May 28, 2008 1:34:19 AM cite

Thank you!! And whoever pulled this up from the archives, too. Yes, race is so vague or unreliable, whatever... When people see me or I fill out a form I put "white". But I really am just an American mutt. As bad as any mixed breed dog you ever saw. My family is mixed with English, French, Irish, Native American, Black, Scottish, Southern... and who knows what else. People often ask what I am, Italian, Spanish, Armenian... (I've heard every one it seems).... and I always tell them I'm just an "American mutt"; because wasn't it created as a melting pot anyway?

by April

May 27, 2008 6:29:08 PM cite

We are all humans but we define ourselves by our differences be it race or religion. We like to point out that one method is better than the other. What we don't do is accept that my method is my method and that your method has arrived to you by the same method as mine, through experience. So, let me give you my experience and then you can give me yours or vice versa and then each of us must decide where to go next not impose a method, a color, a sex or a religion. Collaboration from that point on is essential and being able to see both sides is necessary. People should not even be defined, we are a living thing on another living thing, the earth inside another living thing, the universe.

by cazalis

Oct 20, 2006 1:20:42 AM cite

I am an American Indian from the eastern US where many of my tribe did their best to 'act' white in the late 1800's. Somehow through generations of trying to survive in European/American culture, I was raised in the traditions of my ancestors. Though I'm looked at as white, I know I am Indian. From this perspective, I think your culture, your history is what is important to who you are. What I really think is wrong is to label a whole group African American or any other -American based on skin color, spirituality, or any other categorical label. But, if someone is raised in a tradition, or has a deep afinity to their culture, then they should be allowed to identify as such without judgement.

by silverwolf

Sep 30, 2006 9:00:47 PM cite

"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism....The one absolute way of bringing this country to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities." -Theodore Roosevelt (October 12, 1915)

by DMSpartan1969

Sep 30, 2006 7:08:31 PM cite

I certianly believe that defining someone by race is a "ticket" to disaster. Theodore Roosevelt once said, "There can be no fifty-fifty Americanism in this country. There is room here for only 100% Americanism, only for those who are Americans and nothing else." (There is an even better quote from him about this on the subject but I'm unable to find it at this time.) I am proud to an American of Irish descent - but first, last, and foremost of all, I am proud to be an American.

by DMSpartan1969

Sep 28, 2006 6:43:37 AM cite

It's a truth that a human being is defined by their physical specifics which necessarily includes the chemical imprint of the complexity and dynamic nature of all of their experiences. It is asked "what is white", "what is African", what is "black", what is "African-American", "what is American"? The fact is, the definitions of all of these can be treated as hardened or adaptive, absolute or relative. Surely, a human being who calls themselves "African" has reason for doing so. Either their reason is factual and logical or it is not. If another human being disputes their calling themselves "African", such a dispute must have some basis in fact and logic to be valid. The same holds true of "black", "white", "African-American", "American" and so on. The reason one human being calls themselves "African" will most certainly NOT be the reason why another human being too calls themselves "African." One may consider themselves "African" due to genetic descent from peoples recognized to be native to the continent. Another may consider themselves "African" because their life experiences involve location and influences from some or many cultures association with the continent. Another may call themselves "African" simply because they feel a personal connection with the land, the peoples, the language, the art and literature, the music, the spirituality associated with the continent. It can be argued that these reasons are justified and argued that some or all of them are not. The thing to recognize and remember is this - word definitions must be agreed upon when two or more persons are attempting communication with one another for there to, in fact, be communication, however, definitions are freely formed and freely changed, frequently and for many varied reasons. Who is "African"? Who is "black"? Who is "white" or "American"? Whoever can give factual and logical justification for using the term for themselves or for another or at least can give factual or logical justification for defining those terms in new ways.

by RickyBarnes1960

Sep 16, 2006 2:01:19 AM cite

I would like to see a world where I am just a human being with no restrictions or 'boxed' ideologies about race or country. This would happen if borders ceased to exist. These labels are needed only by beaurocracies and government.

by paulinag

Sep 14, 2006 6:40:34 PM cite

I understand Thomas Troxler's point. I was born and live in South Africa and I am White. I do believe that I have more connection to this place then any person of any colour born and raised in the USA. When i see Will Smith or whatever other African American celebrity or whoever come to my country and kiss the earth as they step off the plane I laugh because to think that a place where your family lived 250 years ago is your true home is silly. My family stems from Canada, Lithuania, Poland and Scotland and I am Jewish so I could potentially throw Israel into the mix here but none of these places is my home except South Africa. The society that financially supports you and your family and that you contribute to is your home. As for delineating oneself into a group based on race or religion is just wrong. I understand the need for a sense of belonging and community or for a sense of mental and spiritual security but it is to the detrement of the whole world that people continue to segregate themselves. Most of the World's problems that are not the biproduct of large scale business are directly related to racial segregation and prejudice or religous prejudice. I dont want to harm anyone to badly with this statement but the concept of organized religion really is something that i believe should be abandonned. With so many of the problems arrising over who believes in what fictitious creator or which man made book it seems rediculous to percervere on an intangible and damaging path.

by JonoM137

Sep 14, 2006 5:29:22 PM cite

As a whole, many people want to soften language by using euphemisms. Using African-American is trying to rid of so called 'bad' language. Maybe language like Black and Negro should be used. So called 'bad' words are only 'bad' in the context it's used. For example, if I was to scream and shake my fists at you saying 'I love you!!!', you would be freaked out by the tone of my voice. It is the context in which words are used that matters. People need to lose their sensitivity! One of my best friends from the past was black. He would come up to me and say "Morning Honky!". I would reply "Morning nigga!" These are just words and we both used them as terms of endearment to each other. So, using the term black or negro or whatever does not bother me to describe a race. I wouldn't care if someone called me a honky, white boy, or anything else like that. We as a people need to lose these 'soft' words and say it like it is.

by gamer2140

Sep 14, 2006 7:40:57 AM cite

It seems that the "African American" phrase is used too much today, and could be taken multiple ways in theory if not practice. Americans seem to think that we can still almost segregate ourselves as long as we use what is supposedly a more polite term. It is very true however that many of the darker-skinned people in our nation really aren't African in any way except their heritage. Maybe we should be concentrating more on the people than the term.

by ojchase

Sep 14, 2006 2:08:54 AM cite

I would suggest that is the case of the American context, the are speaking of historical origin, and in the case of Mr. Troxler, he speaks of place of birth. A semantical difference possibly, but both are valid. I speak form the origin of being a Red Headed [Okay, now more grey] Scottish Bred, Canadian Born White, with full ?First Nations? Status, a benefit of adoption nigh on 40 years ago.

by RedSevenOne

Sep 13, 2006 6:01:12 PM cite

In America, we have strived to remove all racial hurdles so that all races may have equal opportunities. Yet, we still define people by their cultural backgrounds and their race. In your case, you have two conflicting cultural and racial backgrounds that have often been used to define a race of people that have come from Africa. In theory, people living in the United States shouldn't have to be defined by race, but yet they still are. To try and prevent this, Americans have tried to come with a politically correct term that defines a race. However, African-American is not correct either. So in retrospect, I believe we shouldn't have to define people by their race or their cultural background, but that race and cultural background still needs to be preserved. A way to do this is to find another way to preserve their cultural background and race so that problems like this do not arrive.

by Artemis Athena

Sep 13, 2006 6:00:18 PM cite

I agree with what you are saying, but the words "African-American" are deeply ingrained in people's minds to mean "black". Although you may fit the definition of what African-American actually means, African-American no longer means that your are originally from Africa but instead that you are black.

by MyMomSaysI'mKeen

Sep 13, 2006 6:00:15 PM cite

I think that people should be defined or refeered as their race, because its their heritage, it where their ansestors come from, I don't think anyone should be ashamed or degraded by that. It is a classification that those people should be proud of. I think that perhaps since you were raised i n Africa you understand and know the culture better than an African -American.

by baby_j_10

Sep 13, 2006 5:59:03 PM cite

I think that there is simply two ways to interpret the words African American. One is that a person was born in Africa and came to America and the other is that the person was born in the US but has African roots. People just need to realize that the word can and should be looked at in two different ways.

by SMathis

Sep 13, 2006 5:58:46 PM cite

if you are white then you arent considered African American. African American is a term created by blacks so they have something to be called that they all agree on. They prefer to be called African American over Negro and other terms.

by BB_Kyle449

Sep 13, 2006 12:13:16 AM cite

Took me awhile to figure it out, but you know I have been so ingrained with all blacks calling themselves african american I forgot about the white population in Africa. And I get what you're saying...that not ALL blacks and probably most are not actually from Africa, but you are white and you ARE from Africa which does make you more african than most black people! I know many blacks who hate that term, because as they say...they aren't from africa, their parents aren't from africa...etc etc...they were born and raised in america and are just americans. just as I am not spanish american, but american by birth. Just as all white people aren't from Germany all black people aren't from Africa. Excellent point!

by LZB

Sep 12, 2006 8:18:14 PM cite

Heritage is important to most people; cultural rituals, where we come from, our family history. Saying that you are more African than any black person in America may certainly be your personal view, but does open yourself to offending others who may feel very strongly about their African Heritage. Although African Americans are , yes, American, their heritage & culture is different than Polish-Americans or Italian-American or Asian Americans and represents very important family values & traditions that mean a great deal to them. Each family history is sacred and should be honored & learned from by others.

by Deannahawk