Hyphenated-Americans

Africans were brought to the Americas and the Caribean since the begining of European Colonialism, it wasn't that long ago. Colonialism is still very relevant, in fact, it's the reason for this ENTIRE CONVERSATION. We wouldn't be talking about hyphenation at all if it wasn't for our recent colonial experience.

The first modern humans leaving Africa roughly 150,000 years ago, not relevant.

how is that not relevant? thats where we are all from.

Just because the earliest resemblance of a human fossil was found in Africa, doesn't mean that is the only place where they existed at that time. It just means that conditions there were best for the preservation of 150,000 year old skull.

are you saying that we evolved somewhere else or that humanity evolved in several locations independent of each other?

its been a while since i read anything but at the time the theory was humanity and civilization evolved out of Africa.

Bolded the important part for you.

Just like I stated earlier, if you haven't done any genealogical research, then any claims to ethnicity is going to be theoretical anyway, regardless if you are white, black, brown, purple, or green!

unless something has changed(and clearly you have no info on the matter) im going to stick with what most scientists say and continue to state we all came out of Africa.

I think hyphenated America is ignorant.

I am not Anglo-Saxon-Native-American-American
I am not Cherokee-French-Canadian-Scot-Irish-American

I am American.

Me and my husband have this argument often. He swears he is Mexican. I keep telling him he can't be Mexican if he was born in Texas.

ok, well i don't think hyphenating is stupid.

if your white, your prob not getting discriminated against very much, and in the eyes of almost everyone, which part of europe your from doesn't matter.

but america is very racist, race matters. your race and heritage is a huge part of your identity. i think it's very understandable that many visible minorities would want to hyphenate.

^^ Very prejudiced statement to make.

Good afternoon everyone,

I'm in school. Currently taking a composition class. Our class project is to write a research paper. I would love to get the opinions of as many of you as I can. Here is the topic:

Mixed racial and cultural groups are growing in the United States. Should each group expect to be treated as a separate entity, or should residents of the United States be considered Americans without the hyphen?

I'm American. The politically correct term for me would be "African-American". However, personally, I have never done my ancestry on my father's side to know exactly if we are "Black" or of "African" descent. But I do know that my mother is White and Cherokee. Thus, leading me to review my thoughts on this and say so, I'm White-Cherokee-African-American? That seems a bit much for my tastes.

I don't identify with either side of my heritage more than the other. I have a friend who, before we were friends and had only spoken on the phone, said she was really shocked when she saw me for the first time. She said by the way I speak, "proper", she would have never guessed I was "Black". And our on-going joke is "Really? I don't know what gave you the impression that I'm Black. I think it's my lovely tan."

Anyway, my first question is American the only hyphenated country? Do the British say "African-British" or "Indian-British" or the Africans say "American-African" or "British-African"? You follow me on this?

Secondly, what is your take? If you wish you can inbox me or post it here. Please tell me the country you are in and/or your nationality if you wish to share it.

Thanks for your input. Have a healthy day!

Namaste,
Nika

I don't think those labels or hyphenated names came about from people's expectation's to be called something like that. I think they came about from "other" people's desire to sort and classify people for whatever reason. The person themselves IMO and in my experience rarely walks around on a daily basis wanting to "claim" all these ethnicities or bloodlines. In my experience those who's physical appearance allows them to blend in with the visual image of an American are the first to shed those nitpicky labels and comfortably refer to themselves as simply "American". It's those who's physical features leave the other person with this face :frown: :huh: during a conversation when referring to themselves as American who have to struggle to find which category they fall under.

ok, well i don't think hyphenating is stupid.

if your white, your prob not getting discriminated against very much, and in the eyes of almost everyone, which part of europe your from doesn't matter.

but america is very racist, race matters. your race and heritage is a huge part of your identity. i think it's very understandable that many visible minorities would want to hyphenate.

And presumably labelling people of Caribbean descent who can go back many generations of ancestors who've never been anywhere near Africa as "African-Americans" because they're black and consequently might be African so we'll just make that assumption is a valid solution against racism?

I don't understand your point. I didn't say it was a "solution" to racism, I said since racism is so pervasive, a person of visible minority may understandably make their heritage part of their ancestry, since they are gonna be judged by it every day anyway. Not that much of a stretch lol.

Also, still not getting why people are making a distinction between being Black and having African ancestors. Do people not realize that all Black people have African ancestors?

So we are all racists, and there is no solution, so let's maintain racial prejudices in our language? Is that really what you are trying to say?

Again...

The only statement that I made was that the earliest evidence that they found came out of Africa... that is a fact and that is what science states.

"Just because the earliest resemblance of a human fossil was found in Africa, doesn't mean that is the only place where they existed at that time. It just means that conditions there were best for the preservation of 150,000 year old skull. "

your statement here seems like you were trying to say that humans existed elsewhere.

skulls have been preserved all over the world...so far it seems the fossil record supports that we all came from Africa.


right now we believe the water on earth got here by comets....of course it could have been a giant alien tanker ship with a big hose....

ok, well i don't think hyphenating is stupid.

if your white, your prob not getting discriminated against very much, and in the eyes of almost everyone, which part of europe your from doesn't matter.

but america is very racist, race matters. your race and heritage is a huge part of your identity. i think it's very understandable that many visible minorities would want to hyphenate.

And presumably labelling people of Caribbean descent who can go back many generations of ancestors who've never been anywhere near Africa as "African-Americans" because they're black and consequently might be African so we'll just make that assumption is a valid solution against racism?

I don't understand your point. I didn't say it was a "solution" to racism, I said since racism is so pervasive, a person of visible minority may understandably make their heritage part of their ancestry, since they are gonna be judged by it every day anyway. Not that much of a stretch lol.

Also, still not getting why people are making a distinction between being Black and having African ancestors. Do people not realize that all Black people have African ancestors?

So we are all racists, and there is no solution, so let's maintain racial prejudices in our language? Is that really what you are trying to say?

the solution is, remove the systematic economic, political, and educational barriers that entrench racism. also, pop stars.

Ethnicity is really only important to census-takers and policy-makers.

To the world, you're just American.

Oh if only that were true :drinker:
As in this has not been my experience.

I feel as if sometimes people care a little *too much* about your background. For example, I'm Hispanic, and I have people ask me where I'm from all of the time. When I tell them I'm *from* Florida, they follow up with "but where are you REALLY from?" :huh:

I know where my parents were born, but I do not identify with their heritage. Quite honestly, they do not much either, so it sort of annoys me sometimes that people want to try and pry information about a country that we don't really think much about.

I personally think the hyphenation only really applies for one generation, mayyyybe two. My grandparents were Irish-Americans, but I'm just American, with Irish heritage.

if you moved here from another country i get the hyphen. if i moved to China i wouldn't call myself Chinese.

She said by the way I speak, "proper", she would have never guessed I was "Black". And our on-going joke is "Really? I don't know what gave you the impression that I'm Black. I think it's my lovely tan."

My dad is egyptian(Nubian) and my mom is black American. Typically I refer to myself as American or black however I doesn't bother me when people say African or Afro American ----heck I even I had a old guy call me woman of color American.