A controversial and failing attempt to euphemize an identity phrase for Black Americans. Unfortunately for the phrase's potential to be literally correct, all humans came from Africa at one time, therefore all people, regardless of breed, color, ethnicity or however one may choose to categorize them, are of African descent. Another problem the more-educated population has with the phrase is that the quickest way to know which specific type of African American one is referring to is to look at their skin. This takes the subject of conversation back to black, eliminating the function of the euphemistic-intentioned phrase. Due to it's failure to positively convey the identity of the Black American without error, the phrase has evolved into a dysphemism and is often spoken between air quotes.
Correct: Aboriginal Australians are black, and many of African emmigrants are black, but African Americans range in color as far as human potential has seen.
Incorrect: Jesse Jackson is an African American but Richard Nixon is not.
Incorrect: Jesse Jackson is an African American but Richard Nixon is not.
by Ruhbee! April 25, 2007
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.
"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.
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.
by Amaru1971 March 10, 2008
a person of color who should have the same fucking rights as anyone else because this is america and america should be a welcoming country to ALL FUCKIN PEOPLE, including the people who LITERALLY ARE THE FOUNDATION OF IT.
african americans are people too who have feelings and rights that are fucking valid and fucking matter. come at me.
by _macy_in_2020_ May 31, 2020
The word given to black people as a way of making them feel less american then everyone else. Making them feel like they all belong or grew up in Africa when most have families that trace back to america in the 18th-19th century. Or 1700's-1800's for people who don't know.
- A word given to black americans only by other americans, not used in any other countries to refer to black americans.
- A word given to black americans only by other americans, not used in any other countries to refer to black americans.
Son: Why are brown people called African-Americans?
DAD: Because they're all African!
Son: Then why aren't we called European-American?
Dad: Because white people are true Americans.
DAD: Because they're all African!
Son: Then why aren't we called European-American?
Dad: Because white people are true Americans.
by TheUrbainDict July 18, 2015
A term meant to describe Americans of African origin. The term 'Black' and its predecessor 'Negro' have fallen out of favor due to a plethora of reasons, most particularly the terms 'Black' and 'Negro' do not define a specific place since Asians could be defined as Black, see Vijay Singh, moreover the term Negro which fell out of favor decades ago because it failed to properly represent a place African Americans could relate to. The term 'African American' has fallen into the acceptable realm of a proper definition because it defines a place, it defines a region where Africans are one.
Which begs the question, why would Americans of African ethnicity WANT to assocciate themselves with a place other than America? Simply put, slavery, Jim Crow and continued disenfranchizement of African Americans has led them to create a moniker as a defence mechanism, a way to associate with others of their kind in collective objection to American 'White' culture as a whole.
The numerous entries on this thread detailing the ineffectual and unneccessary use of the term African American clearly shows the lack of understanding whites have about people of African ethnicity. Perhaps people should get to know an African American, get to know them before passing judgements and making childish and inane comments about how people choose to refer to themselves.
Which begs the question, why would Americans of African ethnicity WANT to assocciate themselves with a place other than America? Simply put, slavery, Jim Crow and continued disenfranchizement of African Americans has led them to create a moniker as a defence mechanism, a way to associate with others of their kind in collective objection to American 'White' culture as a whole.
The numerous entries on this thread detailing the ineffectual and unneccessary use of the term African American clearly shows the lack of understanding whites have about people of African ethnicity. Perhaps people should get to know an African American, get to know them before passing judgements and making childish and inane comments about how people choose to refer to themselves.
I am a proud African American. Irrespective of the fact that I have no relatives in Africa, the people in that region of the world are closer to me than any American of euro-trash ancestry ever will be.
by Franz Fanon May 10, 2005
African-american people who deserve to be treated just like any other person. People how have minds too and that should be judged by their personality instead of the color of their skin at first glance. People who are great if you get to know them(that was for the racist, regardless of your color). I'm SO proud of being afrian-american.
African-Americans are just like every other good person in the world. Just like that white soccer mom that can do no harm(in some cases).
by MMMUUUHAHAHAH October 22, 2005
While the term 'African American' may seem nothing more than a PC term for 'blacks,' it does carry a signficant amount of social implications. It is inappropriate and quite uneducated to assume that an entire group of people should be degraded to the description of a color, namely black. The term is referring to an entire race of people who have historically undergone discrimination, oppression, segregation and slavery in THIS country for over 3 centuries. Thus, the label 'African American' subsequently emerged as a response to the overwhelming amount of racism still prevalent in modern society. It attempts to erradicate previous racist notions that non-whites are somehow (even biologically) inferior to whites. It also attempts to provide them with a certain heritage as well as a respect for a socially disadvantaged group who still face de facto discrimination. (side note- I am not black or African American, I am actually a member of a privileged race, for those of you who think only a 'black' person should give a damn about the subordination of others, and the violation of our Constitution's equal protection clauses- see 14th amendment. Feel free to look up any terms you may be confused about- in fact, they designed wikipedia for ignorant individuals such as yourself)
Educated people, or perhaps only Harvard grads, do not refer to others in terms of the amount of melanin in their skin. They have moved beyond, or evolved so to speak, PAST the concept of race. Connotating 'African-American' with one's actual descent is not only irrational, but clearly misses the point. Caucasians are presumed to be of European decent, wheras the majority cannot afford a passport to travel outside of the U.S. border.
by E. Gardener May 2, 2007