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To Whom It May Concern–If You’re Black
At least once, someone has to say it.
If you were not actually born in Africa, then you are not “African-American.”
You are not special. No one owes you a thing. If you’re parents were born in Chicago or anywhere else in America, you are not a descendant of slavery.
You just want to cash in on your skin color. Get over it. Quit drinking the Kool-Aid.
God bless.
JT
5 Pt. Salt 
soooooo true
No. Wait. My ancestors come from Ireland and England. You mean I have to stop putting English/Irish American on my job applications and government forms and my NAWPFEI (National Associaton of White People from England and Ireland) annual dues payments?
Yeah, something exactly like that. 🙂
White immigrants/ethnics have used modifiers like “Irish-American”, “Italian-American”, “Polish-American”, “German-American”, “French-American” etc. for over 100 years, had their own celebrations like Saint Patrick’s Day and Oktoberfest and no one batted an eye. It only became WRONG when blacks started doing it. The reason? Why a racist double standard of course!
That’s the whole point! Immigrants – they were born in those countries and IMMIGRATED to the U.S. They had a legitimate use for the ‘modifiers’. Blacks born in America, do not. Thanks for making my point. 🙂
No Joel. White ethnic immigrants still use those hypenated modifiers to this day, long after their forebears first came here. (You mentioned Chicago? Home of the Irish-American Heritage Center.) The only difference is that the same white people who profess such injury at blacks using the term African-American for 30 years (the term only became popular during the 1980s) always ignored and continue to ignore other whites using identical terms for over 100. The only explanation for the double standard is racism.
Job,
Love that book of Holy Writ, what a blessed name. What a shame it is that “the term only became popular during the 1980s”, could it not be that the Al Sharpton’s, Jesse Jackson, and “rev” Wright’s of America, for their own vile, self-seeking, narcissistic motivations (much like Arafat, slyly, in the 70’s invented ‘Palestinian’ to reference Arabs displaced from their own nations and refused re-entry to suit PLO purposes) impressed such a destructive label upon our fellow citizens?
Your point is well taken; in fact, as an immigrant I am an American – period. Hyphenation serves no purpose but separation, which is a manipulative tool utilized to oppress ALL; moreover, it divides instills so-called racial and class warfare quite beneficial to “benevolent” politicians seeking re-election; thus, the vicious cycle perpetuates. There are no double standards, if I were bleeding to death your blood would give me life; and, should you be suddenly in need of bone marrow transplant or platelet transfusion I would donate blood to sustain and restore health and life to you.
Joel, excellent points made. It shall be my prayer “minorities”, falsely so-called, will reject man-imposed bondage and receive liberation in the Name above every other, the Lord Jesus Christ, unto our Father’s glory!
Furthermore – Africa is not a country; Ireland, Poland, etc. are. For the sake of reason, if one wants to call himself a bifurcated American, use the name of your forefathers’ country, not continent.
Manfred,
Very astute observations. Africa is a conglomeration of 47-53 different countries, ever fluctuating, and dependent upon source. The error was made at some point when Ellis Island, 1892-1954, required every immigrant to swear allegiance to America, legally separate from country of origin, and commence instruction in English.
Is a ‘bifurcated’ American an American at all? Logically, if one yet adheres to country of origin for identification there can be no assimilation; or, minimal at best. For instance, should one immigrate to India, a nation of many dialects, mastery of dialect, specific to region, would be essential to successful pursuit of employment, housing, friendship, and integration into India.
I am a citizen of heaven first, and blessed of God to be a descendant of Ellis Island immigrants!
One of my elders is a black American who gently protests against being called “African American”. He points out myriad logical problems with the ever changing self identifying adjectives used by “his people” and why he does not go along.
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Job, buddy, you are so confused! The real equivalent term to “Black American” is not English or German or Italian American. It would be “White American.” Funny, I don’t think in my nearly 60 years I have described myself as a “White American.” It seems irrelevant.
One other thing. Can we stop coming up with new terms for those who are black? I never thought anything was wrong with Negro (Gee, am I a racist for saying that?) when it was the dominant term. Black. African American. Just pick one you fancy, and let’s stick with it. I hate trying to keep up with PC trends.
In close to half of a century of living I have yet to run into a single hyphenated white American from the South.The only ones I have ever met were from places like Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, etc.