Within certain groups there is the tendency of some to move away from being defined as “black”. Some people prefer to be refered to by the nation of their birth or their parent’s birth rather than claim blackness, despite the fact their skin color and facial features are Africoid. On the other end of this conversation we have many Americans who believe black to be synonymous with only America.
In conversations with friends about their ethnic background they have said ”My mom/dad is Puerto Rican and my mom/dad is black” , and then I probed for the race/nationality of both parents. In one instance the response was my mother is Black Puerto Rican and my Father is Black American. In another the response was my Father is White Puerto Rican and my mother is Black American. I found it interesting in both cases how both friends identified the national origin of one parent yet I was expected to know the national identity of the other parent based on a racial category. I had a co worker say to me “But you’re not Black, your Jamaican.” I had to let him know I am black AND I am Jamaican. Same for “African-Americans”. They/We are Black AND American. Same for Dominicans, Haitians, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans, Panamanians,St. Lucians, Trininidadians, Antiguans , Nigerians, Kenyans, Liberians, Ghanians and the list goes on.
When someone is identified as black I question: “What country? From where?” I dont automatically assume when someone is referred to as Black that they are American. Maybe it’s my hang up and I should get with the program. I already think “African-Americans” focus too little on their Americaness anyway (but that’s another post). Black is indeed diverse in the sense that many nations around the world have black people, not just America. Check out this past post on ”Neo-African American. Feedbacks and comments are welcomed!
W. Reid
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January 7, 2010 at 10:18
don
add me to the list of people who pretty much associated black as being just that, black. i am sure from looking at the makeup of a person there were/are other defining factors, but i simply left it at Black.
now, years later, like yourself, i look to truly define the makeup of a person.
January 8, 2010 at 10:18
Ulysses
Diva Mom,
I understand your point of view on this touchy subject for some people; however I think “us” as humans are so consumed with race and one’s background. Race as many other factors simple divides us as people, even though we are all the same by nature. We are all born unaware of our surrounding and who we are. It’s society that reinforces us into categories like cattle. As children we are told our names, what to believe in, our sex, our race, our limits, etc. All of these reinforcements shape our thinking and we become program to believe x y and z even though there is a deeper meaning behind it. I’ll give an example; Paper has multifunction; you can use paper to make money, notebooks, newspapers, books, boxes, etc. However in its truest form it’s a tree, doesn’t matter how many time you change the function of the paper its purest form is a tree. Same as for humans, we are very diverse in our beliefs, our backgrounds, our cultures, our bodies, our complexion; however our truest form we are all human beings and not a particular race that society has engraved in our minds to keep us in a state of unrest amongst ourselves.