How come us African-Americans are called "Black"?

Talk to the "leaders" who decide these things !

I readily agree that a color based label can be alienating to the lighter shades in contrast to the usage of the term black.

But, what terminology should be used then ?

Cushites - nah those who Ethiopians !

AmerAfricans - copying AmerIndian

AmeroSwahi -

Please note: there is a danger in this in that the people with a strictly ethnic term tend to be dominated & represented by the lighter skinned elements amongst them even if the majority of the people are brown. This is certainly true of Hispanics & Filipinos.

Well for a start you have answered your own question in saying that everybody in America even the ones born there are more of something else than they are American, ie African American refers to the nearest plus 5000 year old racial tribal group that that individual can be identified as belonging to and includes the name of the country for easy reference to anyone.. America is such a young country with a short history compared to everywhere else that grouping people in this way is hardly strange or even a cause for concern, practically all other countries were originally formed by tribes such as the celts or danes or Arabs or Anglo Saxons, jutes and angles. In England saxons jutes and angles over a 1000 year period merged their cultures to become English and their Land England, in germany > saxons huns and goths etc and so forth. So tribes form kingdoms , kingdoms form nations and they are usually one type of ethnic group, in England all the tribes where white but that is neither here nor there, as say in france these white Europeans can be defined and recognized by their habits , body language,faciall features and mannerisms as they can in Russia or poland , this is without even touching on their surnames or religion. So you see that America has a long long way to go, before it develops a defined an fully Integrated cultural form that can only be recognized as American and Nothing else, from all the imported cultures and racial types that make up the present American society Give it a further 2000 yrs say and your question will be academic

Every label is stupid and inaccurate in terms of descriptive viability. What are you going to do? Like Sissy K already said, we're all just various shades of brown.

Some people really are crazy. If you have a problem being called wht, then just say so. We'll call you whatever you want - it's not our fault you haven't gotten organized and demanded a new classification. You can do that you know. I never did think about it because that's what you guys chose to call yourselves. That didn't come from anyone else. Like I said, if you guys are now of a different mind, just let us know. Simple as that. I honestly didn't realize it was an issue. Calm down, take a few deep breaths and be heartened by the fact that, while you can't call me the n word, you can call me Sunny.

So what the hell are we supposed to call you!?!?!?

\When referring to my friend Kenny should I say "Yeah, you know Kenny, the brown guy?"

Please tell us so we don't continue to make the same mistake over and again.

And for the record, most white people don't care what they're called. Maybe if you were a little less sensitive then people would leave you alone. Call me an ***hole and I don't care.

weeder

It's called "nomenclature" and it changes over time. The preferred nomenclature (in writing/journalism at least) these days when referring to a person of indigenous African heritage is African-American. However it is stylistically and "grammatically" incorrect to refer to people of indigenous European descent as Caucasian because Caucasian specifically refers to people hailing from a region called the Caucasus (sort of Eurasia). Thus, persons of European descent are referred to as "white" (even though I think this is dumb). Ironically, in relation to your question, my African-American coworkers REALLY dislike being referred to as "African-Americans" in print (I work for a medical publisher). They vehemently want to be identified as "black persons" not "African-Americans" (pointing out that its been generations since any ancestors were from Africa and that some of their ancestors were all or part white) and have requested that I use the term 'black persons" in the journals that I edit. To be sensitive to my coworkers feelings, I have complied with their request although this is contrary to editing style books that I am supposed to adhere to.

well sweetie, heres one for you, why cant we just all be people? Why does a label have to be attached to us? White, black, brown, whats it matter? If you are born here, you are American, period. If you become a legal citizen, you are American, period. Seems easy enough for me.This so called "politically correct" crap is nothing but garbage, and another way to separate us all from each other as human beings!

Why should anyone care how people identify themselves? If you don't want to be called black then fine, just say so. No big deal. Why make an issue of nothing?

were you born in africa?? ok then you are from black African descendants, I am brown AND I LOVE MY BROWN SKIN COLOR , I am Hawaiian so you can call me Hawaiian, and in south america "*****, NEGRA" is black and in Chile where moslty are all light skinned the ones with dark hair and light skin are called black and they love it . you are still black. get over it. or do you prefer SEPIA, MAHOGANY, CHESTNUT??

Same reason people call me white!!!!!

What do you want me to call you......"brown"?

I mean.....If I look at you wrong , or if I say the "n" word, or If I call you a colored person, then you say I am racist, and now you don't want ppl to call you "black"!!

Let me ask you a question......What the hell "can" we do???????

What would "you" prefer me to call you??

Here we go again.......It is ok for you to call me honkey, or cracker,but you get offended and start riots if I were to call you a *** ger!!

NOW..........You don't want to even be called black, but it's ok to call me white...You ever thought about that???

Tell me when you have seen a white person the color of snow!!!

Never!

Good answer Sissy K!

its enculturation hon. accepted terminology that is supported by everything associated with work, personal life and society. i too, wish that the color of my skin was irrelevent to everyday life, but sad to say, thats the society we live in...