The current, acceptable, feminist-certified, polically correct way to refer to anyone of african descent. Designed to eliminate any unintended racial tension in this hypersensitive, perpetually offended society we've become where people just can't lighten the fuck up anymore.
That's not a poor black guy dressed up as Santa Claus, that's an economically disadvantaged african american exercising the right to achieve monetary compensation by commercially benefiting from the eurocentrically imposed midwinter festival"
by T.Y. July 16, 2004
Get the african-american mug.
A term commonly used to refer to American blacks, who by now are no more african than any other american.
"Now they're calling us African Americans," said Bill Cosby, "We used to be black."
by Killing Kittens October 24, 2004
Get the African-American mug.
‘I’m not frickin’ African American. I’m American. I have never been to Africa, and I never want to. I can barely tell you five countries in the stupid place.’

Black people aren’t offended by the word ‘black’. Only white people are. Which makes no sense whatsoever. Truthfully, if you came up to me and called me an ‘African American’ then I’d be offended, but if you called me ‘black’ I probably wouldn’t even notice.
by Johnny Twoguns August 5, 2004
Get the African-American mug.
1. A person, born on the continent of Africa, who becomes a naturalized citizen of the United States of America.
2. The most commonly misused word, (albeit one deemed politically correct by people afraid to use the words "black" or "colored") describing the black population of the United States of America.
While Taneisha thought she was African-American, she was born right here in Lower Alabama.
by Bad, Bad, Leroy Jones October 10, 2003
Get the African-American mug.
A person who was originally from Africa who has been made a citizen of the United States.

Note: Just because your great-great-great-grandpa was from Africa doesnt make you an African-American
Salif just moved here from Africa.
by sjl October 10, 2004
Get the African-American mug.
A euphemism for "black" when referring to people. Used by politically correct morons who are afraid to use proper language in fear of offending someone.
Moron: He's African-American right?
Me: No, he's BLACK.
by W August 4, 2004
Get the African-American mug.
9 times out of 10, the "politically correct" way of referring to a Black person, even one who has never set foot outside of the US, and was born here. A completely misleading term for a couple of reasons:

1) the phrase implies you were born in Africa and then moved to the US. While that's the case for some, such as model Alek Wek, someone such as Chris Rock or myself, born in the US, is BLACK.

2) despite the stereotype, there ARE white people originally from Africa who move to the US, i.e. actress Charlize Theron. Although the phrase was coined primarily for Blacks, techically, Theron IS an African-American, or at least, more African-American than I am, in the literal sense of the word.

The word is a roundabout way of calling someone Black because "Black" is considered offensive, even though the late James Brown said to "Say it loud...I'm Black and I'm proud." Even when someone says the term, you can tell they're trying their best to tiptoe around being offensive.
1. Presidential hopeful Barack Obama could be considered African-American, as his father is from Kenya. Jesse Jackson, on the other hand, is Black.

2. "Did you know that, in 2002, Denzel Washington and Halle Berry became the first African-Americans to win Best Actor and Actress Oscars in the same year?"
---"No, but I know they became the first BLACKS to win that award. Charlize Theron is the first African-American to win a Best Actress Oscar."
by The Producer September 25, 2007
Get the African-American mug.