similar.
Xenophobic? I think not. I can not claim to be Nigerian, Senegalese or Ethiopian (nor would I want to be). They all have legacies of their own. Why can’t I have mine, while remaining friends in mutual recognition of each others’ cultures? Why do we have to define our culture and contributions away in favor of others, while no one else is required to do so?
I suppose as times and things change, so too will this definition of “African-American”. Whatever the case, I fear that the history and identity of the descendants of slaves and their contributions to this country will become increasingly unappreciated or indeed lost under this cloud of obscurity. Who we are seems to be becoming irrelevant. While the descendants of slaves are facing many social challenges and are looked down upon by detractors, I still hope new comers will study the significant contributions of these proud people and what they have meant to America. In their story is a powerful lesson in resilience for all of us, and it should not be cast aside. Perhaps to solve this problem the descendants of slaves should be counted as an ethnic group (instead of as simply part of a broad racial group).
While I still feel that Obama’s election will send an amazing message to the rest of the world that we mustn’t limit ourselves to small dreams, we must never forget that his success thus far is mostly due to the incredible strength of the people whose identity he’s adopted.
Filed under: Race
Tariq,
An interesting and valid observation about ‘roots’. I’m not fond of hyphenated Americans, I just prefer American but understand your point and agree how important a sense of being/belonging with a fixed identity can be.
I have a choice with my ‘mixed’ heritage…Russian and Scotts. I tend to ignore the first and identify with the later but in reality am neither. Not in thought, culture, or family observance. My history is simply American.
I know the circumstances are very different, but then again, maybe not as much as one might think.
a very thorough post, tariq - i think it expands very well on your earlier one and i find myself in agreement now that the term African American does have a special meaning that is best left undiluted. I do still think that the self-identity of AA in the US needs to ultimately free itself of slavery’s shadow, much like the self-identity of Jews needs to free itself of the Holocaust, but in practice I dont know how that might be achieved.
unfrtunately, in practice, the term AA will continue to be used as a broad brush. So i think in one sense if you try to articulate your view as a policy, you do risk being tarred (unfairly) as making the “black enough” argument. You might be better off making the argument in the abstract for the term AA but adopting a more specific label for pragmatisms’ sake. I personally think “Black American” is more descriptive since Africa, per se, is not really central to yoru identity as much as your *American* history.
i’ll cross post my comment to Talk Islam, btw…
actually, i posted to City of Brass and left a stub at Talk Islam pointing to our cross-blog discussion.
[...] is an African-American? Tariq takes the time to explain, asserting that the label represents an ethnic heritage to which Barack Obama really cannot lay [...]
[...] is an African-American? Tariq takes the time to explain, asserting that the label represents an ethnic heritage to which Barack Obama really cannot lay [...]
I know this will sound like “hate”, but I’m sorry. East Africans/West Africans/North Africans are not “African American”…they are what they are….meaning. They are Egyptians, or Nigerians, or Somali, or etc etc.
When I tried to get into a “minority” program when applying for grad school, the girl upfront actually told me “according to the govt and such, AA means someone who’s lineage is back to the slaves…period, so a Nigerian would not be counted in African-American, they would be African.”
So basically I agree with Tariq meaning, African-Americans DO have a distinct culture than say a Somali, just as a Japanese person would to an Indian. Just because they all live in Asia…doesn’t mean they’re they same.
The real question is, what IS African-American culture.
I tend to agree with you in general…the various black cultures of the diaspora are distinct from one another, though we may share some common ground, particularly in terms of origins and racial treatment. Just as Italian, Irish, Lithuanian, etc are all distinct cultures. Though in America, all of those people would be just plain old white. This phenomenon in general is a uniquely American thing…the line in America is plain and simple–black/white/other color. Most of us who grew up here tend to relate to people on the basis of that.
But I’m not sure, as it relates to Senator Obama, where to put him exactly. His lineage is directly African, but he never grew up with his father and never lived there at all. I would guess that he is culturally closer to African Americans than anything African. I’m not sure there is a neat category for him. Even forgetting for the moment that he is biracial. But that’s cool too. Lots of people don’t fit in boxes.
The thing about whites is that they intermarried amongst themselves so much that they became simply ‘white’.
In America, they have. But that’s probably because of what tends to happen to succeeding generations of immigrant children in this country anyways…not being raised in the “Old Country” they find they are more culturally American than anything else and therefore when it comes time to choosing a mate, they choose other American ones regardless of their origins. Unless, of course, the different origin also includes a different color. Then it becomes less easy for most. Also, the environment in America which developed evolved to the point where the important distinctions were color ones, and therefore allowed Irish to marry Italians, etc. without any drama. It certainly wasn’t always like that, and of course it wasn’t the case for people trying to cross color lines.
But if a person straight from any of those countries were here, most of us would still likely consider them white.
There was also a restriction in immigration that stopped the supply of mates from the old country that forced Europeans to marry other white ethnicities. This is not happening amongst the different groups of blacks - mainly because with no restrictions in immigration, they can opt to go home to get married
Very interesting post,
I agree. In Japan, some Japanese would consider it to be an insult for people to refer to them as Chinese and vice versa. Some Latinos, like Puerto Ricans do not think they should be classified as Mexicans and they will tell you that.
I remembered when I grew up with the term afro/Black American and now African-American. Although I do not care what the racial classification I’m called, if people ask me what race I’ am, I tell them that I’m Black or at times African-American, not because I’m denying who I’am, but I grew up with the Black American classification and that is how I see myself as. These days I can’t even say that without somebody telling me that I’m trying downplay heritage.
There are some Africans who don’t see AA’s no more than Americans. Depending on the person, you’re not African. I was talking to a Nigerian man who said that in his country( or in his district of his country), some of the natives do not see African-American in the same way that they may see one of their country men/women or even another African. Some of them see AA’s as onlythe “descendants of the colonizers”.
I also think that it’s unfair that we canot be recognized for our distinct culture. Just because our ancestors was taken away doesn’t mean that our culture isn’t significant. It’s very rich and beautiful as mentioned in the post. All of us have something unique about our cultures whether, African or African-American should never be seen as non-extinct.
@ Tariq
I think that this is an excellent piece. It’s important that ‘the descendants of slaves’ appreciate the unique characteristics that distinguish themselves from recent African immigrants.
One of the things that I have always found perturbing is how ‘the descendants of slaves’ have a misplaced sense of solidarity and kinship with individuals and communities who have no desire to establish meaningful solidarity but are using the label of ‘blackness’ as a temporary stop gap in order to establish and protect their OWN kinsmens best interests.
As I previously said Tariq, ‘the descendants of slaves’ are a tribe of their own. In Africa, people tend to think tribally. Thus its very strange (and laughable) to many Africans (especially those who don’t think that they are the same as the ‘blacks’), to have a naive AA or AC non tribesman talking that ‘where all black’ stuff.
Well .. its obvious why African immigrants (not African Americans) try to adopt the African American Culture.. they just are trying to fit in..
as we see here in Cairo, African Refugees and residents dressing up like the were from “the hood” listining to gangster rap and making hand gestures like they were on MTV… to me that looks silly odd and just horrible..
similarly I dont see any African Americans going to Africa and fully naturally blending int they still will stand out.
both are dustinct and have their own cultural uniquness.
nice post.
If you have lived in a community where Africans for the most part have been intermarrying with AA and other diaspora then you may have a pan-african outlook.
For example, I know many people assume that a Japanese and Chinese person would not get along. However, I know too many mixed Japanese, Korean and Chinese people who actually get along.
That is actually an old attitude.
In California, we have Japanese, Chinese and Koreans who have been here for over 5 generations.
I am sure you know that in a place like Haiwii non-asians are like third-class citizens. I have a few Japanese friends who used to brag about that.
They have adopted the racial politics and joined together as Asians with China being the base of all of them. Now this has not been taken all the way to the Malays, Thais, Viets, Cambodians.
Of course, the Filipinos that is a unique case study.
What is funny I know Asians who proudly speak of their mutual and common cultural links.
Just as some Indians will identify and hang out with Pakistanis and Bengalis. (We have Indian gangs in some parts of L.A.)
Furthermore, the globalization has created a sort of Pan-Asian, Pan-African, Pan-Arab, Pan-Latin and Pan-European type of world.
I think it is too much intermarrying by people of West African descent to start thinking of themselves as separate albeit distinct.
Salaam
When AA’s culture is identified it always relates to the manner of dress/hip-hop speech. In the 1970’s, it was with Afro’s dashikis and with some of us,the fist.( the symbol of the Black power movement) If that was part of the African American culture, I wonder what was it like in my parent’s 1960’s era. Other than music,they really didn’t have a distinct way of identifying their musical culture.
I looked at the LINK world channel and viewed a Congolese video( I forget the name of the group) and seen the leader come out with capped gold teeth , I thought that it many be complementary to the hip-hop community and the music industry, but at the same hoping that they didn’t view as the complete story to AA culture.
It’ seems that with AA culture it always about dress/ speech. While it’s part of the accomplishments of the people, it is so much more than that as mentioned in this post. Too often, you will find people knowing associating AA culture with these things than about our history. Some non AA people don’t know about true African-American culture, as it’s not taught in most world schools.
There is nothing wrong with putting hip-hop in the mix of our musical culture, but the thing that the interested world should know about AA culture is that it so more than about clothes and speech.
[...] Ahmed on Did Jesse Jackson Use the…K-Dude on Did Jesse Jackson Use the…Peaches on What is an “African…Peaches on Did Jesse Jackson Use the…haroon on Did Jesse Jackson Use the…Ron on What [...]
OK, Tariq, you really pulled at my heart strings with this one; I felt your heart in it. Earlier, in your
@ indigoblu
Great comments. I really hated to leave out so many people, but there are so many others that the post would have been too long.
It is too bad that so many people (of all races) look down upon us - mainly because they are ignorant of the many accomplishments we have made
Tariq:
I should mention that Frantz Fanon (author of Black Skin, White Mask) is not AA, he’s Algerian, but he always the single non black that comes to mind when I think about AA history because he and W.E.B Du Bios (Double conscious) did so much in the wake of black consciousness and racism. I have a lot of respect for them both.
I realize you couldn’t have listed everyone….I didn’t list them all either, there are really just so many of them who have done so much, but I just wanted to contribute to the discussion, as it is personal to me as well.
Thanks for the post.
Salaams indigoblu,
Great comments!
Just one correction, Franz Fanon is from Martinique, he’s not Algerian. He. So he’s reppin our French speaking Carribean brothers in the Diaspora. He joined the Algerians in their struggle for independence, and died there.
On another note, earlier I noticed that someone raised the question, “What is African American culture?”
This is the problem when you have so many of the most visible symbols of Black culture appropriated by the dominant culture and even global culture. But as you stated, African American culture cannot be reduced to hip hop or urban culture.
At the same time, this is a question you can ask any many other communities in countries throughout the world. I think the question of culture is rather slippery. We cannot simply essentialize culture to one or two things. How do we truly define culture? I am not claiming to be an anthropologist, but I do take umbrage when people start debating culture without being well informed about what culture actually is. How many of us have read any works from anthropologists who study culture?
For me, it is not hard to find traditions and institutions that point to our cultural heritage and legacy. I see Historically Black colleges, Black fraternal organizations, and Black religious institutions as playing an important role here. Other forms of cultural expression include hair styles, modes of dress, forms of expression, and food. None of these things are fixed. Culture is fluid and dynamic. It changes from region to region, generation to generation, and person to person.
I remember one time HR at my company asked me what’s my race? And I said “black”, she said African American? I paused for a second and said “no, just black” she said I only have AA, I said well do you have other? She said yes I said put me as other. I felt the confusion of the poor lady, I look as black as any AA, yet I don’t identify myself as such, and if you ask many Africans they will say the same, not that they see themselves superior or anything but that’s just not who they are, in fact if they could hide that blackness in them the would, so don’t worry AAs, no one is steeling your identity or trying to share it with you, you can have it with all its worth.
Margari:
Thanks for the information.
Tariq:
I was reading something this morning about the increasing amount of African American moving to Africa and I thought about this blog.
You may be interested in knowing more about the Sierra Leone Creoles, as they are descendents of slaves and are considered an ethnic group there in Sierra Leone–this was when some AAs went back to Africa, in Liberia, in the 1780s-1860s. Also see Americo-Liberian neighbors (Krios)
There is a difference between culture and racial classification. Of course there is African-American culture. Culture is expressed in many ways but for the sake of brevity you can see it manifested well in the uniqueness of the food, music, art, language and mores of a particular group. Racial classification is something different and is rather arbitrary and less important to human interaction except when made to be so as in the case of slavery or Jim Crow and its consequences to this day. You can see the distinction between African-Americans and Africans from the continent. There are differences in the above categories though both would be racially classified as “Negroid”. But that classification will tell you nothing of the true differences and similarities between the two groups.
In reality African-Americans are more “American” than they are African. What do African-Americans retain from being generations removed from their African orgins? My wife doesn’t cook food from Mali or Congo. We don’t listen to musicians from South Africa or Sierra Leone. We don’t wear traditional clothing from West African nations or cultures. We don’t have the family structure or mores of these cultures either unless it’s just a matter of a shared HUMAN norm like respect for parents which is not unique to Africa or Asia or Guam. I get excited about Halal Turkey because culturally I grew up eating Thanksgiving Turkey. I like Hip-Hop and R&B which grew from the African-American experience regardless. It is a part of African-American artistic expression. I can relate to terms like “Oooooh Mama gonna beat your butt when she finds out” or expressions like “Cat”, “My Man”, “You best believe”, etc. These are cultural expressions from my shared experience as an African-American. The continental African has a different set of cultural realities unique to her.
Now we may share certain cultural traits or there may be some remnants that were retained from Africa. This isn’t scientific but I do notice a similarity in the tone and inflection of some African songs or ways of singing to that of African-American music. We can also see evidence of what slavery has done to the Black family because throughout Africa you will notice a kind of cohesiveness and emphasis on family units and extended families. You will notice a respect of elders as well that seems to be even more than in other cultures. But in “African America ” you notice a breakdown, initially intentional by the dominant culture, and exacerbated by inward and outward forces to this day.
But ultimately African-Americans are more American than anything else. As well they should be. When the country is built initially on the backs of enslaved Africans (and later other immigrant groups as well), has been so consumed by development according to literally Black and White stratification, and your music, dance, fashion, and social justice all come out of the Black experience to help form what is America then how are you not American?
The hyphen is because we live in a racially polarized world. I am happy and proud to be a Black Man in America but that is because of the culturally context that I live in. I wasn’t born a “Black” Man. I was born a male human. In the process of growing up these other identities were placed on me or chosen by me in the case of Islam. Even my culture is a product of my environment. We all had the one White guy or girl in the neighborhood or in school that was culturally Black. This is because culture is not racially exclusive. The difference is that White guy or girl could remove themselves from the culture while I can do so but the association of that culture to me by others is tied to my perceived race.
Anyway…a great topic…one that I find exciting as it relates to culture and identity which is a hot button for me. As a plug check out my podcast at http://www.brotherdash.com which has two episodes dedicated to Culture, Identity and Islam.
Tariq:
Another group that I’m sure most people are probably unaware of…that have held on strongly to their African culture presently live in South Carolina (mostly on the Island) and they also reside in Southern Georgia; they are AAs (descendents of slaves) and are known as the Gullah people. They have close ties with the people of Sierria Leone.
*Sierra , that is
As you know, the term African-American came into acceptance after a long time when being called negro’ or ‘colored’ had worn out their welcome. I can remember some older relatives as a child who would never accept being called ‘African-American’ or even ‘black’. It was an insult! Being descendants of former slaves was even a type of shame for some. All this change of consciousness has therefore occurred relatively recently. Just a generation or two.
In other words, it was mostly all race or color based before some recognition was given to the fact that slaves were largely out of Africa and that being such was not something to be ashamed of.
Nevertheless, any tie to Africa for many ‘African Americans’ was and still is vague and certainly inexact. Indeed, many feel NO kinship or tie to Africa or Africans other than sharing similar complexions since most descendants of slaves share many of the same values and a lot of the culture as the descendants of their former white masters. I would love to see anyone agree on a definition of ‘African-American’ culture considering the descendants of slaves have had so many different aspects of other cultures imposed upon them and absorbed over time. You may have heard the old joke ‘Culture!? Our language is English, religion is Christianity, artifacts and utensils are a shiny car, nice crystalware and silverware, music is jazz, funk, top 40, rock-n-roll, clothing is whatever the latest style is, so what makes my culture any different than 90% of everybody else?”
I have met Africans who just see the descendants of slaves as ‘white people under cover’ and loathe to associate with the negative aspects of popular ‘black culture’. I thought that ironic considering the old labeling by some black people of others as ‘Oreos’ way back when. At the same time, many Africans who do not share that background no doubt do all they can to ‘blend in’ at times to the point of getting angry if someone amongst them has too much of a ‘back home’ accent and they actually disassociate from them!
Anyway, you may be interested in the series being done on CNN http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/black.in.america/
Tariq and indioblu -
A book I found at the African museum in D.C. entitled, “Mississippi in Africa” is a great book regarding AA being repatriated back Africa through the American Colonization Society and of course each Southern state had its own colonization society as well.
I think that is why Mr. Johnson (BET founder) considers Sierre Leon and Liberia probably to be countries where AA have natural ties.
I remember a story in family related heirlooms supposedly from my Great-Grandfather travelling back and forth from Africa.
Salaam
Ron:
Since Liberia and Sierra Leone is where the AAs who went back to Africa settled, he (Johnson) is right in his assertion about having ties to those two countries being that they were once slaves themselves but returned to the motherland. However, you or I may or may not have our origins in those two particular countries; only DNA would reveal that. I
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/black.in.america/
[...] Obama is black, but Tariq has argued persuasively that he isn’t African-American. That only lends credence to the argument that Obama will be the first Asian president (in the same [...]
[...] Obama is black, but Tariq has argued persuasively that he isn’t African-American. That only lends credence to the argument that Obama will be the first Asian president (in the same [...]
Author: Is Barack Black or White?
I am one of only a handful of known researchers exploring the differnce between race and ethnicity in America. I’ve presented articles for the American and British Journal of Organizational Behavior and begun a new line of research.
I ask you two questions:
1. Are you black because of what you learned or what you where born?
2. Are you African American because of what you learned or what you where born?
Over the past 10 plus years I’ve been researching the difference between learned behavior and race. You see you were born Black, White, Hispanic, or Asian…but you learned to be African American, German/French American etc. There is a huge difference between learned behavior and inherited biology. Sadly, we are mixing the two up when trying to have a discussion about being Black in America. While conducting this research I found that there are at least 4 different kinds of learned Black Culture.
That
If I am reading this right, Glover, I think you mean to say that there is a difference between race (biological inheritance, namely black, white, brown, red, skin) and culture (learned behavior) and within races, there are different cultures and ethnicities (separate groups with separate learned behaviors), obviously.
I think that is the primary reason Tariq posted this blog; blacks who are products of slavery have a different culture from Africans who are not, and even within the group of people who are products of slavery, have different cultures also.
White America tends not to notice these cultural/ethnic differences and lumps us all in one pile based solely on the race factor. Ethnic groups and tribes have been around since antiquity but race is relatively new. Race was something deliberately constructed, I believe, to dived and conquer.
I think it is interesting to note, as you did, the different between North American black culture and South American/Caribbean black cultures. I believe one of the primary reasons that Caribbean/south American cultures were able to flourish and develop as much as they have was the absence of white dominated society post slavery.
To be frank, they did not have to endure the freedom that was never really freedom at all. After slavery, blacks in the America had to fight for civil rights, justice, and the likes
I think the thing people do not want to address is that ethnic identification is a political act as well as cultural, personal and spiritual decision.
The white birth rate around the world is on the decline so poltical expediency says that more people must be included as white to make up for the low birth rate among whites.
We have to be careful that we do not unwittingly succumb to pursuing the interests of others by splitting up the AA identity in America and the African identity in the world.
Salaam
Ron:
Of course, ultimately, we are all one race of people (blacks), but it can
I believe it
Calvin DaSilvio:
There are quite a few things you fail to understand.
Calvin DaSilvio:
There are quite a few things you fail to understand.
As-Salaamu `Alaykum,
Regarding those DNA tests, 60 Minutes did a special on those tests. You could go to 4 different companies and be told that you’re lineage is from 4 different areas of African. Only males can supposedly trace their paternal & maternal lineage while females cannot due to the DNA test limitations. Besides, over 14 generations of mixing cannot tell us any definitive as was previously stated.
Which takes me into the whole labeling of AA. We don’t have much in common with Africans in the broad sense that we lack a healthy sense of tribal affiliation or healthy `asabiyyah as Ibn Khaldun defined it. In that sense, there isn’t much African about us besides some physical characteristics.
Africans have their tribal mind still to their benefit and detriment in some cases. That’s why West Africans can come into Harlem and basically set up shop and begin to run things while Blackamericans aren’t really busting a grape.
Regarding Obama, he’s not of the lineage of the ex-slaves. Besides his upbringing and blood lines, I truly believe that he has not suffered from the collective psychological trauma that Blackamericans still suffer from, which I’m not knocking. Good for him! Neither have West African immigrants.
So Obama isn’t a “brotha” to me. It has nothing to do with his mother being white either. Halle Berry is a “sista” to me, white mother and all.
Wassalaam.
[...] Neo-”African-Americans” Posted on August 6, 2008 by Tariq Nelson This is the trailer from a documentary made by an African immigrant about how immigration from Africa and the Caribbean is transforming the “African American” narrative. [...]
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I do think that this discussion is one of the differences in terms, ideas, upbringing, societal influences, etc. I have always considered myself African American. My ancestral, black American history was always instilled in me by my parents and at school “American” history (from the white perspective was drilled into me and my fellow classmates. Nevertheless, I was always clear on the struggles, the tortures, the family and tribal separations, the injustices, the broad steps, the traditions, the strengths, the talents, the innovations, the transitions, the power and the beauty in the the embodiment of the “African American” experience.
After, reading the various comments on this blogsite, and various discussions surrounding the film, my eyes are now open to another question that has arisen in my mind.
My question is what defines African American and Neo African American as it relates to…I guess I’d say time and space, if that makes any sense? Yes, we have created a culture of our own that has been enhanced and flavored throughout our arrival to America. But does that give us more claim on the land and is the term more appropriate to us because of the length of time we’ve been here? It is too vast a debate to precisely narrow down who is African American and who is not. Are we less American than the Native American who struggled and prebuilt a land that we took over? They were here centuries before us and a culture was already established in this land. Does tenure define a culture? Does struggle and pain give us claim on defining the term “African American”? I believe that what defines a culture are the perspectives of those that relate most to the culture.
Culture in my opinion are the belief systems, values, shared ideas, behaviors, manners of expression, art, cuisine, attitudes, etc that are CURRENTLY shared by any one group. And the only one who can claim a culture is one who relates most to that culture. If a child who is the descendant of great-great grandparents who were slaves grows up in a predominantly white, suburban neighborhood relates more with white people, dresses like whites, expresses and mentally computes thoughts similar in manner to whites, is he more African American than the first generation, American born child with Nigerian born parents who relates more with and was raised up by the black American culture.
Don’t get me wrong, none of my arguments negates our rich history as blacks in America, the enslavement and strategic division, our artistic and political achievements. However, our history since our exit from the ships nearly 400 years ago has never once been solely shaped by black slaves and their descendants. It has always been the collective culmination of people from around the world, from many religions, from various “races”, from all walks of life, and our culture has been added to by the immigration of millions of people of African descent from around the world.
I guess I’m saying that though I clearly relate to the African American culture as a black woman, that I am a descendent myself of the evils of slavery that my idea of blackness has also never been one that was limiting to the idea that I was directly connected to Africans around the world. Maybe it was because I never wanted to be disconnected. Maybe it’s because I’ve always related to all blacks on the same level. Maybe it’s because I personally felt the famliliarity and sense of home with all blacks that I did with American born blacks. I can’t explain it; it’s just an innate connectedness that I know exists beyond what my eyes can see.
The dialogue on this topic has been beautiful and the opinions that are stemmed from love have been inspiring and enlightening. It’s more spiritual than we all think, and the spirit connects each of us all together in ways that are much deeper than our minds can calculate. And that desire to connect, define and belong are proof our soul’s desire to be apart of a world bigger than us.
When i Think of African American i think of the Relatives of the Slaves who were brought to America. Odd enough though when i went to Chicago and Florida i saw many Children and Grand Children of Nigerians, Haitians and other from the Islands who now consider themselves African American and have basically assimilated. I Think it is much easier for Certain Africans who have something in common with Africans to assimilate and its basically the same in the UK. I met Many Nigerians people who no longer Speak their native language at all. As a Somali even though i was born here that is unthinkable. To not Speak our Native language and know our customs will get you in alot of Trouble among my people. I would say it would take atleast 500 Years for a Somali to assimilate into any Society. There are Somali’s who have been in the UK since the 1850s and some in the middle east since the early 1700s and they have yet to assimilate and it probably has to do with the fact that we are a Tribal based society. Each Somali must be able to trace themselves atleast 20 generations back.
This is not “the answer” but this is “a” suggestion. Black people from continental Africa can be called by their country/ethnicity- African American. For example, a person from Ghana that immigrates to the United States can be referred to as Ghanaian African American. We can refer to ourselves as North American Anglo-speaking African Americans(or something like this-feel free to come up with something simpler if you can). I do know one thing, though. I can not speak for everybody else, I am not one or the other, I am BOTH-a blend. Not inferior or superior, just a blend based on fact and NOTHING ELSE. Before i knew much about the true history of much of Africa, I was ashamed of it and I just wanted to be referred to as American. Then when the time came for a while where I rid myself of self-hatred on this front,I wanted to just acknowledge my African side. But again, I am at point where I acknowledge both. The African side ain’t inferior-the American side ain’t superior or vice versa. It is what it is! But I have come to a point where I am both. I have no problems with the idea of hyphenated Americans personally because you are acknowledging your roots without denying you grew up in America with all that entails. I respect both the African and American in the term African American. From various parts of Africa comes the roots of much of what makes of African American/Black culture and it is seen in the cuisine,music,dance, fashion, traditional values(the new values are hybrids for better and for worse,just want to make a distinction) and other stuff. Even with European/Native American admixture I am predominantly of African Ancestry-Black. I want to say this because it is taboo to say that Africans contributed anything worthwhile/positive to this culture. I can’t deny that I am North American since my circumstances, outlook, mores and other stuff has been influence by the United States-for better and worse. I also know that I probably Am a mixture of various African,Native American, and European groups so I have probably picked up cultural influences from all these groups-even though I am predominantly black from West African ancestry and proud of it. So I am both/all/whatever you want to say. Anyway, I have noticed that immigrants to this country are always made to feel like they have to “over-assimilate” for whites and their Americanized countrymen to the point of losing all that makes them distinct. I don’t think that is necessary-some things- to a degree- but not everything-especially not at the expense of their culture wholesale. But then African/Black Americans born in the U.S. do get the message subliminal/blatant to feel like their culture,heritage, and history is not good enough from whites, immigrants, non-native blacks, and some of their own people. At the end of the day, you can only be who you are. Bottomline. Everybody need to know each other story to acknowledge the differences in experiences and appreciate the commonalities that exist or may arise.
What is an African American? I like the question. America is a melting pot comprised of numerous cultures and ethnicities from around the world. Irish Americans have lineage that can be traced back to Ireland; French Americans and Italian Americans can similarly be traced back to their country of origin. However, Africa is not a country; it is a continent. On that continent their are Egyptians, Algerians, Libyans and numerous other races and ethnic groups. If we were to use the same “African American” standard, couldn’t an Egyptian American call himself/herself an African American? If black americans traced their origins and referred to themselves as an american from the country in Africa that their lineage traced back to then that would make sense. However, for only black Americans to call themselves African Americans seems silly or uninformed because black people are not the only indigenous race of people to the continent of Africa.
.
Contrary to common assumption — the
terms “Black” and “African-American” do
actually even mean the same thing.
““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
AAs & BAs: The KEY difference
between these TWO (2) groups …
““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
The African-Americans (AAs) are an ETHNIC
grouping of people that is comprised ONLY of:
*** The ‘Descendants-Of-The-Survivors’ of
the chattel-slavery system that took place on
the ‘continental’ United States of America
during the antebellum era of its history.***
Most (+70%) — although not all — of the people
who are born to two (2) AA parents are found to
have an ancestral “racial” lineage that includes
varying amounts of African (45-55%), Amerindian
(+25%) and also European (+20-30%) bloodlines
– that were both admixed into and “continually
remained” within the lineage of their families.
(Meaning they are of the Mixed-Race category that is
referred to as “Multi-Generational Multiracially-Mixed”
or as ‘MGM-Mixed’ racially-admixed ancestral lineage)
Thus, this incredibly unique ETHNIC group of people is
actually not seen (by most scientists and geneticist)
as being a ‘Black’ RACE group (or any sort of RACE
group) at all — but rather they are seen as actually
being comprised of people that span across
the following “racial” categories and groups …
**** Multiracial
(about 70% of the AAs — ex. Jayne Kennedy)
**** Black
(about 20% of the AAs — ex. Oprah Winfrey)
**** Biracial
(about 5% of the AAs — ex. Jennifer Beals)
**** Amerindian or White
(about 5% of the AAs — ex. Walter White)
““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
The Black Americans (BAs) are a RACE
grouping of people that consists ONLY of:
***The ‘Volitional Immigrants’ that are from nations
that are found all over the world and who are both
Fully of the Black Race group and who are also
NOT the descendants-of-the-survivors of the
chattel slavery system that was once found
on the continental United States of America.***
As noted, the BAs are a RACE group and
are seen as being of a fully-Black lineage.
““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322672
afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322890
afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322890
community.afropunk.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:334007
http://www.afropunk.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322225
answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Al5eeK2CFwcv4rD5U5qzvEfty6IX?qid=20070527201834AAIhzhM&show=7#profile-info-CiC2JY9Maa
answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiebDu.tSshJzQ0wS5fMp7jty6IX?qid=20070623205206AANUzPN&show=7#profile-info-q1hdwifgaa
afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322672
groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1034
groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/3331
http://www.jstor.org/pss/1290008?cookieSet=1
boards.mulatto.org/post/show_single_post?pid=35284580&postcount=4
groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1399
answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjwuxYj8agKY7yGgqaJ7i.Xty6IX?qid=20070704121228AA7ZMsA&show=7#profile-info-ezQwEaJLaa
groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1400
http://www.mgmix.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=410:why-do-blacks-want-dominicans-and-puerto-ricans-to-be-black-&catid=66:commentary#comment-1282
http://www.ourfilmspace.com/forum/topics/2045657:Topic:42413?commentId=2045657:Comment:246405
diverseeducation.com/article/7469/1.php
mgmix.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=561:why-do-biracials-and-blacks-look-similar-&catid=45:commentary-essays-articles-writings#comment-1479
.
.
Contrary to common assumption — the
terms “Black” and “African-American”
do NOT actually even mean the same thing.
““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
AAs & BAs: The KEY difference
between these TWO (2) groups …
““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
The African-Americans (AAs) are an ETHNIC
grouping of people that is comprised ONLY of:
*** The ‘Descendants-Of-The-Survivors’ of
the chattel-slavery system that took place on
the ‘continental’ United States of America
during the antebellum era of its history.***
Most (+70%) — although not all — of the people
who are born to two (2) AA parents are found to
have an ancestral “racial” lineage that includes
varying amounts of African (45-55%), Amerindian
(+25%) and also European (+20-30%) bloodlines
– that were both admixed into and “continually
remained” within the lineage of their families.
(Meaning they are of the Mixed-Race category that is
referred to as “Multi-Generational Multiracially-Mixed”
or as ‘MGM-Mixed’ racially-admixed ancestral lineage)
Thus, this incredibly unique ETHNIC group of people is
actually not seen (by most scientists and geneticist)
as being a ‘Black’ RACE group (or any sort of RACE
group) at all — but rather they are seen as actually
being comprised of people that span across
the following “racial” categories and groups …
**** Multiracial
(about 70% of the AAs — ex. Jayne Kennedy)
**** Black
(about 20% of the AAs — ex. Oprah Winfrey)
**** Biracial
(about 5% of the AAs — ex. Jennifer Beals)
**** Amerindian or White
(about 5% of the AAs — ex. Walter White)
““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
The Black Americans (BAs) are a RACE
grouping of people that consists ONLY of:
***The ‘Volitional Immigrants’ that are from nations
that are found all over the world and who are both
Fully of the Black Race group and who are also
NOT the descendants-of-the-survivors of the
chattel slavery system that was once found
on the continental United States of America.***
As noted, the BAs are a RACE group and
are seen as being of a fully-Black lineage.
““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322672
afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322890
afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322890
community.afropunk.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:334007
http://www.afropunk.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322225
answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Al5eeK2CFwcv4rD5U5qzvEfty6IX?qid=20070527201834AAIhzhM&show=7#profile-info-CiC2JY9Maa
answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiebDu.tSshJzQ0wS5fMp7jty6IX?qid=20070623205206AANUzPN&show=7#profile-info-q1hdwifgaa
afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322672
groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1034
groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/3331
http://www.jstor.org/pss/1290008?cookieSet=1
boards.mulatto.org/post/show_single_post?pid=35284580&postcount=4
groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1399
answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjwuxYj8agKY7yGgqaJ7i.Xty6IX?qid=20070704121228AA7ZMsA&show=7#profile-info-ezQwEaJLaa
groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1400
http://www.mgmix.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=410:why-do-blacks-want-dominicans-and-puerto-ricans-to-be-black-&catid=66:commentary#comment-1282
http://www.ourfilmspace.com/forum/topics/2045657:Topic:42413?commentId=2045657:Comment:246405
diverseeducation.com/article/7469/1.php
mgmix.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=561:why-do-biracials-and-blacks-look-similar-&catid=45:commentary-essays-articles-writings#comment-1479
.