When are Americans going to stop using the term "African American"?

there is no telling. It was the liberal left in the 1980s that started coming up with all these hyphenated "American" titles. Suddenly, if a white person called someone black, it meant they were "labeling" someone. I don't demand that people call me a "European American", so I don't plan on ever referring to someone as an "African American". If someone asks me to physically describe someone, I used plan old English words like black, white, tall, short, etc.. You are absolutely right. This PC crap needs to end.

Americans will stop using the term when the label is no longer useful. The term initially was a way to reach towards distant roots. Due to slavery, most black people in the United States felt rootless and connected to no common heritage, so claiming ties to a plausible place of origin was a way to connect both to each other, and to a possible homeland.

Personally, if you wanted to call yourself Scottish American and embrace that as a vital part of your identity, I would respect that and you. I have not found America a melting pot but a crucible. Only when we are tested do we find the stuff of which we are made.

I find it interesting that President-Elect Obama is truly African American, with a specific place to trace his origins. As far as individual success is concerned, each of us must determine our limits and our aspirations, find those who would help us on our way, and work very hard.

Well if you watch or talk to any "African-Americans" they still will say they are black--only whites say "African-American" probably we feel to be "politically correct"-I am white and not racist at all-but hopefully we can get to a point to not look at color--but is still a part of our make-up as a country--until things are totally fair with schools and opportunity we should have that "white-guilt"--my ancestors came over way after slavery the Emancipation--in the 1900's--but do realize that my children have it so much better becuase of the color of their skin--white-for the most part they have better schools,live in better neighborhoods --yes Barack Obama is a start--but we really need to realize that as generations have passed until 50 years ago we never gave black people a chance--now is the time to come together as a country of all races and I really hope that as Obama is black--he will make everything fair redo the inner city schools--I taught their so understand--young black kids don't have the same chance--lets give it to them and see what happens?

Some people think we should think of our country as a melting pot. That we should recognize our equalities and embrace that we are one.

Others fight this, sometimes to the extreme because of prejudice and stereotypes.

Others embrace this melting pot, but feel the need to remember what group they belong, or how they came to land in this pot. This is okay. In fact it is important. As we continue to heal this country from the ugly part of its past, we should spend more time openly talking about how we came to land in this pot and the flavor we add to it, then trying to hide all the flavors. If you don't suggest the difference and importance of each ingredient, someone may forget you are needed.

Calling people African American is actually not a bad display of inequality and I think if you can give yourself a moment to recognize the historical impact of the label you can see that it is one way to remind people of how some black people got into this melting pot. So, in response to your question, I think we will do so when we really allow people to openly talk about how African people came to America. (And actually, many Africans were here before 1607 and didn't catch a ride on a slave ship.) America needs to start dealing with its history. Race is still a very touchy subject. As much as we deal with it. We don't deal with it. Think about the historical impact of this election and Obama himself, couldn't even mention he was a black man without committing campaign suicide. McCain had to be real careful if he wanted to bring it up as well.

When it no longer is such a touchy subject, I think we will begin to see a decline in labels and people needing to grab onto labels to define their historical past.

Either way who cares..... I am an American First all else second but think about it American African just sounds weird, Let people say what they want cause technically canadians are american too they live in north america.... either way I hope the United States has Land Owners Insurance, Cause that election was a fricken landslide..

I guess when Obama stops using the term.

You yourself just said "Now that we have a "black" president". Why didn't you simply say "Now that we have a new president"?

Justice may be blind, but most people aren't. They will always see black people as black, and blacks will always see white people as white. There are much worse things to be called then "African-American" or "caucasion".

Because there's nothing insulting about keeping your heritage. Calling someone "African American" does not imply anything on its own, except that the person has African roots. I don't think many people "insist" on being called African American. They are just called that by others anyway, and no one is going to get upset that people remember their roots.

I know I would never be upset if someone called me an Irish American, a Polish American, a Romanian American, etc. (I'm many things :P ), it's just that these are the things you can't tell by looking at someone.

Saying that "African American" is a derogatory term on its own is like saying "Latino" is derogatory--and I doubt the many Latinos in America, or even South Florida alone, would like their Latino roots removed from the vernacular.

-IMP ;) :)

Not all blacks are from Africa, and not all people from Africa are black.

That is reason to NOT use the term "African American" when you actually mean a person of the black race.

BTW

The term African American was not "coined" by white people. It was coined by Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1988.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articl...

For real, I think that term is used professionally out of respect for the race, however, my fiance is black, I have bi-racial kids, I belong to a black baptist church since I was 12, and my best friends are black...

And out of all of the blacks I know, they prefer to be referred to as "Black"...after all Black is beautiful...do not EVER, use the word 'colored', that term is very ignorant and offensive...

Black people will tell you, it's okay to call me , or refer to me as Black..that's what I am, and I'm proud to be Black..Black is beautiful...

so don't feel the need to 'shun' from that term, that's what it is...

I love everyone...the only color that matters to me, is GREEN...and how much of it I have...

But yeah, I hope people start being more real, and stop feeling nervous about calling black people black, theres nothing wrong with it...African American is cool, but I feel like it's overly used and used a lot out of context...

African Americans will determine what they wish to be called. In the 50's it was *****, later black, and then African American. Its up to them to decide if they still wish to be separate from just being a plain old American.