What do you think of the name African American?

In my opinion anyone who lives in America or basically an American born and raised or whatever it does not matter to me I just think that who ever lives in America unless they choose otherwise are just plain Americans. I don't underst why there is a label just because of skin color. Just because some people have more melanin in their body and that it is working more than others. I know for me it does not mattere what color someone's skin is. what should matter most is that we are all human beings/people.

I think the term "African American" is the politically-correct version of "Black" and many people like to be called AA because of that positive connotation and because they're aware of their roots in Africa. It's a RESPECTFUL way of saying "black". A lot of "black" people I knew in school did NOT want to be associated with Africa at all, though, because of "cultural differences" (that's what I assumed anyway). I went to an urban, inner-city public high school, where 40% of my school was AA, 40% Asian, & 15% white & 5% other (I found the statistics to be interesting considering most people think that a lot of high schools in Minnesota are all white). A lot of the black kids I went to school with would get PISSED if anyone called them African American, because they identified more with the "Black" community than the "African American" community. Now, I'm not going to get into whether there's an actual difference between the two, but that's just what they said. I say "black" and "white" more often than African American / Caucasion or Euro-American because it's just what I was raised to say. It's just me being casual and not worrying about being politically "correct" or "incorrect". If I step on your toes..Well, I guess I'm sorry for that. But it's almost ANNOYING when people try to be "too" politically correct rather than down-to-earth and to-the-point. I also think there's a double-standard. People RARELY say "caucasion" or "Euro-American" (or whatever the politically correct term would be for white people), but it seems like a lot of people are EXTRA cautious when deciding whether or not to say "African American" vs. "Black". It seems like on every survey I take (and believe me, I take a lot of them online! It's how I make my money) - they ask whether you're African American, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, or..White. I'm not offended by it, and I refer to myself as white (although I'm half-Czech), but I find it funny that very few people make a fuss about calling white people "Caucasion" whereas there are A LOT of people who are EXTREMELY picky about the political-correctness of what THEY are considered to be. I do agree with you, though. If we just called anyone originating in the US an "American", the world would probably be a much better place. I've never been called or categorized as an "American", as I'm just usually called white. But of course it shouldn't be a term used only for white people - it should refer to anyone born in the United States, whether white, black, hispanic, asian, whatever.

I think it is stupid and really more racist than just saying Black or White but more America is supposed to be a melting pot and all who come here are suppoosed to be just plain American. Not African, Asian Euro and well Native American is offensive too. It is the Government and media labeling people and stirring things up more than anything. When I do surveys and they ask what "Race" are you I mark other and write in one or more things. First I am a mixed race of nationalities. Some of my ancesetry were here before Columbus and some came on the Mayflower and some on other ships from France and Scotland. So I am an American, I am of the HUMAN race. That is what we all should be from nd if I want to really get smart I say Earthling LOL sometimes I put down all three.

Isn't this something that blacks wanted to start being called themselves to start with? To me if you are born and raised in America then you are an American period! You are not an African American because you did not come from Africa, you are from the United States of America. The only people that are truly African Americans are the ones that came straight from Africa as an immigrate to start with. Everyone says that everyone should be called just Americans, I can see that in a way, but I think we'd all be in bad shape if all we could call everyone is American. Just think think about it, if someone did something real bad and you had to tell who done it, the first thing that your going to do is tell what race the person was. Now picture the same thing, but you can't use a person's race to describe them all you can say is they are an American.

I would love to be able to call African Americans just Americans, the same with all other types of Americans. I am white and I have been taking education classes that insist that we make a distinction between the different people, but personaly I would like to just teach children, not fill in the blank Americans. As far as being called a White or Caucasian American, I can understand the need in this politicaly correct era to say it that way but in my head I will think of myself the way I think of every one of my future students and neigbors: just American.

I think Whoopie said it best," I get angry when people call me African American. It pisses me off and I tell them I'm not African American I'm just American". All my life what the politically correct term for people of color change with the times, where you lived, and who was around you. When I look at a person I see a person. Being "white" is still "white". How are we ever going to have peace and coexhistance if we keep distinquishing with colors?

I do not think African American has negative connotation as this simply means where someone originated from. I am from Cyprus and I myself consider myself a British Cypriot. I think that white people originated from Anglo Saxon and Nordic regions, and some other white people from around Europe and the middle east. Other came from India and other more central locations of the world, though being African American is certainly not bad.

Maybe African - Americans refer to black people's ancestor in Africa. But they are born and raise in the United States of America. So they are called African - American. Sometimes, I think that people are overreacted. They can find everything related to racism issue. Why can't we just sit down peacefully thought about it. We can always live harmonily without causing some many hatred in the moment.

I think that just means a black american and jus shows racism to say whits are the only true americans hidden rascism