Not all black people are African American

[Anonymous 1]

Are you somewhere other than America?

Yes. I did live in America in the past and people said that all the time which made more sense. But it makes no sense to use it when you aren't even in America

How strange. Where do you live that people say you're African American? I have friends who are of Senegalese descent and never in my life would I call them African American.

I'm in the UK. It is always Americans typically saying stuff like "wow you are the first African American I have seen while I've been here".

[RIZZY]

There are stupid people everywhere.

[Anonymous 5]

How can anyone with a working brain think ALL black people want to be called African American?

Short of going up to an individual and asking their personal preferred terminology, what would you suggest?

There have been polls, but the answer has changed significantly from
1969 : https://news.gallup.com/vault/315566/ga ... label.aspx
to
2021 : https://news.gallup.com/poll/353000/no- ... dults.aspx

I would suggest not calling people who are not African or American, African American. No intelligent person would think a black person in the UK would want to be called African American.

I agree about that, in the context of being in the UK.

What about someone in the USA, talking about people in the USA? Let's suppose the house three doors down from where Alice lives has been sold, and she hasn't yet met the new neighbors, Bob and Justine, but she witnessed a newspaper delivery boy being rude towards them and is telling her friend Sally that she thinks the boy was discriminating against Bob and Justine based on a prejudice against their particular ethnicity.

If you were in Alice's position, what word or words would you use when talking to Sally, to describe Bob's ethnicity?

[Traci_Momof2]

Americans have been raised that it's offensive to refer to a black person as a black person. It's been ingrained in our brains that the proper way to refer to them is "African American". So it's just second nature to us that when we see a black person we say "African American" without even thinking about it.

I am curious, what term(s) would be acceptable and not frustrating to you? If American tourists said "Wow, you are the first black person I've seen over here." would that be ok to you? Or what would you prefer they say? I'm genuinely asking because I don't know what is considered acceptable and not acceptable outside of this country - and remember, Americans are very insulated and rarely experience culture outside of our own nation.

[hotspice58]

But white people kept changing what we were called. And some white people get offended when black people identify as African American, cause it’s not showing unity to this country.

People don't know what to say anymore because everyone has to be pc and not offensive. Blame black people who are African American for you feeling offended. Not confused white people.

[Inmybizz]

Americans have been raised that it's offensive to refer to a black person as a black person. It's been ingrained in our brains that the proper way to refer to them is "African American". So it's just second nature to us that when we see a black person we say "African American" without even thinking about it.

I am curious, what term(s) would be acceptable and not frustrating to you? If American tourists said "Wow, you are the first black person I've seen over here." would that be ok to you? Or what would you prefer they say? I'm genuinely asking because I don't know what is considered acceptable and not acceptable outside of this country - and remember, Americans are very insulated and rarely experience culture outside of our own nation.

Jessie Jackson (1980’s) came out with black people should be called AA as a way of getting back to our roots( Kwanzaa, jumping the broom) Not all black people were on board with that term. Before Jackson in the 60’s or so it was Afro American( I’m black and I’m proud, Afro pick in your back pocket…before that it was Negro.

People of my generation and older many still prefer AA at least the people I know. Pretty much after Alex Haley’s book roots & movie there was a real movement in the black community to reclaim our past/the culture that was lost. (not every black person believed in this movement.)

The younger generation probably prefer black. The younger generation will tell you they are not from Africa they were born in (American state or city.) It’s almost an insult to be called AA.

Personally, I would not be offended if someone referred to me as black or AA. I guess with other people if you get corrected then you’ve used the wrong term.

I’ve been corrected my friends from other countries don’t say black rather “I’m British, Jamaican”

[mommy_jules]

We have a growing Haitian population in our area, so I don’t use African American. It doesn’t fit many of the Black people in our community.

[Anonymous 3]

Americans have been raised that it's offensive to refer to a black person as a black person. It's been ingrained in our brains that the proper way to refer to them is "African American". So it's just second nature to us that when we see a black person we say "African American" without even thinking about it.

I am curious, what term(s) would be acceptable and not frustrating to you? If American tourists said "Wow, you are the first black person I've seen over here." would that be ok to you? Or what would you prefer they say? I'm genuinely asking because I don't know what is considered acceptable and not acceptable outside of this country - and remember, Americans are very insulated and rarely experience culture outside of our own nation.

In France, the term "black" is fairly cool - un black, une blacque. There you have it, today's piece of useless information lol

[Deleted User 2267]

Americans have been raised that it's offensive to refer to a black person as a black person. It's been ingrained in our brains that the proper way to refer to them is "African American". So it's just second nature to us that when we see a black person we say "African American" without even thinking about it.

I am curious, what term(s) would be acceptable and not frustrating to you? If American tourists said "Wow, you are the first black person I've seen over here." would that be ok to you? Or what would you prefer they say? I'm genuinely asking because I don't know what is considered acceptable and not acceptable outside of this country - and remember, Americans are very insulated and rarely experience culture outside of our own nation.

In France, the term "black" is fairly cool - un black, une blacque. There you have it, today's piece of useless information lol

No… don’t do that.
In French, that’s racist.
Black is an English word, in French it’s Noir.


You could say “la personne noire” but just saying “ Un Black” is basically like calling them an object rather than a person.

[Anonymous 3]

Americans have been raised that it's offensive to refer to a black person as a black person. It's been ingrained in our brains that the proper way to refer to them is "African American". So it's just second nature to us that when we see a black person we say "African American" without even thinking about it.

I am curious, what term(s) would be acceptable and not frustrating to you? If American tourists said "Wow, you are the first black person I've seen over here." would that be ok to you? Or what would you prefer they say? I'm genuinely asking because I don't know what is considered acceptable and not acceptable outside of this country - and remember, Americans are very insulated and rarely experience culture outside of our own nation.

In France, the term "black" is fairly cool - un black, une blacque. There you have it, today's piece of useless information lol

No… don’t do that.
In French, that’s racist.
Black is an English word, in French it’s Noir.


You could say “la personne noire” but just saying “ Un Black” is basically like calling them an object rather than a person.

I have lived in France for a very long time and I can assure you that I know exactly what I'm talking about. It is not a racist term. You might be surprised at how many English words are now used commonly in French ... and they don't always have the eexact same meaning in French as in English.