Ask The White Guy: Is A White Person From Africa An African-american?

[Anastasia13]

What do you guys think?

[GeorgiiMichael]

Is he/she in America?

[blazeingstar]

By law, yes.  I know someone who is 2nd  and first generation from Africa.  His father has a thick african accent.  His mother was born in Africa. He is whiter than an irishman, and puts african american on his job applications.  He is legally entitled to all affirmative action.

Edited November 12, 2013 by blazeingstar

[Anastasia13]

Is he/she in America?

 

Yup. Either immigrant or born here to and raised by immigrants.

 

(This isn't just for white guys, but that's the name of something where I read the question.)

[NotreDame]

Not according to the US census definition:

 

Definition of Race Categories Used in the 2010 Census

“White” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples

of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indi

-

cated their race(s) as “White” or reported entries such as Irish, German,

Italian, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, or Caucasian.

“Black or African American” refers to a person having origins in any of

the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicated their

race(s) as “Black, African Am., or Negro” or reported entries such as

African American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian.

 

http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf

 

 

[CrossCuT]

I think it depends on how you look at it.

 

If you identify someone by where they are from then yes, they would be African American.

 

However if you identify someone by their ancestry or blood line origin then Id say no.

[GregorMendel]

A "white" (caucasian is implied) male from africa does not make evolutionary or ethnic sense. It is entirely possible that he could be from South Africa, but even if he were to immigrate to the US, he would be South African, not African-American. I suppose you could say that he is "British-South African", in that his ancestors most likely emmigrated from the UK, but the spirit of the designation can not be equated to "African-Americans", and frankly just sounds silly to me :)

[PhuturePriest]

To me, saying you are from somewhere implies lineage. I live in America, but I am German and Irish (Coincidentally, I found out at the seminary Germans and Irishmen hate each other. Ironic, aye?). The question I suppose to ask is what do you identify yourself as. I choose not to identify myself as an American because I never have, and on top of that it's not really something to be particularly proud of. :P

[GregorMendel]

(Since I apparently cant edit my statements and would like to use a more strict definition of ethnicity, I humbly offer my improved comment):



To call a "white" (caucasian is implied) male from Africa who (presumably) immigrates to the US "African-American" would be racially and societally dishonest. It is entirely possible that he could be from South Africa, so in this sense he may consider himself ethnically "African" (though if he was, I have to think he would find such a broad stroke of the brush offensive), but even if he were to immigrate to the US, he would be South African, not African-American. I suppose you could say that he is "British-South African", in that his ancestors most likely emmigrated from the UK, but this designation can not be equated to the definition or the spirit of the term "African-Americans".





BTW, by what do you mean by "African" accent? Its an awfully big Continent with 6 distincitve language families :)

[arfink]

Well, it's always possible to do super weird things by pretending to be a minority. Like this guy:

 

http://www.khou.com/news/local/White-guy-wins-after-leading-voters-to-believe-hes-black-231222981.html

[GeorgiiMichael]

Most white South Africans are actually Dutch, not British.

[Basilisa Marie]

 

Not according to the US census definition:

 

Definition of Race Categories Used in the 2010 Census

“White” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples

of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indi

-

cated their race(s) as “White” or reported entries such as Irish, German,

Italian, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, or Caucasian.

“Black or African American” refers to a person having origins in any of

the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicated their

race(s) as “Black, African Am., or Negro” or reported entries such as

African American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian.

 

http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf

 

 

Yeah, that was listed on the census forms I filled out last month for my family (they were looking for traffic information, like going to work and back). 

Like others have said, while someone might "technically" fit the definition of African American, that's more of an example of how the term itself is imperfect. Most narrowly it's meant to describe people who are descendants of slaves.  A whole lot of white people from Africa descend from British colonists, or other European colonists (Edit: DUTCH! That's the word I was looking for). 

 

I know some people actually prefer to be called "Black" (as opposed to "White"), partly due to this confusion, and partly because nowadays a lot of Black people in America aren't of African descent. 

Edited November 12, 2013 by Basilisa Marie

[Kateri89]

[EmilyAnn]

A friend of my mother's was sent to the US for work and was baffled that people kept describing her as African-American. She's British, of Caribbean ancestry and somehow people couldn't understand her irritation at being called African-American.

[Anastasia13]

These are the articles I found on it a while back. Someone just posted it again elsewhere.

 

Ask the White Guy: Is a White Person From Africa an African-American?
http://www.diversityinc.com/ask-the-white-guy/ask-the-white-guy-is-a-white-person-from-africa-an-african-american/

Ask the White Guy: Is a White Immigrant From Africa Really an African-American?
http://www.diversityinc.com/ask-the-white-guy/is-a-white-immigrant-from-africa-really-an-african-american/