According to the United States government, African-Americans (Black Americans) are:
"Residents or citizens of the United States, who have biological origins in any
black ethnic group on the continent of Africa"
What African-American does not mean:
1) It does not mean that blacks born in the U.S. are African. It means that these Americans are of African descent. A specific country of origin cannot be named because enslaved Africans were stripped of their culture.
2) It does not apply to
people who come from Africa, unless they are biologically African (i.e.
Black)
3) Legally it does apply to blacks from Africa, the Caribbean, South
America, Europe,
Asia, and Australia.....as long as they reside within the borders of the United States.
Notable African-Americans include
Bill Cosby, El Haji Malik El Shabbaz, Martin Luther King, and Medgar Evers
Person #1 - Is a white
person from Nigeria, who lives in the U.S., an African-American?
Me- Legally no they are not. That person would be considered a White Nigerian-American.