Update II (2/11/09): My latest ramblings at Loathsome “African American.”
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African-American Canadians? African-American Canadians? How, in any world, does that make sense? Black Canadians, unless they’re also citizens of an African country and America, are neither Africans nor Americans!
You are front-row witnesses to political correctness run amok. The Dumb As Dirt comedy award goes to PhysOrg.com for referring to black Canadians as “African-Americans,” an imbecilic American term used to describe blacks in America.
[Update: I hadn't realized when I published this post that comments were open on the story. It appears I'm not alone!]
I remember using the term back in the 1980s when I was young and dumb and full of respect for Jesse Jackson. He insisted black Americans and everyone else use it so blacks could feel “proud” of their African heritage. But there was a problem. Blacks, Negroes, colored people – whatever you want to call us – are not Africans. Most of us were born in America. Our nationality is American. We are Americans of African descent.
Recap: I am not an African American. Never have been, never will be. Actress Charlize Theron, a South Africa-born American citizen, can be called an African American. I can’t, and I refuse to accept or even acknowledge the term. There is no such race or ethnicity or nationality.
Now, it gets sticky for whites. I know it’s confusing, but I can’t help you there. Some blacks like to be mislabeled as African American. Enlightened blacks like me don’t. In fact, I detest it. Every time I hear it – every time – I cringe. I hate it because of what it represents.
The term represents a collective stupidity that resulted from a generally well-meaning intention to not offend black people. A man I now consider an unethical and disingenuous race hustler guilted white liberals and stood on the backs of men and women who fought and died to force our government into treating blacks as first class citizens…so he could line his own pockets. He doesn’t give a rat’s a** about anyone but himself. But media bought Jackson’s act and appointed him leader of Negroes. Thanks to Jackson and the media, the hideous and laughably inaccurate term African American is firmly entrenched in the culture.
Through the years, our racial identifiers have changed. “Negro” was once acceptable, now it isn’t. The same goes for “Colored.” “Black” became the new racial identifier in the 1970s, and in my opinion, it’s the most acceptable. Of course my skin isn’t black, and your skin isn’t white. We’re more brown and pink, aren’t we? The point is that people fall back on the most convenient and apt label to describe others.
In an ideal world, we’d make no mention of anyone’s race. But we’re stuck with this one. If you must refer to my race, call me black. Please don’t call me an African American, at least not to my face. It makes me angry. And you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.
Rest easy, everybody!
