What is an African-American? Tariq takes the time to explain, asserting that the label represents an ethnic heritage to which Barack Obama really cannot lay claim. I respond, arguing that perhaps the term, “Black-American” is a better label, since AA is arguably a broad brush term and reclaiming it for a narrower identity definition is essentially impossible.
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Tariq Nelson 4:10 am on July 16, 2008 Permalink |
Under current circumstances, I prefer “Black American” to “African-American”, but we would still fall into the same problem, unless you separate the two.
I am not sure what term could be used to describe this ‘ethnicity’, but I think that - like Latinos - it should be a person of any race that has ancestors that were African slaves brought to this country since there are descendants of slaves that are (genetically) more non-black than black.
Margari Aziza 7:36 am on July 16, 2008 Permalink |
Salaams Aziz,
While I appreciate you bringing up Tariq’s post, I don’t think you did it justice with your description. It is not about narrow description or exclusion of others, but acknowledging an identity and heritage that is being erased by a broad brush.
Andrea Useem 8:36 am on July 16, 2008 Permalink |
i thought tariq’s post was awesome — i think he makes a very valid point about recognizing the uniqueness of the American experience of descendents of slaves.
aziz 10:27 am on July 16, 2008 Permalink |
I don’t mean any disrespect - and as I said, I think Tariq’s post is convincing, on the merits. However, taken quite literally, he does proposing taking a term that presently is indeed a broad brush and applying it more narrowly, so that certain people are excluded from claiming “Afrrican American” as an identity (such as Barack Obama). Yes, this is being advocated to highlight a specific ethnicity, but it still is by definition an exclusion. Lets not shy away from that.
If you are taking exception ot a perceived negative connotation to the word “exclusion” then I assure you I use the word in a literal sense, not a judgemental one.
(btw, welcome. I am a casual reader of your blog and I think it’s fantastic!)
Tariq Nelson 5:22 pm on July 16, 2008 Permalink |
Another issue is that politicians want to increase the numbers of blacks for obvious reasons.