Xibit

Thank you for spelling that out.

So, once again, a person from South Africa is a South African American. That goes for Charlize Theron and Teresa Heinz Kerry and Desmond Tutu, should he decide to reside in or become an American citizen.


First, notice how you've referenced the ethnic background of your parents. While you view people's "fixation" on "titles of themselves" as "tedious and boring" you didn't mind mentioning your parents' ethnic background. For what particular reason, I don't know...

Second: what do you say to people who "know what they are" in terms of what their parents' ethnicity/ethnicities "make them"?

Third, for so-called Black people who, when they look at their parents and grandparents and don't find/know of any Hispanic, Scottish, Irish, Polish, etc. ethnic lineage, what? What is their or their parents or grandparents ethnicity? I mean, you accord yourself or, rather, your parents and grandparents an ethnicity/culture regardless of how "American" there were or became.


The problem with that is that as human beings we are social creatures. We exist, know and see the world through our particular cultures and societies.

I submit that the African American or Black Experience is, indeed, an American Experience. That is, for Blacks/African Americans there is no way to be "just American" (whatever the hell that means). No way to be "American" that is separate from being Black/African American. That is unless someone can define or speak to what that is - i.e. what it means to be "just American."