I've always found it stupid how the US census classifies 'hispanics'.
Personally though I don't think we should classify based on certain country ancestry because for most it's meaningless. I want to slap so called 'Irish Americans', 'Scottish Americans', 'Swedish Americans', 'Italian Americans', etc. You are not fucking Irish or Scottish or whatever. The only reason I'm cool with 'Mexican American' and a few others is because they are either recent enough to still have the distinction or because we white Americans label them as such, meaning they kind of have to distinguish themselves.
Edit: Also I hate how Spain is lumped into the same category as Latin America since really they only share language and some minor things. Every 'Spanish American' I know is like every other white person and is not a part of the 'hispanic community'. I'll stop talking about race when you all do. By the way, am I one of those overly politically correct people?
but... that's part of your heritage if your family is from a certain country.
(04-18-2013, 03:39 AM)Grungie Wrote: [ -> ]but... that's part of your heritage if your family is from a certain country.
Only to a certain point in my opinion. If you're a first generation Irish American or something I understand. But if my only 'tr00 heritage' is English from the 17th century, does that make me English? The correct answer is no. It gets to the point where it is ridiculous. Is an Icelander an Icelander or is he/she mixed Norse? Is an Englishman an Englishman or is he part Anglo-Saxon, part Norman, with possibly some Celtic blood? Is a Mexican a Mexican or is he/she mixed Spanish and various indigenous peoples?
I think you see my point. I cannot claim any English heritage, and the same thing applies to people who's families have been in America for so many years that they are a part of American culture only and have no connection to their 'homeland'.
Actually Icelandic people are Scandinavian people which would make them Norse.
So why are Black people able to call themselves African American if they don't really have anything to do with Africa? They have just as much to do with Africa as you do with England.
(04-18-2013, 03:45 AM)Grungie Wrote: [ -> ]Actually Icelandic people are Scandinavian people which would make them Norse.
So why are Black people able to call themselves African American if they don't really have anything to do with Africa? They have just as much to do with Africa as you do with England.
My wording with the Iceland analogy was worded wrong. Iceland is a Nordic country but I was referring to the Norse kingdoms that existed before modern Scandinavian countries existed.
My view on why they should be called 'African American' has less to do with how I actually view them and more to do with me compromising with various views to find the most appropriate/acceptable term.
I agree with Carl. Everyone who is a US citizens should just be American and thats it. Actually they should be US citizens, because America is not a country, its a set of continents.
(04-18-2013, 03:49 AM)Danjo Wrote: [ -> ]I agree with Carl. Everyone who is a US citizens should just be American and thats it. Actually they should be US citizens, because America is not a country, its a set of continents.
Well at this point I think we have the right to refer to ourselves as Americans. The US is just a political term that has no relevance to the American people as a
nation, if you know what I mean.
With that said, I would encourage indigenous North Americans and indigenous Hawaiians to not associate themselves as American (same with those living in US territories), but the rest of us should only be American unless you are a dual national or you come from a recent immigrant family, making it difficult to only be 'American'.
(04-18-2013, 03:48 AM)carlcockatoo Wrote: [ -> ]My view on why they should be called 'African American' has less to do with how I actually view them and more to do with me compromising with various views to find the most appropriate/acceptable term.
That's kind if idiotic since they're called black in every other non-African country. They're called Black Canadians, not African Canadians, or Black Britains instead of African Britains. Why does America have to be the odd one out with this?
I don't get this "compromising" thing.
(04-18-2013, 03:53 AM)Grungie Wrote: [ -> ]That's kind if idiotic since they're called black in every other non-African country. They're called Black Canadians, not African Canadians, or Black Britains instead of African Britains. Why does America have to be the odd one out with this?
We don't have to be. Personally I am divided on both sides.
But I honestly just don't know, so I choose to go with what is generally accepted. By the way I don't use any of those terms in real life, I just say black.
Edit: By compromise I mean by analysing its historical usage and by hearing various viewpoints by black people themselves.