Cynthetiq

That may be the method for African Americans, but Filipino Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Chinese Americans, the ones that I know all seem to have self labeled.

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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

Jenny_Lyte

Agreed. Only White folks call us African Americans. While I do acknowledge that the term African American being used by a White person does show some respect, most Black Americans do not like the term.

Manic_Skafe

For whatever it's worth, this thread has given more consideration to the matter than I ever have.

Writing in the sand.

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dd3953

yeah, i'd have to agree, but i couldn't help myself. . . i had to say something.

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[Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]

Infinite_Loser

This thread is humorous, to say the least.

Anywho, carry on lol

Edit: I call myself African American, for what it's worth <_<

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hrandani

When I opened this thread I thought I was going to read an argument for how, since after all the entire human race is from Africa, we should define race by a delineation of the next closest lineage based on migratory patterns, e.g. into America through Asia, etc.

Having now actually read the post, I am reminded once again this latest resurgence of jingoism needs to die a quick and decisive death.

Jenny_Lyte

Oh and for the record, we DO sit around wondering what to call White folks.

Tully Mars

For the record I prefer "Commander Coo-Coo Bananas." But I'll likely answer to anything.

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Jenny_Lyte

Commander Coo-Coo Bananas? Okay, that is what I am calling you from now on.

Xazy

My brothers both happened to marry Moroccan (one 1/2 Moroccan) and their kids are technically able to check off the African American box, and I do not see why they should not. African American does not mean black.

Frosstbyte

It's kind of a game of silly semantics, but if you say "African American" in a vacuum to 99.99% of Americans, they will assume you mean that the person is black as opposed to someone currently living in America whose family came from Africa. I guess we can then argue if the majority of people are using the language wrong or if majority use defines meaning.

I'd be inclined to say that if they check off that box and then meet someone in person who has read that sheet, they're very likely to get asked about it or the person will not ask but wonder fairly seriously what's going on. It's technically true, but practically disingenuous.

Either way, this is kind of an odd conversation. Personally, I think the melting pot mentality is preferable to one that encourages segregation, though I wouldn't want people or groups to totally lose their individuality or identity. The OP clearly was more concerned about making a quasi-racist tirade than making a legitimate point, though.

pig

and then you've got people like a childhood friend of mine's dad, who I believe grew up in Zimbabwe during the race riots of the 60's-70's, and emigrated to the United States after seeing a lot of bad stuff. That guy was as white as white gets, and definitely harbored some ill-will towards black people, but I suppose he was African American as it gets. Regardless, I just don't see these semantic and labeling issues as being so paramount. Someone wants to call themselves African American...well fine. I think there are bigger fish to fry.

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n0nsensical

Surely they didn't invent racism. I mean they created a place, in the United States, where there were several different races and clear racial divisions (initially natives; Europeans, which were often divided amongst themselves as well; and Africans). What I'm trying to say is these ______-American groups, whatever you want to call them, have clear social distinctions which we can't just will away by changing their names. These names were invented to describe existing social groups. That in itself is not necessarily bad or good, it's just a name. It's how we treat the differences, positively (e.g. pride in our diverse heritage) or negatively (e.g. racism), that is important.

abaya

Ethnic self-identification is a pretty cool aspect of studying census records, actually. The actual evolution of the census (especially in the last few decades) to reflect the diversity of what people call themselves is the subject of countless sociological journal articles, to be sure. But that's my inner nerd talking.

As for me, I grew up in the US and have two passports (with a couple more passports on the way). I don't do hyphens. Our kids (as ktspktsp and I are often joking) are going to be ThaiceLebandic. And I don't give a flipping fuck what anyone thinks about that. If you're taking it too seriously, then that's your problem.

Exogamy is the way to go, a la Crompsin's post.

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SSJTWIZTA

Ehh, call yourself whatever the hell you would like to be called. i dont give a shit either way.

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First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for me And there was no one left to speak out for me.
-Pastor Martin Niemoller

remiel

I have no problem with anyone having pride in their ancestry.

Personally I'm neither african or american, but I am married to an american. I want our children to think of both england and america as their homes.

The one thing I do object to is aonyone telling anyone else how to be American. Unless you signed the declaration of independence, you have no say whatsoever on how someone else takes pride in the United States.

Oh, and I love how the quote in the OP takes such pride in talking about being from "Dixie". What's wrong? Wasn't just being American good enough for you?

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Lubeboy

Why can't we all just simply refer to each other as "people" and stop with these stupid labels?

The_Jazz

Seeing your location makes me wonder how you've escaped hearing "American by birth, Southern by the grace of God" t-shirts, hats and bumper stickers. Those are pretty common in East Tennessee. I've always considered it a holdover of the attitude that led in part of the Civil War. Or the War of Northern Aggression, if you will.

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dd3953

I wouldn't call it self-labeled. I would call it the acceptance of a label given to you by someone else. And once you accept it, you can began to take some power over it's meaning. i know some black people who accept the label "african american" but i know more who don't.

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[Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]

snowy

I'm a huge fan of diversity and multiculturalism, and so I find the OP pretty patently offensive. Whether we realize it or not, even if we're all "Americans", we all come from different, diverse backgrounds--and that diversity goes beyond just skin color. Not all of us are from the same economic background, either, and some of us grew up in different parts of the United States, where belief systems are radically different (for instance, Oregon v. Mississippi). If we ignore those differences, and gloss over them instead of celebrating them, it becomes a festering wound in our society.

Plus, think about all that we would lose without diversity and multiculturalism: all of the holidays we celebrate associated with other cultures, all of the foods we eat that come from other cultures, sports, art, movies, music...

Personally, I will continue to be multiculti and celebrate my own heritage (Dutch-Welsh-Icelandic-French-German-American) while celebrating the heritage of others. Pass the latkes please.

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abaya

Wait, what?? Icelandic? Did I hear that before and just forget it somehow??? (I must have.) Sweet, that means we're related.

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for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
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silent_jay

Found the 'article' posted on another site, couldn't find it anywhere else though, these are the responses it got at the other site.
And now the answer
Does this look like a man you'd want as president?

Wait you guys already picked Dubya so you never know.

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roachboy

first off, the op is an embarrassment.

but let's play nice--others have managed--and rather than point out the obvious flipside--which is that much of what has transpired here is as much about the problems that attend the collective mental disorder that is the idea of nation---i'll just take this opportunity to paste the immortal speech delivered by ned beatty to peter finch's character beale in paddy chayevsky's 1977 film "network."

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spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

it make you sick.

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n0nsensical

conservatives are so funny. they've been trying to put the cat back in the bag for thousands of years.

Sion

Quote:
Very well said Dwayne and I agree completely. What a sad world we live in today. Things have got to get better. Wish it was the same as in the 50's and 60's when I was a teenager. No drugs, didn't even know a gay person or what one was and had no illegals, if so very few. God Bless America.


I wonder what wonderland of "perfection" this person grew up in. Because it surely wasn't the grand old U.S. of A.

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Some wrong been done, he done it first. -fz

I jus' want ta thank you...falettinme...be mice elf...agin...

silent_jay

Funny thing is, I found the 'article' and comments on a salt water fishing forum, who would have though fishermen had that much hate.

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