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I don’t go to those people’s countries and tell these mulattos that they are black. I let them have their culture, but we are talking about these people in the US. They know what black means to us (most of us). It means people of negroid ancestry from any country in the world. That’s not people of 100% negroid ancestry. Black to us includes a wide range of skin tones and facial features. So when these people come here, they will be considered black.

You don’t go to Rome and tell the Romans what to do and how to think. They know what we mean when we say black. Don’t act naive. Some of these mulattos see themselves as a step above regular ole’ black people and don’t want to be associated with the term. They think mixed African Americans are crazy for calling themselves black.

I am glad that you have traveled and speak another language. I am glad you have friends in the global village. That doesn’t mean that they are the authority on their culture. It does not mean that they understand race, ethnicity, and nationality. They could be ignorant themselves. I mean you still think black and African American are the same thing.

These people come to America and tell us that we are wrong or weird. Nope. You can explain your culture to me. I am open to learning about other cultures, but don’t try to change mine. I’m not trying to change yours. It sounds like you think these people are right and that we should change our view. Do you honestly think that the author’s “Spanish” friend didn’t understand that when the author said black ancestry she meant negroid ancestry? No. She knew exactly what she meant by black. Some of these mixed people like to act as if there are races of people from places such as Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic who have dark skin and curly hair that these people are an original race of people with these features that they are not connected to negroid people in any shape or form. I mean they know what we mean by black, but then they say “I’m not black. I’m Dominican.” You’re not a race. You’re a nationality. LOL. If they were to say “I’m not black. I’m morena.” and then go on to explain it that would be fine, but they don’t.

If these people of negroid ancestry don’t consider themselves black but have other terms for connecting to their negroid ancestry, that’s cool. When I go these countries, I will ask them, learn about their culture, and not impose my view of black, but most of us here are Americans. We are talking about what black means in the English language to Americans. When they come here, they should learn our culture. Is that cultural imperialism? I don’t think so. They came here. Americans go to other countries all the time. They are pretty open. The learn new things and don’t enforce their American culture on people but come home and live in American culture. I’m not going to change my definition of black because people in other countries define it different ways. We have history and culture that’s just as important as those people’s. America strives to be multicultural, but I think sometimes Americans let outsiders come in and tell us that we are wrong in an arrogant manner that they themselves would find offensive in their home countries.

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No one is trying to impose anything, but if you are apart of the negroid race and are considered black in whatever country you come from, then why aren’t you black once you get to the U.S.? Saying that you’re black Does Not automatically make you Black American, why is that so hard to understand?

I wish ppl would stop acting like Black Americans are trying to recruit new members, we’re good, stop thinking you know how Black Americans feel and think about race, nationality and ethnicity based on the few that you talked to who probably didn’t know the difference between the three themselves. No one should have to claim an ethnic group that they aren’t a part of, I know I never will, but learn the difference between ethnicity and race.

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This article scratches the surface of colorism, but this article and others like it will never succeed in fully exposing the truths of who people are. I find it very interesting that Michelle Rodriguez was told she was 72% European (did you know the first Europeans were black and were called Skraelings, they were tiny pygmy types, who the basis of these seven dwarves, gnomes and elves stories came from) as if that means anything. In many cultures regardless of percentages you are what your father is/was. Only the Jewish people believe you are what your mother is/was (which is in direct conflict with what the Bible or Torah says, the Israelites bloodline and tribe was only acknowledged by their father’s bloodline). So for Ms. Rodgriguez the real question is, are you at the very core of yourself of the bloodline of one of the lost tribes of Israel, regardless if your family intermarried with each-other to stay light skinned, or not.

If anyone is interested to learn more check out Hebrewism in Africa, African Presence in Europe, Sex and Race, Nature Knows No Colorline and From Babylon to Timbuktu. Just google the titles and you can read a pdf online OR buy them for a couple dollars off of Amazon.

Shalom

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You’re the one who is ignorant. Black can be used to define race OR ethnicity.

Have you ever been to the Dominican Republic? I have. They don’t have dumb census forms that ask race. And the ones of African descent there don’t consider themselves “black” in the way that we do. They have their right to view themselves however they want. Have you ever been to Central America? I have. They also don’t have census forms that ask race. The people of African descent there don’t consider themselves “black” in the way we do even though they look just like us. Do you have friends who actually live in other countries? No. Do you have family members from other countries? Probably not. I do. Do you speak another language? Probably not. They use different words to describe dark skinned people. Everyone doesn’t view race in simple terms like black and white. That’s an American concept. Everyone has their own concept of race and words like black and white. You can’t impose your definition on other people.

Black and white are not even accurate or scientific definitions. Many people especially in the Americas, are from multi-racial backgrounds making the definition even more tenuous and open to debate. What race is Obama?

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That is your definition of black. There are lots of ignorant people who agree with you, but the majority of people don’t. Well black to me is negroid, so everywhere I say black, I am talking about negroid people. I mean you can go on Wikipedia and look at multiracial countries. They break down the groups of people in those countries by race and ethnicity. They use the term black. It seems like Wikipedia agrees with me, and most of the people on this comment board agree with me. The Dominican Republic, Cuba, England,and many other countries seem to have a black population. Well they are definitely not African American. It seems to me that these people of negroid ancestry call themselves black. Yes. I am aware that South Asians have dark skin. The majority of them also have long narrow noses and straight hair. See. These are physical traits that negroid (black) people don’t have. That’s because we are not the same race. It’s not just about skin color.

I just don’t get it. Do you think only white people live in America? No. Then, why do you think only black people live in America? That is because you have an American-centric view of the world. It boggles some people’s minds that everything isn’t about America. African Americans are the black people most viewed around the world because of America’s influence. That is why you think African American culture is black culture. The US census groups all negroid people together under the term black because these people equate black with negroid. African American is an ethnicity. It is used to show culture and history. Black does not. If you want to talk about your history and culture, you should say African American, but your African friends ARE black. They are negroid. Just because they like to say they are Nigerian or Ghanian doesn’t mean they are choosing to say they are not black. They are proud of their countries. That doesn’t mean they deny their race. White Americans say that they are American. White Germans say that they are German, but they still mark their race as white.

I mean what the heck do they put when forms ask for race? They put black. There is no list of nationalities. If you want to continue believing what you believe that’s fine, but you are doing exactly what you accused me of enforcing a view of blackness on others. And you are enforcing an ignorant view that the majority of people in the world who understand race vs ethnicity vs nationality don’t agree with. You are talking about shared culture. Well people who share culture are usually the same ethnicity. You don’t have a common culture with your African friends because you are not the same ethnicity. You are African American. They are not. African American is an ethnicity that was created to differentiate between us and other black people. Black is not an ethnicity. It describes people of the negroid race.

To tell negroid people from Africa that they are not black sounds so stupid. They are not African American. Your definition of black is America-centric. Since we live in America, we have lots of freedom. You have the freedom to be as ignorant as you want to. Please don’t say this ignorance in front of some non-black people. They already think enough bad things about us.

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“Black culture” is different from African culture. Blacks in america and people of African descent from other parts eat different foods, and are raised with different values. Also not all dark skinned people are of African descent. South Asians are just as dark as Africans, yet they are not “black.” Black is a very general term. My African friends prefer to be defined by their nationality instead of black, because black is a very general term that means different things in different places.

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Unlike African Americans in America passing for white didn’t necessarily afford you the luxuries of whiteness. If you could keep it a secret yet, but if not, then obviously the answer was no. Because there were actually 100% white people in America unlike Puerto Rico where you had mixed people faking the funk all they were concerned about was being light skin. Its like a bunch of mixed and biracial people cosigning themselves to death telling each other how white they are with few to no white people to actually say to them. “YOU AIN’T WHITE! YO HALF BREED!”

So they co-signed themselves to death, claiming whiteness.

In America, however, and it’s always been this way; frequently mixed or biracial/light skin people are like spies, if they pass for white. They hang around real white folks and hear WHAT THEY REALLY THINK about black folks. They don’t like it. This is the main reason that some of you most light skin African Americans are some of you most pro-black. It use to always perplex me when I would see more light skin black females sporting natural hairstyles than I would dark skin black females.

While the dark skin women were trying to get away from their blackness, the same amount of light skin women were trying to embrace it. Now obviously you had some who wanted nothing to do with blackness, but those ones who just didn’t have it in them to have a black parent or dark skin parent and be around white folks and hear the things they said about black folks usually fully embraced their black sides.

Puerto Ricans didn’t have this – just a bunch of mixed people CONVINCING themselves of their whiteness with no white people to really say – REAL TALK – YOU AIN’T WHITE.

PR can cosign themselves all day on the island that they are so light and white – but we all know that 95% of the people on that island would not be considered white in the American sense if they go pulled over. White American do not hold back on whose white and not.

“YEA I GOT THIS “HISPANIC KID!” aka – non-white!

Some Latinos kill me with that – “Oh we’re white ish.”

I’m like – yea ok…

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The term is not loaded. In America, when we say white, we are talking about white Americans. That does not mean they are the only white people. African Americans are one of many groups of black people. African Americans are black. Black people are not African American. White Americans are one of many groups of white people. In America, when we say white and black, we are specifically talking about those groups in our country. That is not saying these people don’t exist outside of America.

Black people in America are a specific ethnic group. They have an ethnicity for people who want to specifically talk about us: African American. Black is another term for people of the negroid race. Most of my non-African American black friends and non-black people agree with me.

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Black does not a necessarily refer to race. It’s a term generally used to refer to descendants of African slaves living in the USA. Other countries do not use the term. It means different things in different places. I jokingly tell my African friends from Nigeria that they are African and not black. “Black” here refers to nationality (American of African descent) and not race. No one is debating their African origins. They are just choosing not to identify with the term “black.” Maybe you should look under black people on Wikipedia. The word black is a loaded term that can mean many things including race and nationality.

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I suggest you simply start with Wikipedia or Google. In the Google search field, type “race, ethnicity, and nationality.” Read something. Learn something. Go forth in the world with your new knowledge instead of ignorance.

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You don’t know what you are talking about. Try calling a Chinese person Japanese and see what response you get. Have you ever been to Canada? The “white people” there love to identify with their nationality. French-Canadian, Italian etc. Africans are not all the same. West Africans from Ghana or Nigeria do not identify at all with Somalians. In Bosnia, Europeans slaughtered each other over ethnic differences. You can’t impose black people in Americas experience on other people.

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I have literally heard mothers upset that their child is marrying a ‘slave black’ man and their child would have no hope. i wasn’t shocked to hear this.

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You ladies have a wonderful day!

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@Cleo Hines and the rest of youse

Yeah right to all that mumbo jumbo you all typed. Youse know exactly what the deal is. Nobody is stupid.

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LOVING YOU, MADLY

becoming a member NOW! lol!

@Talulah Belle
My freckles are definitely recessive. My parents don’t have them and nor does my son.
My ancestory on both sides is… well, its very diverse. I know it all goes back to africa. Ethiopia on my mother’s side, and I’m not entirely certain on my father’s side. My mom’s people came here with German Jews on their own free will. I’m half Bajan, 1st generation, and as you know, the barbados was a port. many africans passed thru.

Just throw a dart at the landscape of africa… there!

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Black is a term for the negroid race not the ethnicity African American! People say that there are basically three or four races. Everyone is one or a mixture of these: Caucasoid (white Europeans, North Africans), Mongoloid ( East Asians), Australoid (South Asians), and Negroid (sub-Saharan Africans). Latinos are just a mixture of these original groups just like everyone else. Some of them may be more Mongoloid (descendants of indigenous tribes such as the Mayas or Aztecs sometimes considered proto-Mongoloid. Some are descendants of European people and are more Caucasoid. Some are descendants of African slaves and are more negroid. Many are a mixture. I mean where in the old world does the race of Latino come from? Exactly. There is no Latino or Puerto Rican or Dominican or Panamanian race.

When they were asking about your ethnicity and you told them your race (black), that is not what they wanted to know. People can tell that you are black. You have physical characteristics that are found in black people, so it obvious. They wanted to know that you were an afro-Jamaican. Since Jamaica is majority black, saying that you are Jamaican would have been fine.

I agree that African Americans shouldn’t force their view of black on people, but many times when people reject being labeled black, it IS because they don’t want anything to do with their black ancestry or they want to be considered more exotic than those plain ole’ African Americans. Like I said, there are basically four races. If you don’t like the one drop rule that some African Americans go by, that’s fine, but you should be honest and say that you are mixed not throw out nationalities. In multicultural countries like many in the Americas, nationalities don’t say anything about race.

When the author described her experience with her “Spanish” friend, that seemed like a case of someone denying her blackness. She should be honest and say that she is mixed. When you go live abroad in a country, you have to understand their culture. You can explain how things are back home, but many Americans black and white will assume certain things just like I might go to Brazil and be considered mixed instead of black.

Yes I understand that many Latin American countries don’t have our racial characterizations, but while we do hypo-descent, some Afro-Latinos come here, deny their blackness, and shout out nationalities. If a Puerto Rican person were to tell me that they are mixed, I would be fine with that, but when I see your dark skin and curly hair, but you tell me to my face that you have no black ancestry and that you are really Puerto Rican, I will probably decide that you don’t know the difference between race, nationality, and ethnicity, or I will decide that you are ashamed of your black ancestry.

Black Africans, black Caribbeans, and Afro-Latinos should be proud of what they are. We African Americans are not trying to suck you into our group, but you should understand that you fall under the racial group of negroid just like African Americans. Only ignorant people think they shouldn’t call themselves black because it implies African American. Would an English or German immigrant be offended to be labeled white? No. I only hear this stuff from black people. Most non-African American black people that I have talked to have no problem understanding that they are black. They know the difference between black and African American. Many white people do too!

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but im not talking about black as a race or ethnicity. Im talkibg about black as a political label in America. So when your casualky refer to a Panamanian as black you are superimposing the unique history culture etc. Of black americans on this hispanic spanish speaking foreigner with black skin.

This came up during the presidential election. Everyone was talking about how Obama is black but not black like us on account of his father being kenyan. His half whiteness notwithstanding.

Please refer to RC and Cleo Hines post below.

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So the concept of “blackness” is not something that was ever really encountered before entering the U.S. and for lot of immigrant blacks if you ask them to define blackness they wouldn’t have a damn clue how to, I know I don’t. Yes when people ask me my ethnicity, I say black (interestingly enough, they only people that ever ask me that are Americans, of all ethnicities, no one else seems to give a crap), but do I really and truly have a clue what that actually means? Not on your life because I have no real formative basis for it. Would I be more comfortable saying I’m Jamaican? Absolutely, because for me that has more meaning and is actually grounded in something I can feel and explain if someone were ever to ask me what it means to be Jamaican. As effed up as it sounds, I didn’t know I was black until I was fourteen years old, had been in the U.S. two or three months, and someone informed that I was, I said OK, the end.

And don’t be naive, when anyone who is not black says black, they’re generally using it as an interchangeable term for African American, and the term African American has become a catch all for black, even for people with no roots in this country other than the ones they put down probably somewhere in the last decade or so. So yeah, someone asks an immigrant if he’s black and he say’s no I’m whatever, it’s probably because to him, black means African American, and that doesn’t have to be an insult. African Americans are proud of being African Americans, so too is the African, Haitian, Panamanian etc., proud of being who he is, just because they’re here now, doesn’t mean that they aren’t fiercely proud of the culture they were raised in. Allow others to be as proud of their culture as you are, blackness for everyone is different and some of us are still trying to navigate and figure out what it actually means.

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When you specifically talk about blacks and American slavery and the Jim Crow South, you are talking about African Americans. When Americans say black they really mean African American. When you live in a country where most black people are African slave descendants, many people would rather just use the shorter term of black.

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I am trying to get blacker. I am a brown skinned brother and I love that my Wife is dark skinned. My kid still came out light, but they have dark ears so he will have more melanin than I did. :)

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Just a bunch of perverts and pediophiles who DONT get caught…

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Back in Ethiopia your friend would not have been black but Amhara or maybe Tigrinya. Im not negating black as a race but i am specifying the unique historical ans social context of black in America. An Armenian in America is technically white but they are not apart of the historical and cultural group of white americans descended from the English Scots and most recently the Irish.

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What he said is ignorant. That’s like me saying “I’m not black. I’m American.” See how stupid that sounds. I am American. That is my nationality. I am black. That is my race, and my ethnicity is African American.

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@Mitch, my resources tell me otherwise, but thanks.

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