Why don't Americans with European ancestry call themselves Euro-Americans like "African-Americans" do?
We are all Americans--equally. Even if our ancestors did not choose to be here, we all have the choice now. If we want to be African, we should move there and get citizenship; or move to Europe, or Rusia, or china, or anywhere else all, but native Americans, ancestors may have originally come from. I do not see white Americans or black Americans, or yellow, or red, or any beautiful mix. We are all just Americans. That is what we are supposed to be all about. It is 2007 and we are still dealing with this insanity!?! As long as we allow ourselves to stay separated, there will NEVER be unity. If we do not allow the goverment to segregate us, why do we let ourselves? We are one nation under God. And, "All men are created equal".
2007-05-27T23:11:56Z
I don't know...is ignorance bliss? you tell me. Africa is a far larger continent than Europe with many more countries. African American was a term dubbed by black people. And Spost826--can u read? Try again.
2007-05-27T23:17:46Z
No kai, they aint shiznit. They are people. Try being one. Wake up and grow up and get right.
mixedraceperson2007-05-29T05:40:00Z
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It sounds as if you -- like many other members of our society -- really need to try to begin to understand that the 'African-American' (AA) 'Ethnic' group is *not* the same group as the’Black American' (BA) 'Race' group -- that the two (2) terms are *not* synonymous and that the two (2) terms should *not* be used inter-changeably.
We are *not* speaking of ‘semantics’ here – but rather – the BAs & AAs are two different groups of people.
The AAs are the (largely Mixed-Race) ETHNIC group.
The BAs are the (Mono-Raced) RACE group.
As confusing as it seems -- the U.S. government [due to racism & wanting to stigmatize the part of their lineage that was from Africa which, by the way, is only one part of their lineage] ---
has labeled those individuals who are the known "descendents of the survivors" of the system of chattel-slavery found in the USA as being AAs (the hyphen is used in reference to acknowledging the fact that most of them are Mixed-Race, with African & non-African blood lines)
AND
has labeled those people who are "volitional immigrants" who are directly from places such as the continent of African, the West Indies, etc. -- as being BAs (with the word 'Black' used in reference to acknowledging the fact that they are of a Mono-racial full-Black lineage).
In addition, it should also be remembered that – although some AAs adhere to a socio-political ‘identity’ that is often described by the slang term of “black”—the AAs are actually *not* a "Race" group at all -- but rather they *are* a largely Mixed-Race 'Ethnic' group (and the socio-political ‘identity’ that a person chooses *does not* change their racially-mixed ancestral lineage).
Most (+70%) of the people born to two (2) parents who are of the AA ‘Ethnic’ group are are of a Multi-Racially ‘Mixed’ (MGM) lineage – while the people to two (2) parents who are of the BA ‘Racial’ group – on the other hand – are of a Mono-Racially ‘Black’ lineage.
There is a big difference between a largely Multi-racial 'Ethnic' group and between a Mono-racial 'Race group.
In addition, there is also a big difference between one's socio-political 'identity' (ex. "black") and one's ancestral racial 'lineage' (ex. 'Mixed').
Just because a person adheres to a given socio-political 'identity' does *not* change the composition of their ancestral 'lineage'.
Also -- the 'One-Drop' Rule (the false teaching that 'any amount' of Black ancestral lineage make a person "full black") is nothing more than pure-racism.
The racist 'One-Drop Rule' (used only by the United States government, by the way) was created during the antebellum, chattel-slavery era by White racial supremacist in order to get people to believe the false racist myth that the so-called White "race" was "pure" and to falsely view the Black "racial" admixture (even the slightest amount) within someone's ancestral lineage as being "tainted".
To embrace the 'One-Drop Rule' is the equivalent of BOTH embracing "racism" and embracing the false teaching that a Mixed-Race person's Black lineage is "tainted".
My advice is that a non-Racist should *not* embrace the concept of the 'One-Drop Rule' -- as "Black blood" is *not* "tainted" -- and should never be perceived or embraced as being so (not even in the name of so-called "pride" and "unity").
In addition, legally-speaking, attempted forcible application of the racist 'One-Drop Rule' -- against any individual or group -- was made illegal and ruled as unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in 1967 via the case of 'Loving vs. The State of Virginia'.
Through the 'Loving vs. Virginia' case, the U.S. Supreme Court, ruled against both all of the laws banning Interracial marriage -- and -- also ruled that any so-called law which forcibly applied the 'One Drop Rule' -- was racist, discriminatory, illegal, unconstitutional, and non-enforcible.
--- Dr. Luigi Caveli-Sforza, who is the Executive Director of the Human Genome Project and the world's foremost authority on human genetics has both tested and proven that more that 70% of all AAs have a full ancestral lineage which consists of +20-30% White / European and more than +25% Amerindian bloodlines.
--- That means that the 'average' (+70%) person born to two (2) parents who are both members of the AA Ethnic group actually has slightly less than 50% Black / African blood lineage found in his or her full-ancestral lineage.
For more information -- see supporting links listed below:
It should also be noted that -- contrary to popular belief and myth spread among many groups who are not educated or informed on the whole topic -- it was not the group that is currently being referred to as being the African-Americans (AAs) -- who chose this term for them -- but rather -- like so many of the other terms used to describe them -- this term was also implemented by the United States federal government (starting with the 1990 United States 'Census Bureau' Forms).
If a person insists on spreading the 'myth' that it was the AAs who chose this term for themselves -- it is clearly indicative of the fact that they have never even once actually studied the entire topic and are simply basing their comments on assumption-based ignorance -- rather than objective facts and empirical evidence.
was not going to reply till I saw this person calling you ignorant hucklebe..It seems he thinks africa is a country ! As the places he names are countries and not continents. He is using the racist cards when he has no clue that africa is also made up of many people ! Afghanistan is in africa and they are predomininatly arabs ....egyptians are a mix of people as well and I have many friends who are white from africa It seems he is racist to me !!! Instead of saying African americans ...why not say Nigerian american or somalian american or Ethiopian american...? Someone here says they use it because they do not know where their ancestors came from ? Well after a while if you don't even know which country and obviously do not practice your culture then just like other whites who can't figure it out either in america your AMERICAN!
Well, most likely we don't call ourselve 'Euro-Americans' because it's way too general. Europe is so huge and there are so many countries. Most people are a mix between a few countries or quite a large portion, but not all of Europe. Second, there was a time in American history when the assimilation of all foriegn immigrants were brought into what was called an "American culture." Everybody that was an immigrant at the time was called to be assimilated. You can research this at some point, but it did happen. Even though it wasn't a good thing, it still happened. The second part of your question wasn't really a question, but I would say, that you have good observational skills.
Often people whose ancestors come from Europe do cite the country of origin, rather than the continent. For example, one hears of Franco-Americans, Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans.