why do we use this African-American, Mexican-American went we are all Americans?

Thank you Thank you Thank you I've been waiting for someone with the same thoughts as me on this subject for so long!!!

I don't get it either... I live in NY and I see more people around now with Italian flags and Puerto Rican flags on thier cars and tattooed on them, it's like everyone forgot what country they live in. At the last job I had, this girl I knew, who was Japanese, said she would only date Japanese guys because she didn't want to chance falling in love and having kids with someone other than that so her children's blood wouldn't be dilluted with "other" blood... What? I couldn't believe it when I heard it. People actually think like this?

I am Cuban and Spanish on my mother's side and Italian on my father's. I am the first generation born here on my mother's side and the third generation on my father's. I am proud to have all the history that goes with my backgrounds (and all that good food) but I'm an American first and foremost. I can acknowledge that and I don't know why so many other people have a hard time with it.

We are seperating ourselves and if we don't all realize that we are all Americans we're just going to end up fighting eachother. It's great that America is a melting pot because it keeps everything interesting but people treat it like being an American is nothing special and would rather represent somewhere else. In my opinion if they feel that strongly about it they can get out of my face with it and leave America to the Americans that want it.

Well Alex being a new person here to the states you probably don't understand the racial dynamics involved. Historically all groups were initially grouped so if you came here in the 1880's you would have definitely been considered German. As time has passed many of those distinctions are not as relevant, but the ones discerning minorities have stayed in place. It has not been that long when many African-Americans, Mexican-Americans were very restricted in what they could do as far as education, voting and such. In fact my father could not vote legally in some states here until he was in his 30's. Reading some of the responses it seems that people are saying that this is minority groups trying to remain seperate and distinct, but the exact opposite is true White America are the ones that put these barriers in place. With things like Jim Crow laws, Chinese Exclusion Act, and other similar legislation that was directed at Mexicans, Slavs, the Irish.

American Indians is not correct. It's Native Americans. They have no connection to Indians, other than Columbus thought he was in India when he got here.

It has to do with being proud of your heritage and not forgetting where you come from, if you are willing to use the term yourself. If it's a white person, or person of another race using it, it either has to do with racism or just not knowing how to describe youto people--it's only a matter of time until you have to use some kind of cultural term after trying to say, "average height, average build, such and such hair color..." If you wanted to go by German American, people would be confused, but most wouldn't care.

So true. People are always talking about how to end racism and prejudice in this country, and one of the main ways is to stop using 'politically correct' terms. Like you say, we are all Americans. Using African American and such keeps us separated into groups, and when we are separated, we can never look at one another as equals. Sadly, there seems to be no way to stop this.

why does this bother you so much? who gave you the right to decide who can stay and who can go? if someone wants to call themselves a 'mexican american' or an 'african american' or a 'german american', how is that harming anyone? have you heard of a thing called 'the pursuit of happiness?'...it's one of our inalienable rights...or have we turned into a nation of busybodies, trying to tell everyone what to say and think and call themselves...talk about political correctness! and please stop pretending to speak for the rest of us...'so say we all', my foot...grow up and quit whining!

Just in case you have forgotten, America is a country full of different cultures and I see nothing wrong with anyone taking pride in their culture and heritage. I'm proud to be ASIAN American and if you don't like too bad, I'm not going anywhere either.

I think (my opinion) is that people all have a nationalistic attitude wether they admit it or not. So to say African or Mexican before American, they're showing their sense of pride in their ethnicity.

Hey, I am Caucasian/white American. Heck, every time I turn around they want me to say what race I belong to. Actually, I agree we are all AMERICANS, but I don't see an end in sight. I married an Asian woman and they have her as Asian-American and she hasn't even gotten her citizenship yet. Makes you wonder huh.

I only say African American if someone asks me something about a person who is Black. I think it sounds more polite to say it that way.... but yes, we're all just Americans.

Racism racism racism and I don't mean white people. That's how it started and it's still being perpetuated today.

They cry racism but they don't mean it. They just do it because they know it works. First they didn't like being called *****. So they insisted on being called "black". Then they realized being called "black" was similar to being called "white". They didn't want to be categorized in an equal manner. So they changed it to "African American". Now some of them get mad if you call them "black". Give me a break. What's next? We are no longer "African Americans". We are "Africans" living in America. So you have to call me an "African" or you're a racist! I'm being cynical and for good reason. I've lived each change. You can't label yourself then cry "racism".

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