Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Evan Zimmerman <evan.zimmerman AT gmail.com>]

>From Wikipedia:

"An African American is an American predominantly, or at least
partially, descended from black Africans. African Americans are more
typically called (and self-identify as) blacks or a number of
equivalent slang terms; "African American" is sometimes derided by
both whites and blacks as pretentious, revisionist, or overly
politically correct. Historically, the vast majority of those in the
United States of African descent were black. Therefore, the term is
not typically used to apply to non-black Africans, such as Arabs from
northern Africa or white South Africans, though it is sometimes
(incorrectly) used to refer to all black Americans, whether of African
descent or not."

The argument you're presenting I'd say is another example of trying to
be so literal as to blur the understood meaning of something. Yes, you
can parse it to sound like a white South African would qualify, but
why would you? It proves a point, but I wonder if it's the point you
want to prove with this. The common societal meaning of the term is
clear. Trying to blur it does... what exactly?
I'd be curious as to the deeper motivation behind that. I find it hard
to believe that the true motivation for that argument, or for the
hetero marchers to march, is a sense of oppression.

Evan


----- Original Message -----
From: Dan Wilson <sipacate AT hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 09:46:31 -0400
Subject: [internetworkers] "African American"
To: internetworkers list <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>

 
Here is another article written by Africans. Double standards are wrong. 
  
http://www.suntimes.co.za/2004/02/01/news/news04.asp 
  
An ex-Johannesburg teenager has sparked a fierce debate in the US
about race and cultural identity.

 

Sixteen-year-old Trevor Richards, who moved to the US with his parents
six years ago, was suspended from the Westside High School in Omaha,
Nebraska, after he nominated himself for a "Distinguished
African-American Student of the Year" prize.

 

It is believed that Richards is the only pupil at Westside to have
ever lived in Africa. But, because he is white, he has been accused of
"showing disrespect" to black pupils.

 

He and two friends put up campaign posters showing him making a
thumbs-up sign. All three were suspended.

 

The London Telegraph quoted Scott Rambo, one of Richards' "campaign
managers", as saying: "The posters were intended to be satire on the
term 'African-American'." But the satire misfired - not least because
it was aired on Martin Luther King Jr Day, a holiday marking the black
preacher's role in the civil rights struggle.

 

The website e.thePeople had this posted query: " Trevor is an American
who is from Africa. Is there something fundamentally wrong with a
school having an award that is strictly limited to a specific race?
Would the 'Distinguished White Student Award' be acceptable?"

 

One commentator called Richards a "neo-Nazi" whose behaviour was akin
to "Jew-baiting". Another said Richards would be "more appropriately
labeled 'First Generation White (or European) South African American',
something completely different and in some ways opposite of 'African
American'."

 

The American Daily said: "It is amazing that Martin Luther King Jr's
brave dream of a colour-blind society has degenerated into divisive
race-based awards jealously guarded by guilt-ridden liberals and white
apologists. Trevor . . deserves praise for pointing out the obvious
double standards of race-based policies." - Sunday Times Foreign Desk

























 

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-- 

Evan

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