Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 28 replies, 29 voices, and was last updated 20 years, 5 months ago by
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Why do African-American teens seem to think they are just average, equal, All-Americans, and don’t care or bother to want to know about where they came from? They have African in them: Braids, rhythmic music, black faces and muscles, and that attitude of prideness, and negro spirituals. Don’t forget the ‘African’ part of your names!
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Name : Laila-S, Gender : F, City : Johannesburg, State : NA, Country : South Africa,I have heard that Africans think that African Americans are not truly Africans. This is because most African Americans are mixed with white or other races.
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Name : Jona, City : Chantilly, State : VA, Country : United States,African Americans act ‘American’ because they ARE American. If everyone were to follow your philosophy, then Anglo-Americans would act British, German-Americans German and so forth. Also, cultures differ from region to region and from generation to generation. Immigrants who came here in the 1970s have a different view and culture than those who came here from the same country 30 years later.
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Name : Cynthia31724, Gender : F, Race : Asian, Age : 24, City : Toronto, State : NA, Country : Canada, Occupation : Graduate Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,The reason may be because, personally, I am American. I have never been to Africa, my mother has never been to Africa,neither has my grandmother or her mother. Sure our ancestors came from Africa, but because this is the only country most of us or our families have ever known, we do not feel as connected to the motherland. I took Black History and learned many things about the great and vast continent of Africa, and do consider myself African-American, but that is truly skin deep. Blacks and Africans may be the same race, however, we are not the same nationality, and many times nationality ties can be as strong as racial ones. Also,there is a sense among many African-Americans that I know that most Africans do not like us, call us ‘Catas’ (short for ‘cotton-pickers’) and consider our blood ‘diluted’. Indeed, when a cousin of mine took a trip to an African country, many treated her with disdain when they found out she was a Black American. Go figure.
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Name : AmberW, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 23, City : Greenville, State : NC, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I always wondered the same about white people in America. Society doesn’t encourge whites to get in touch with their European roots. Kids without pride in their heritage find other more negative ways to express themselves. To answer your question, kids in general aren’t interested in heritage because they are kids and they adopt pop culture instead.
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Name : Kathy, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 37, City : Fresno, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower class,There are some African-Americans who are interested in their African heritage and there are some who are not. It’s the same for white Americans. Some are interested in their European heritage and some are not. Many Americans whose families have been in the US for generations do not know the details of where their family originated. In many families, even those who know where their people came from, the culture of the ‘old country’ has no relevance in their lives. Their family has been American for so long that they are truely all-American. For African-Americans, this is more common because many of their people came to America as slaves. No record of where they came from was kept.
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Name : Jennifer31059, Gender : F, Age : 29, City : San Jose, State : CA, Country : United States, Social class : Middle class,You sound real ingnorant. So what are you trying to sat that all the white people that came over to the U.S are all american. I don’t think so. You need to do a little bit more research on the black culture in the U.S. You seem to not know that much. If you came over here to the U.S I’m sure you would like to be treated equal. Like you said we have African in us and that don’t mean African and it really doesn’t mean African American. I’m black, Irish, German, 3 different types of Indian(Native American).
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Name : Adena-R, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Methodist, Age : 19, City : Baltimore, State : MD, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class,I can’t speak specifically for black kids, or even for Americans, but I can speak for North Americans and I think that it applies to most people here. Quite simply, we are all citizens of Canada or the United States, that means we are ‘all’ Canadian and American. Black Canadians and Americans have an heritage just as white Canadians and Americans do, but we are not our heritage. I find my Finn/ Swedish /Irish /Scots/English heritage interesting and I incorporate some things into my life, but I am not a Finn, or a Swede, or an Irishman, or a Scotsman, or and Englishman. I was born here in Canada and I am a Canadian. Black kids in Canada and the United States who were born here are Canadians and Americans with an African heritage which they may choose to embrace or not. I think we have reached a point in our global history where the colour of our skin does not define our nationality.
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Name : lynette22486, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 47, City : british columbia, State : NA, Country : Canada, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Who says that they aren’t all ‘American’? Who knows where we came from originally? I don’t. Some black people came from other countries. Some did come from africa. Many of the faces you see are decendents of numerous races. I am of some sort of ‘African’ decent, I also come from Native American, White (whereverthat may be) and French-Canadian. I look black and so does everyone in my family. Do I say I’m African american? Also, British men and women of African decent don’t walk saying they are African British? What about the Blacks in Canada? It’s absurd to ask Americans to walk around saddled with yet another title when there are so many other places that black people reside that you can accost. Also, if the seat of humanity comes from Africa, shouldn’t you say that the white people should call themselves African as well. The native americans too. Oh and people of latin and chicano descent too. Don’t forget about the asians. All I want you to see is that this seems to be more about you and your pride of country, than about commen sense about who the young people and the ‘others’ of the United States.
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Name : Cheron, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 30, City : Twin Lake, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : Data Entry, Education level : 2 Years of College,The reason I consider myself far more American than African is pretty simple: my family has been in this country for at least 250 years! When were brought here we were much forced to forget all about most of our old culture– even with extensive research I still don’t know which part of Africa my ancestors came from or what language they spoke. The records are all missing, or were never kept in the first place. It’s hard to have any emotional connection to a whole continent with 100 of different cultures like Africa. If I knew which one was mine I might be able to make a connection. But trying to celebrate ‘African culture’ is just a hard as trying to celebrate ‘European culture’ There is not such thing as a single monolithic ‘African culture’ — you know? In the time black people have been in America we’ve had an important role in shaping the culture. So, I have no problem calling it my own. I know people who are recent immigrants from Africa and the cultural differences between us are just a as great as say between me and someone from China or Tasmania– Also, many African American people are mixed– My ancestors include native Americans and Irish people– for this reason I think I’d be pretty strange to just focus on Africa a the source of my heritage. Hope that answers your question!
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Name : S, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Atheist, Age : 23, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : Math Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class,Hi: American Blacks of all ages DO want to know more about their African heritage – I know I do, BUT most of us can only trace our ancestry so far. We know we are from Africa, but no longer know what country in Africa we are from, or what tribe,etc. Because of slavery and the fact that we were FORCED to abandon our culture when we landed in the United States the African part of ourselves for most American Blacks is permanently lost. That is why we all have Anglo last names. Alex Haley (the author of ‘Roots’) was rare in being able to trace his ancestry not only back to the African continent, but to the tribe his people came from – a literal miracle considering the fact that almost none of that information was preserved by white slave owners.
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Name : Kathy26676, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Nashville, State : TN, Country : United States,We are american u know. So why not act like what we are? It’s not like we’re calling ourselves white or anything.
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Name : kimmi, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : ontario, State : CA, Country : United States,When my ancestors were brought over here from Africa, they were stripped of all of their ‘Africaness’. So much so that four hundred years later, we still cannot trace what part of Africa we are from. Most black Americans have tried to find their roots but thorough records were not kept in the 1600’s so a good majority of us have no idea. Does it bother us that we have no connection to Africa? Of course, but nothing can be done about that now, so why pine over it. I would love to know where in Africa my ancestors, but, right now I know for a fact that I was born here. I love this country.
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Name : Monika, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 26, City : Houston, State : TX, Country : United States, Occupation : Applications Development, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,what do you mean we think we are all Americans WE are just as much Americans than any white person in this country. We don’t have to read a textbook to realize that we are from Africa-we wear the skin everyday-Should I remind you we have black history month. African-Americans do find it difficult to relate back to africa because due to the cruelty of slavery and it’s effects on us we have no knowledge of our definite past connection with certain African tribes. WE know we are the descendants of thoses who built the great Pyramids,the givers of mathematics(geometry) the inventors of astronomy,-but the African American experience is all we know,it is all we have been taught. We need not identify ourselves as Mandikka,Ethopian,etc We know we are the survivals of 400 years of brutal oppression yet we remain,we have pulled our selves to equality with our former oppressors that is enough to embellish-OUr Chiefs are Dr.King,RosaParks,WEB Dubois,George Carver,Colin Powell and many others we make our American Experience our ultimate history.We are not Africans we are African-Americans
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Name : Groover, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 18, City : Jacksonville, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : High school, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class,
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