Blacks Born Around the World Debate the Term African-American
Young blacks living in New York City discuss the meaning of the term African-American and its relationship to them in a multicultural world.
They say that ethnic and racial definitions can be completely misguided based on their own personal history and experiences. They point out that there needs to be an acknowledgment that blacks are living all over the world and that the term African-American should be used carefully to describe black people.
They think that black people who move to the United States to settle down would more than likely avoid using the term African-Americans to describe themselves.
Professor Jerry Watts from the CUNY Graduate Center’s Institute for Research on the African Diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean explains the history of racial terms to describe people of color.
Jamaica native Patrick Newland, 28, explains why he does not consider himself African-American.
Costa Rica native Tanya Benedict, 22, says she fights to be called African-American.
American Terrell Lewis, 21, says it is not politically correct to use the term African-American to describe all blacks.
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Hi,
How were able to come in contact with Patrick Newland,Tanya Benedict, Terrell Lewis?
That was good reporting.
This topic always arrive at a moot point. Now imagine if a
person was bi-racial (black/asian); what ethnicity would be checked on a job application?