Comments on: What is an African-American? Tariq takes … http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/ a crescent waxing eloquent Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:27:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Tariq Nelson http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/#comment-1538 Tariq Nelson Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:22:44 +0000 http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/#comment-1538 Another issue is that politicians want to increase the numbers of blacks for obvious reasons. Another issue is that politicians want to increase the numbers of blacks for obvious reasons.

]]> By: aziz http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/#comment-1531 aziz Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:27:29 +0000 http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/#comment-1531 I don't mean any disrespect - and <a href="http://cityofbrass.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-african-american.html" rel="nofollow">as I said</a>, 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!) 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!)

]]> By: Andrea Useem http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/#comment-1529 Andrea Useem Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:36:39 +0000 http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/#comment-1529 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. 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.

]]> By: Margari Aziza http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/#comment-1528 Margari Aziza Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:36:25 +0000 http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/#comment-1528 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. 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.

]]> By: Tariq Nelson http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/#comment-1527 Tariq Nelson Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:10:31 +0000 http://talkislam.info/2008/07/16/what-is-an-african-american-tariq-takes/#comment-1527 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. 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.

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