| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 12:12:21 PM | I read an article this morning that raises an interesting question. Does the term African American solely refer to people of a black heritage? To use the strictest definition, people of Caucasian heritage that are born and raised in say South Africa and then immigrate to America would thus be African Americans.
Excerpts from the article:
Can a white person be an African-American? Paulo Serodio, a 45-year-old naturalized American of Portugese heritage born in Mozambique, says yes. He is suing the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey for discrimination that he says led to his suspension.
He told ABCNews.com that his instructor, Dr. Kathy Ann Duncan, asked the students for self-definitions during a discussion on culture and medicine. Serodio identified himself as a “white African-American.” He says Duncan later told him never to refer to himself as that again, because it was “offensive” to others in the class.
In 2004, a white high-school student (born in Johannesburg) named Trevor Richards was suspended from an Omaha, Nebraska school after distributing posters that promoted him as a candidate for the school’s "Distinguished African-American Student" award. WorldNetDaily.com reported that this story sent “shock waves across America as debate rages over who can claim rights to the term ‘African-American.’”
This brings up several very interesting questions. Additionally, at what point in your heritage do you simply drop the racial reference and just become an American. | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 12:51:19 PM | | I don't think he can be African American but maybe he could be an American African. It is a privlage to be black and a white person should never be allowed the special rights they deserve. | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 12:58:11 PM |
It is a privlage to be black and a white person should never be allowed the special rights they deserve. And here I thought it was merely a state of being... that a person's skin colour didn't make them better or worse than anyone else, nor did it make them more or less deserving of respect.
I'm Canadian, my ancestors are Acadian, British, Irish, German and I'm sure a few others... none of them tells anything about me other than a geographical location and how I came to be here in a rough way...
If I had been born in Africa, and moved to America... I do believe I would consider myself to be 'African-American' since that would be correct in a manner of speaking.
It's all semantics... | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 1:04:20 PM |
I don't think he can be African American but maybe he could be an American African. It is a privlage to be black and a white person should never be allowed the special rights they deserve.
You know, in some circles that would be considered racist.
But as to the OT, ones heritage is somethign that to me is very important and many people don't celebrate. Yes, we may be Americans, but we should never forget where we come from. I know I'm an American, but I also consider myself a Native American, an Irish American, and a German American, because that is where my bloodlines come from.
One of the problems we have in America is that we don't celebrate all heritages. As the director of our Inclusion and Diversity Office pointed out at my alma mater we have a Black History Month, a Woman's History Month, a Gay and Lesbian History Month, a Disability History Month. We have all of these different months for all of these different backgrounds except for European Americans. We don't celebrate some of those histories and heritages. If we celebrated everyone's heritage and not just those specific groups, we may be able to have much better relations between all people. I'm not saying that we necessarily need whole months, but do those of us who have Polish blood or French blood reall understand our heritage? | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 1:55:56 PM | I don't think he can be African American but maybe he could be an American African. It is a privlage to be black and a white person should never be allowed the special rights they deserve.
That's a racist statement if I've ever seen one. Sheesh. 
I think most white Africans are of European descent.
That would make them Euro-African Americans.
This is getting complicated.  | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 2:05:38 PM | Therein lies the problem of politically-correct terms such as "African-American" versus "black". The Constitution and amendments refer to both "national origin" as well as "skin color". African-American is not accurate for either one, since Africa is a continent, not a nation and anyone U.S. citizen on the African continent would really be African-American. "(Insert term here)-American" - Just another set of terms that makes little real sense, though it does blur the lines pretty well between someone born in the United States and someone gaining citizenship later.
I've even heard the term "African-American" applied to immigrants who have never even been to Africa, and who are not American citizens, which renders the term only inaccurate, but highly misleading.
The person in question could sue if he can prove discrimination based on skin color OR national origin. Skin color would seem a stretch, but there is always reverse discrimination...if he can prove it. | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 2:16:04 PM |
This is getting complicated
I agree.
If taken literally he is African-American because he was born on the Continent of Africa and has become a naturalized citizen of America. But, because he was born in the Country of Mozembique, maybe he should be Mozambiquian-American rather than African-American.
How many people who call themselves African-American have actually been born in Africa? For that matter, how many Italian-Americans were born in Italy? And if a person is Latin-American, then what? There's no country named "Latin". (Yes, I do know that Mexico and most of South America comprise what is called "Latin-America". Again a continent along with a country)
Apparently, I should be French-English-Scottish-German-American. I think I'll stick with American.
I find the whole thing a bit too much. If you are born in the United States you are American. If a person's heritage goes back to Africa, Italy, Spain, Guatamala, all well and good. That person is still American.
I'm all for being PC and trying to not offend people but sometimes people make too much of the whole thing. | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 2:32:59 PM | I've never understood calling someone African-American because of skin color, it makes zero sense. Not all black-skinned people come from African heritage and not all Africans are black. It be African-American means that you were born/lived in Africa and moved to America and became an American citizen. I'm not a Irish-American, nor an English-American, nor a German or French American just because some ancestors came from those countries, I was born here, I'm an American with some different cultures from other countries in my great-grandparents (or even further back) in the past.
There's two things that need to happen to get rid of the ignorance of bigotry, one is to get over thinking skin/eye color and nationality mean anything other than we are all from the human race, and two is for people to stop seeking attention from what color they are or where they or their ancestors came from. Knowing out history is quite interesting, but separating ourselves according to some label is creating a problem where none should exist. | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 2:54:49 PM | "It is a privlage to be black and a white person should never be allowed the special rights they deserve."
Yeah... that IS a racist remark... toward WHITES!
And tell me... what "special rights" do blacks "deserve"? I'd be VERY interested to know what they are. | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 3:14:15 PM | I don't want to upset any apple carts but when used in the PC African refers to a race. Africa is a country of origin not a race. I think that I should start referring to myself as a French Cajun Irish English Protestant Catholic female Californian Tennesseean American....that would give the cencus bureau a fright. Then my kids can include Cherokee and Dutch and substitute male for female.
Bottom line--I am a Cauc-American. I was born here, that is my country of origin. I am not French even though my mother was.
To me an Africian American is dual citizenship, if not--you are one or the other. You have a race that identifies you, a gender and a country. I don't understand how you can claim a country when you never stepped foot in it.
We should be guarenteed equal rights across the board--no one group should prevail.
And if repatriotation comes into play--my family was from Acadia and uprooted from their home, property taken away and transportated to Louisiana and other parts unknown and given or sold to others. They were not allowed to speak their native language. But you know what? That is my family's history...it is not who I am. | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 3:18:07 PM | I wish we would get it over with already and all just accept that we are mutts. There are no pure breeds, there are no races. There are tall people, and short people, dark, and light, yellowish, tanish, beigish, redish...
Race is an invented concept.
I believe that if a white person was born in Africa and moved to the United States he can call himself an African-American (it'll get alot of laughs at parties).
Furthermore I believe that if a white person was born in Africa and moves to MEXICO he can call himself an African-American cause Mexico, Canada, Bolivia, Brazil, etc. are all American countries. (not as many laughs people will just assume that he is a United Statesian) | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 3:45:02 PM | Of course they can.
Charlize Theron, a white woman, was born in Africa. No doubt countless more people were born there too, making them African-American. I think Prince Harry's girlfriend, also white, is from there too.
I wonder who came up with that term "African-American", and when? What is wrong with the word "black"? | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 3:59:38 PM | That's a racist statement if I've ever seen one. Sheesh.
I think most white Africans are of European descent.
That would make them Euro-African Americans.
ALL Europeans are of African descent. The entire Human race is descended from ancient people that migrated from Africa.
So in effect, he could be described as African-Euro-African American. Yes, its getting complicated. | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 4:21:34 PM | | I will counter this question with: If a black person is born in Europe , say Poland, and migrates to America is this person an European( Polish)-American? | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 4:30:41 PM | So I guess we can finally call the appropriate folks like Obama...Hafrican-American???
After all.....race isn't supposed to be the issue in our world.....those that have met all the requirements thru birth or paperwork are just Americans.Period! | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 4:53:11 PM | Go for the easy route
other nation american :) cuts the middle man out
I must admit its odd refering to someone as african american, we dont use the term african british in UK more normally say afro caribean or african decent. I dont see the point why it matters tho | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 5:03:20 PM |
The entire Human race is descended from ancient people that migrated from Africa.
Although highly likely, that is an unproven theory. There is significant evidence of very ancient lineage with a foundation in what is now Turkey. The origin of the human race is still up for debate.
But that's off topic and fodder for another thread.  | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 5:09:21 PM | | At least a quarter of Africa could be considered caucasian so in a nutshell , yes , of course a caucasian could be called African-American. Of course , that's not what people mean when they use the term "African-American" so , like practically everything to do with "race" it's misleading and intellectually bankrupt anyway. | |
|
| |
| |
| |
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 7:08:01 PM |
at what point in your heritage do you simply drop the racial reference and just become an American.
when your racial minority doesn't make up 54% of the prison population and your minority only accounts for 15% of the population.
I might start thinking about it at that point. might. | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 7:09:13 PM | When someone thinks of the term "African American", they usually think of a BLACK African American, right? At least I do. But this has made me think. There are white Africans who were either born or lived in Africa, then moved to the States. I think they can be called African Americans. The actual term is pretty general really. That Dr Duncan was extremely ignorant, she basically told him that he was wrong about his own heritage. I remember back in school, we were studying China in the 1940s-1960s, and my Social Studies teacher actually told me I was wrong about my own grandparents' heritage!!!
Is there any evidence that the rest of the class was offended? Or did she just make that excuse up so she could make a molehill out of a mountain. SHE should in fact, be suspended because of her discrimination. I can't believe the crazy stuff that goes on in this world... | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 8:55:03 PM | Sh*t yea why not...? Why can't we allllllllllll just be something? Anybody can be whatever they so desire but for the record I am a mutt..That's American, English, Irish, Cherokee, Hungarian, Romian, Jewish, and Chicagoian..now Santa Barbarian, Amen... | |
|
| Can a White person be African American?
Posted: 5/16/2009 10:23:22 PM | Doesn't African American mean he was of african descent but lives in America now?
A white group of people go to Africa and make babies.
The babies make babies
Their babies make babies
Their babies make babies
so on and so on.
Soon you've got white people being born and living in african villages and having their heritage and then they go to America.
white african american? Yes/no? I really don't know the exact definition of African American (or I guess the "legal" term) but wouldn't that work? | |
|
Home
login 
