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Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by AAinEqGuinea: 4:26pm On Jul 09, 2017
But Africans born in American are still considered African?

I've heard that it has to with culture... but id argue that many people from Africa, but are now in the West Indies, to this day retained and practice more of core African traditions than many Africans. We know that there are hundreds if not thousands of African cultures, so is ones Africanness confined to continental boundaries?

I've heard that because many whites had forceful relationships with enslaved Africans that this somehow nullifies their true and pure Africanness. Although this is true, many Arab also had relations with Bantu or Darker complexion African as well. Does this make Muslim or Christian Africans less African?

Is it because African Americans can't claim a nationality/colony so one is forced to carry the identity of his enslaved world, which on its own is a loaded discussion/thread. Proudly Jamaican, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Kenyan, Biafran when it's argued that ethnicity is far more important, see Culture above.

Are white Afrikaans more African than African Americans?

What and who defines the expiration of one's Africanness?

Any feedback is valued.

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by reverendwillie: 12:13am On Jul 10, 2017
What and who defines the expiration of one's Africanness I'd say the events and conditions that led to the present customs and beliefs of the particular group of people in question. There's a lot of variety within African culture itself but there's still those dominant traits that are shared from within that identify and distinguish them from non African cultures.

I think it also could depend on the context in which Africanness is measured since there's a white man Africa and a black man Africa, there's a significant contrast between the culture of black man Africa and what African Americans practice. The social values and family dynamics between the two are set apart considerably which may explain why some Africans may use that against AA's to point out how American they are. Most second and third generation Africans in the US might also still speak an African language and have an African name that connects them to a specific locale.

Ironically, if we use the white man Africa viewpoint AA's could argue continental Africans are quite American themselves with their kfc, smartphones, fords, airplanes, general electric products etc.

In my opinion we blacks just need to scale back the pettiness and semantics a bit, AAs had a very unique experience let's all recognize that and move on, whites from America to Australia sure as hell know they're european so I would hope we're capable of doing the same at some point plus the perception of who's African or not between a diasporan African and a continental African is trivial to dominant culture.

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Nobody: 1:53am On Jul 10, 2017
I appreciate you doing this thread.
In my opinion, I think that white Afrikaans (Afrikaners) are moreso African than black Americans simply because that is where they were born and bred.
As unfortunate as it is, black Americans do not know their history...and it's virtually non-existent in American history books. So they don't know...and the extremely little bit of info they do know, paints the continent of Africa in a bad light.
So what they relate to is the American culture.
I'm half black American....and have recently developed a strong interest in Nigeria practically because I have a direct descent through my dad...and it is in my blood.
However, the culture I really know is the one I was born and raised in....America.
Many black Americans even hate to be called African Americans because they have been indoctrinated to believe that Africa is a horrible place unfortunately. And I really don't know how the black community can recover from the hundreds of years of slavery.
It's so unfortunate but the slave trade really desecrated the black community.

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Konquest: 3:30am On Jul 10, 2017
AAinEqGuinea:
But Africans born in American are still considered African?

I've heard that it has to with culture... but id argue that many people from Africa, but are now in the West Indies, to this day retained and practice more of core African traditions than many Africans. We know that there are hundreds if not thousands of African cultures, so is ones Africanness confined to continental boundaries?

I've heard that because many whites had forceful relationships with enslaved Africans that this somehow nullifies their true and pure Africanness. Although this is true, many Arab also had relations with Bantu or Darker complexion African as well. Does this make Muslim or Christian Africans less African?

Is it because African Americans can't claim a nationality/colony so one is forced to carry the identity of his enslaved world, which on its own is a loaded discussion/thread. Proudly Jamaican, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Kenyan, Biafran when it's argued that ethnicity is far more important, see Culture above.

Are white Afrikaans more African than African Americans?

What and who defines the expiration of one's Africanness?

Any feedback is valued.

^^^^^^^^^
@AAinEqGuinea

It is all about semantics. I prefer to call
African-Americans or people with
African ancestry in America as "African-Americans. For black immigrants in
the U.S., I prefer to use terms like
Jamaican/Cuban/Haitian/Barbadian-Americans, etc.


DNA tests from DNALand or AfricanAncestry show that about 1 in 4
African-American men have a direct
white/European male ancestry and
not Continental Africa! Many Diaspora
Africans whose forebears were deported
from Africa on board slave schooners are now taking patrilineal
and mtDNA tests to find their roots
in Africa and it is near accurate especially
via DNAland and AfricanAncestry which
have a large DNA pool from ethnicities
in Africa.


Last but not least, there is NO legal
entity or nationality called biafra. It is just
a utopian or imaginary entity that was
not even recognised by the United Nations
in the late 60s.

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by AAinEqGuinea: 3:59am On Jul 10, 2017
reverendwillie:
What and who defines the expiration of one's Africanness I'd say the events and conditions that led to the present customs and beliefs of the particular group of people in question. There's a lot of variety within African culture itself but there's still those dominant traits that are shared from within that identify and distinguish them from non African cultures.

I think it also could depend on the context in which Africanness is measured since there's a white man Africa and a black man Africa, there's a significant contrast between the culture of black man Africa and what African Americans practice. The social values and family dynamics between the two are set apart considerably which may explain why some Africans may use that against AA's to point out how American they are. Most second and third generation Africans in the US might also still speak an African language and have an African name that connects them to a specific locale.

Ironically, if we use the white man Africa viewpoint AA's could argue continental Africans are quite American themselves with their kfc, smartphones, fords, airplanes, general electric products etc.

In my opinion we blacks just need to scale back the pettiness and semantics a bit, AAs had a very unique experience let's all recognize that and move on, whites from America to Australia sure as hell know they're european so I would hope we're capable of doing the same at some point plus the perception of who's African or not between a diasporan African and a continental African is trivial to dominant culture.

Well said, especially your last paragraph. There is a bigger purpose out there to be more concerned with, but there's this indulgence I have to address.

You learn a lot about a country from talking, helping, but ultimately observing and what I'm seeing happen in Nigeria and Africa as a whole is that despite all non-African attributes AA's possess, young Africans still love and in many cases mimic everything about what AAs establish or are allowed to establish. If not AAs, then without question most Africans chase European social norms. Proficiency in English rather than a native language on JAMB exams, and then theres capitalism, democracy, religions, colonial names, modern architecture, etc, etc all foreign assimilations in which the only distinguishing factor that one has left is name and lingua.

Again I couldnt agree more that its petty but there seems to be a granular element that I'm interested in. It's like asking why Jesus is always depicted as a white man, and the retort is almost always "it doesnt matter what color he is", and I'd further prod with "if it doesnt matter what color he is, why does he always have to be white?". Petty on the surface but at its core lies more interesting psychology that I'd wish to validate.

Haiti is an Associate Member of the African Union, likely destined to be apart of the AU in the near future. They've retained what most would consider to be African culture. But some African culture in its purest form has many dark elements that I'd rather not remind anyone of as we see remnants of it everyday on FP with disclaimers. Charmers/herbalists (which I like), ritualism, jungle justice, polygamy are all apart of, but not mutually exclusive to, African culture. Many Africans remain true while many Africans have abandoned it especially once foreign religions like Christianity made a sacrilege of these norms. African culture doesnt seem to be static after all, so hate it or love it I'd argue who's the authority to claim that AA culture isnt an evolved form of Africa?

Thanks again. Best of the luck in this world.

Ngo40:
I appreciate you doing this thread.
In my opinion, I think that white Afrikaans (Afrikaners) are moreso African than black Americans simply because that is where they were born and bred.
As unfortunate as it is, black Americans do not know their history...and it's virtually non-existent in American history books. So they don't know...and the extremely little bit of info they do know, paints the continent of Africa in a bad light.
So what they relate to is the American culture.
I'm half black American....and have recently developed a strong interest in Nigeria practically because I have a direct descent through my dad...and it is in my blood.
However, the culture I really know is the one I was born and raised in....America.
Many black Americans even hate to be called African Americans because they have been indoctrinated to believe that Africa is a horrible place unfortunately. And I really don't know how the black community can recover from the hundreds of years of slavery.
It's so unfortunate but the slave trade really desecrated the black community.


AA's for the most part had their history taken from them, and youre right that today many AAs dont care to try to find their lost history. Small factions have created their own version of African history; Gullahs and Zulu Nation among many others. There are some who believe that AAs were in the Americas prior to the Europeans, even while African history would suggest that, no, they were sold as slaves, but are now somehow no longer African bc their history and culture were usurped by force. Interesting.

The non-existent African history missing from textbooks is rich but also very dark in the retrospect, somehow we want to ignore the dark parts which I love. Africans leave the continent for the same modern but dark reasons too. This is by no means an excuse to abandon African history, but abandonment is seen from both Africans and AAs (no one wants to claim the history of people who were variants of unclad and cannibalistic bushmen, instead every tribe except the enslaved were advanced, even built pyramids). So when the smoke clears who's really African in the midst of all this evolution?

Most AA's have let themselves go, but when I look back at some parts of African... it makes the worse of Chicago, Detroit, Oakland, St Louis combined look like Disneyland. This is not a slam on anyone but the parallels are there. The Zoo-like behavior, as Nnamdi Kanu would say, is in their DNA, which remains stronger than any social construct including culture. Somewhere in the dark man's DNA also lies more answers, which further explains the effort behind attempts to apply continental schisms from all sides when we know the obvious-- AA's are from Africa, and when Europeans or their rape blood isn't involved they will act like many Africans. Nnamdi Kanu would collectively call this "land people mentality", and I'd strongly agree.

This is great, thanks much.

3 Likes

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by AAinEqGuinea: 5:03am On Jul 10, 2017
Konquest:

^^^^^^^^^
@AAinEqGuinea

It is all about semantics. I prefer to call
African-Americans or people with
African ancestry in America as "African-Americans. For black immigrants in
the U.S., I prefer to use terms like
Jamaican/Cuban/Haitian/Barbadian-Americans, etc.


DNA tests from DNALand or AfricanAncestry show that about 1 in 4
African-American men have a direct
white/European male ancestry and
not Continental Africa! Many Diaspora
Africans whose forebears were deported
from Africa on board slave schooners are now taking patrilineal
and mtDNA tests to find their roots
in Africa and it is near accurate especially
via DNAland and AfricanAncestry which
have a large DNA pool from ethnicities
in Africa.


Last but not least, there is NO legal
entity or nationality called biafra. It is just
a utopian or imaginary entity that was
not even recognised by the United Nations
in the late 60s.



I once took a DNA test from this incredulous company named "ConnectMyDNA", admittedly it was a cheap DNA test compared to most pricey ancestral tests, but at least it gave rise to my NL moniker. It was fun and affirmed what I already knew.

This test claims to compare your DNA with modern populations so it's not a ancestral test, if one is even possible.

They first rank your DNA by continents and my strongest match was Africa. undecided If interested you can further see your strongest matches within each continent and my strongest matches within Africa are Eq Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa and others, my weakest DNA link was Nigeria cry We cant possibly run from this science. I can post pics of the results if you'd like. What's interesting is that my second continental match was South America, with the strongest match within South America being Bahamas, a popular slave destination. So there probably was a slave ship once titled Jesus who carried us away to His promise land.

Biafra:
Why cant Africans form their own boundaries without bloodshed or international polity like many other countries, when these are your brothers we're talking about? Its not like they are going anywhere, Biafra will remain next door.

Nigeria chokes the life and potential out of people who choose to remain. You know that this is true. Somehow theres this belief among AAs and Africans alike that there's dignity in the end of endless suffrage. For Nigeria, it's suffrage accompanied by quit notices and threats for anyone who dares leave to start over on lands belonging to them. Nothing against the Nigerian people, but there is so much more wrong with Nigeria. Even Buhari doesnt want to remain in Nigeria. Last year Aisha was in America at the same time Nigeria's soccer team was in America practicing in Atlanta for Rio. She flew back home and left the Nigerian soccer team stranded during the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. The whole world saw this. That's when I knew I had enough of Buhari and Nigeria's polity.

There's more to their incurable mayhem and their madness, but if not for Nnamdi the Nigerian govt wouldnt bother with this new idea of restructuring. They should be praising Nnamdi for helping apply efforts to finding looted funds and then reflecting on other forms of social chaos that they have fueled all while they stuff their greedy pockets and taking pointless foreign trips every week... all in the name of Africa and everything pure.

2 Likes

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Konquest: 6:32am On Jul 10, 2017
AAinEqGuinea:


I once took a DNA test from this incredulous company named "ConnectMyDNA", admittedly it was a cheap DNA test compared to most pricey ancestral tests, but at least it gave rise to my NL moniker. It was fun and affirmed what I already knew.

This test claims to compare your DNA with modern populations so it's not a ancestral test, if one is even possible.

They first rank your DNA by continents and my strongest match was Africa. undecided If interested you can further see your strongest matches within each continent and my strongest matches within Africa are Eq Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa and others, my weakest DNA link was Nigeria cry We cant possibly run from this science. I can post pics of the results if you'd like. What's interesting is that my second continental match was South America, with the strongest match within South America being Bahamas, a popular slave destination. So there probably was a slave ship once titled Jesus who carried us away to His promise land.

Biafra:
Why cant Africans form their own boundaries without bloodshed or international polity like many other countries, when these are your brothers we're talking about? Its not like they are going anywhere, Biafra will remain next door.

Nigeria chokes the life and potential out of people who choose to remain. You know that this is true. Somehow theres this belief among AAs and Africans alike that there's dignity in the end of endless suffrage. For Nigeria, it's suffrage accompanied by quit notices and threats for anyone who dares leave to start over on lands belonging to them. Nothing against the Nigerian people, but there is so much more wrong with Nigeria. Even Buhari doesnt want to remain in Nigeria. Last year Aisha was in America at the same time Nigeria's soccer team was in America practicing in Atlanta for Rio. She flew back home and left the Nigerian soccer team stranded during the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. The whole world saw this. That's when I knew I had enough of Buhari and Nigeria's polity.

There's more to their incurable mayhem and their madness, but if not for Nnamdi the Nigerian govt wouldnt bother with this new idea of restructuring. They should be praising Nnamdi for helping apply efforts to finding looted funds and then reflecting on other forms of social chaos that they have fueled all while they stuff their greedy pockets and taking pointless foreign trips every week... all in the name of Africa and everything pure.
^^^^^^^^^^
@AAinEqGuinea

I appreciate your response.

First off, I think the DNA test you took
is a first step towards that renewed sense
of self-awareness among Diaspora's.
In the late 2000s, I read about Whoopy
Goldberg having her direct maternal
ancestry Guinea-Bissau as well
and the iconic Quincy Jones had a direct
paternal ancestry leading to the Tikar ethnic group in Bamenda
or West Cameroon (Anglophone Cameroon).


You may wish to retake the DNA
tests at DNAland and/or AfricanAncestry.com which are very
perfect. A U.S.-based Nigerian from
Delta State who goes by the name
of "waphyguy" on YouTube did his
DNA test from DNAland and it showed
his ancestry to be of Yoruba[Itsekiri mother] and Esan[Edoid, with an Urhobo
father]. This test was indeed ACCURATE!


To find his 2 YouTube videos
online to gain deeper insights into
what I mean, you may wish to Google
Waphyguy or use the YouTube search
box and the 2 DNA video results will
instantly pop up. I intend taking mine
too because I have always been interested
in genealogy and world history.

I will try to post the YouTube videos
here later or you can kindly do that for
us.

I'm aware of Oyotunji, a Diasporian
Yoruba community in South Carolina
were AAs speak Yoruba and have a king
or Oba who visited Nigeria in 2017 to meet
with other Royal Fathers like the Ooni
of Ife. So there are AAs, Cubans, Brazilians, etc, who are connecting with Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia
just like the iconic Alex Haley of the Junta Kinte and the
"Roots" fame. grin



The objection of a lot of right thinking
people to NNAMDI is that he in his
delusion included several surrounding
states and non-Ibo Nigerian ethnicities
in the so-called map of the enclave of Biafra WITHOUT consultations and
permission and this is what has led to
communiques being issued by up to 8 ethnic groups expressing anger and disgust by the inclusion of their
territories in the map without any
referendum. This was the same mistake
the bearded leader of the secessionist
group did in the late 1960s that led to
needless deaths of over 1million
people! He has also preached hate
messages and then you wonder how
TACTLESS a person can be in a
multicultural country like Nigeria.


I believe that if a defined Federalism
that suits Nigeria cannot
be attained, then that country is better
off splitting after a United Nations
organised referendum into about
11 new countries who can continue
to do business with one another in
peace!


Take charge! grin

3 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by AAinEqGuinea: 11:09am On Jul 10, 2017
Konquest:

^^^^^^^^^^
@AAinEqGuinea

I appreciate your response.

First off, I think the DNA test you took
is a first step towards that renewed sense
of self-awareness among Diaspora's.
In the late 2000s, I read about Whoopy
Goldberg having her direct maternal
ancestry in Equatorial Guinea as well
and the iconic Quincy Jones had a direct
paternal ancestry leading to the Bamenda
or West Cameroon (Anglophone Cameroon).


You may wish to retake the DNA
tests at DNAland and/or AfricanAncestry.com which are very
perfect. A U.S.-based Nigerian from
Delta State who goes by the name
of "waphyguy" on YouTube did his
DNA test from DNAland and it showed
his ancestry to be of Yoruba[Itsekiri mother] and Esan[Edoid, with an Urhobo
father]. This test was indeed ACCURATE!


To find his 2 YouTube videos
online to gain deeper insights into
what I mean, you may wish to Google
Waphyguy or use the YouTube search
box and the 2 DNA video results will
instantly pop up. I intend taking mine
too because I have always been interested
in genealogy and world history.

I will try to post the YouTube videos
here later or you can kindly do that for
us.

I'm aware of Oyotunji, a Diasporian
Yoruba community in South Carolina
were AAs speak Yoruba and have a king
or Oba who visited Nigeria in 2017 to meet
with other Royal Fathers like the Ooni
of Ife. So there are AAs, Cubans, Brazilians, etc, who are connecting with Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia
just like the iconic Alex Haley of the Junta Kinte and the
"Roots" fame. grin



The objection of a lot of right thinking
people to NNAMDI is that he in his
delusion included several surrounding
states and non-Ibo Nigerian ethnicities
in the so-called map of the enclave of Biafra WITHOUT consultations and
permission and this is what has led to
communiques being issued by up to 8 ethnic groups expressing anger and disgust by the inclusion of their
territories in the map without any
referendum. This was the same mistake
the bearded leader of the secessionist
group did in the late 1960s that led to
needless deaths of over 1million
people! He has also preached hate
messages and then you wonder how
TACTLESS a person can be in a
multicultural country like Nigeria.


I believe that if a defined Federalism
that suits Nigeria cannot
be attained, then that country is better
off splitting after a United Nations
organised referendum into about
11 new countries who can continue
to do business with one another in
peace!


Take charge! grin






I'll have to check out the official AfricanDNA test one day.

I'm going to visit Nigeria one day but moreso for business and some sightseeing. cool

Micro-countries are what keeps Africa moving. Who'd ever think tiny Eq Guinea could manifest with no bloodshed? You don't need the UN for that,looke how useless they were in Darfur, Sudan, etc.

1 Like

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Konquest: 6:49pm On Jul 10, 2017
AAinEqGuinea:


I'll have to check out the official AfricanDNA test one day.

I'm going to visit Nigeria one day but moreso for business and some sightseeing. cool

Micro-countries are what keeps Africa moving. Who'd ever think tiny Eq Guinea could manifest with no bloodshed? You don't need the UN for that,looke how useless they were in Darfur, Sudan, etc.

^^^^^^^^
@AAinEqGuinea

Just a quick one...

I wrote that Whoopi Goldberg's DNA
test indicates that her direct ancestry
is Equatorial Guinea. The correct
country is Guinea-Bissau which I
originally intended to type. Guinea-Bissau
shares direct boundaries with another
West African country called Guinea-Conakry! Quincy Jones has a paternal
lineage with the Tikar ethnic group
in Western Cameroon.


When you do intend to visit Nigeria, please
do your due diligence, always keep in
touch with the American Embassy/American Consulate in Lagos, have a network of friends from Nigeria and in
the U.S. who can put you through your
movements in Nigeria and the TRAVEL
Section of Nairaland
and everything
will be fine.

There are dubious people in a lot of
countries of the world who always
look for loopholes to take advantage
of people with foreign accents, so you
have to move or walk with some swag
so that will show them you know
what you are doing and where you
are going! grin


I would suggest you visit Obudu Mountain
Resort in Cross River State by air and a
quick visit to Uyo in Akwa Ibom State
which is next door.


Inagbe Grand Resort in Lagos State
is also a great place to visit among
other locations like Badagry's slave
trade era relics.


The hilly city of Jos and the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja also have
fantastic natural and geological views.


You can also contact credible tour guides
who will make your visit memorable
and have your 3rd-party mobile tracking
apps on your mobile devices just in case
anything happens in a worse case
scenario. I hope this helps.

1 Like

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Fulaman198(m): 9:57pm On Jul 10, 2017
Ngo40:
I appreciate you doing this thread.
In my opinion, I think that white Afrikaans (Afrikaners) are moreso African than black Americans simply because that is where they were born and bred.
As unfortunate as it is, black Americans do not know their history...and it's virtually non-existent in American history books. So they don't know...and the extremely little bit of info they do know, paints the continent of Africa in a bad light.
So what they relate to is the American culture.
I'm half black American....and have recently developed a strong interest in Nigeria practically because I have a direct descent through my dad...and it is in my blood.
However, the culture I really know is the one I was born and raised in....America.
Many black Americans even hate to be called African Americans because they have been indoctrinated to believe that Africa is a horrible place unfortunately. And I really don't know how the black community can recover from the hundreds of years of slavery.
It's so unfortunate but the slave trade really desecrated the black community.


This comment is hilarious. One must ask what is African exactly. You can be from the African land but not necessarily practise a tradtional African culture. Afrikaners DO NOT practise an African culture. So the question is are they really African? When Africans go to Europe, many of them become Westernised and even abandon their respective cultures like a bunch of cowards.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Nobody: 12:43am On Jul 11, 2017
Fulaman198:


This comment is hilarious. One must ask what is African exactly. You can be from the African land but not necessarily practise a tradtional African culture. Afrikaners DO NOT practise an African culture. So the question is are they really African? When Africans go to Europe, many of them become Westernised and even abandon their respective cultures like a bunch of cowards.


Is it hilarious brother? Lol....you really think so?
Well I gave my opinion based on what I've seen and experienced.
Even if Afrikaners don't practice the traditionsl African culture, they still were born, raised and still living in Africa.
If they had wanted to relocate, I'm pretty sure they would've....right?
So there is something about the particular country in Africa that they respect and acknowledge that is special to them.
Moving to a different continent, country, culture or whatever etc....means that in some way, shape or form parts of "that" culture will rub off on the person. Assimilation is bound to occur. Of course, people fight to hold on to their culture, and are victorious in doing so many times, BUT one will take on the nature of the particular place...even if it's subtle.
The problem for the majority of black Americans is they've never been to their homeland, they don't want to go to their homeland, they've learned nothing about their homeland and therefore have no connection. They feel nothing...which is tragic.

1 Like

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by reverendwillie: 1:34am On Jul 11, 2017
AAinEqGuinea:


Well said, especially your last paragraph. There is a bigger purpose out there to be more concerned with, but there's this indulgence I have to address.

You learn a lot about a country from talking, helping, but ultimately observing and what I'm seeing happen in Nigeria and Africa as a whole is that despite all non-African attributes AA's possess, young Africans still love and in many cases mimic everything about what AAs establish or are allowed to establish. If not AAs, then without question most Africans chase European social norms. Proficiency in English rather than a native language on JAMB exams, and then theres capitalism, democracy, religions, colonial names, modern architecture, etc, etc all foreign assimilations in which the only distinguishing factor that one has left is name and lingua.

Again I couldnt agree more that its petty but there seems to be a granular element that I'm interested in. It's like asking why Jesus is always depicted as a white man, and the retort is almost always "it doesnt matter what color he is", and I'd further prod with "if it doesnt matter what color he is, why does he always have to be white?". Petty on the surface but at its core lies more interesting psychology that I'd wish to validate.

Haiti is an Associate Member of the African Union, likely destined to be apart of the AU in the near future. They've retained what most would consider to be African culture. But some African culture in its purest form has many dark elements that I'd rather not remind anyone of as we see remnants of it everyday on FP with disclaimers. Charmers/herbalists (which I like), ritualism, jungle justice, polygamy are all apart of, but not mutually exclusive to, African culture. Many Africans remain true while many Africans have abandoned it especially once foreign religions like Christianity made a sacrilege of these norms. African culture doesnt seem to be static after all, so hate it or love it I'd argue who's the authority to claim that AA culture isnt an evolved form of Africa?

Thanks again. Best of the luck in this world.


That'd definitely be some interesting research for sure, the jesus analogy reminds me of the doll test from the 1940s, the psychology behind the children picking white dolls over black dolls that looked like them was due to an inferiority complex caused by “prejudice, discrimination, and segregation” so it's not surprising to me in the current global racial hierarchy that most non whites would prefer a white jesus. They rationalize it with an intrinsic confirmation that in this reality of white domination non whites are not of the same value as whites. If they can't save themselves and other non whites aren't able to do the same what then is the value of a non white jesus to them? It's funny and sad at the same time.

Also good point you made with that last sentence, AA's are the children of many African ethnicities we were forced to intermingle in order to survive and from there we've evolved to create our own authentic African culture.

All the best.

1 Like

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Fulaman198(m): 8:41pm On Jul 11, 2017
Ngo40:



Is it hilarious brother? Lol....you really think so?
Well I gave my opinion based on what I've seen and experienced.
Even if Afrikaners don't practice the traditionsl African culture, they still were born, raised and still living in Africa.
If they had wanted to relocate, I'm pretty sure they would've....right?
So there is something about the particular country in Africa that they respect and acknowledge that is special to them.
Moving to a different continent, country, culture or whatever etc....means that in some way, shape or form parts of "that" culture will rub off on the person. Assimilation is bound to occur. Of course, people fight to hold on to their culture, and are victorious in doing so many times, BUT one will take on the nature of the particular place...even if it's subtle.
The problem for the majority of black Americans is they've never been to their homeland, they don't want to go to their homeland, they've learned nothing about their homeland and therefore have no connection. They feel nothing...which is tragic.

I'm sorry, but to be an African one must practise an African tradition or culture. The Africans that Westernise themselves for instance in Europe are NOT Africans because they practise European culture. They even had the audacity to call themselves "Afrikaners" yah ok. Their language is a Dutch-derived language from the 17th century. I have watched videos of YouTube where a Dutch man and Afrikaner spoke on the phone with no issue understanding one another. That just goes to show you how similar the two languages are.

1 Like

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Nobody: 12:18am On Jul 12, 2017
Fulaman198:


I'm sorry, but to be an African one must practise an African tradition or culture. The Africans that Westernise themselves for instance in Europe are NOT Africans because they practise European culture. They even had the audacity to call themselves "Afrikaners" yah ok. Their language is a Dutch-derived language from the 17th century. I have watched videos of YouTube where a Dutch man and Afrikaner spoke on the phone with no issue understanding one another. That just goes to show you how similar the two languages are.

Ok...but why do Afrikaners stay in South Africa and Zimbabwe or Mozambique? What's keeping them in those countries? What are they gaining by staying?

1 Like

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Fulaman198(m): 8:20am On Jul 12, 2017
Ngo40:


Ok...but why do Afrikaners stay in South Africa and Zimbabwe or Mozambique? What's keeping them in those countries? What are they gaining by staying?

Dear, these countries were habitable for Afrikaners because of their moderate Mediterranean climates. They came to those countries as a means of extorting the native people and those countries respective resources.

Now granted, when you have been in a region for a bit over 4 centuries, it's hard to return to your native lands. African Americans for instance can't return to Africa because where would they go within the continent? I could argue that Afrikaners could easily live and adapt in a place like the Netherlands or Belgium if they want, but they would have to start over from scratch without access to someone else's resources.
Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Nobody: 4:46pm On Jul 12, 2017
Fulaman198:


Dear, these countries were habitable for Afrikaners because of their moderate Mediterranean climates. They came to those countries as a means of extorting the native people and those countries respective resources.

Now granted, when you have been in a region for a bit over 4 centuries, it's hard to return to your native lands. African Americans for instance can't return to Africa because where would they go within the continent? I could argue that Afrikaners could easily live and adapt in a place like the Netherlands or Belgium if they want, but they would have to start over from scratch without access to someone else's resources.

Ok...I see your point, however are the Afrikaners now (meaning today's modern society) oppressing the Africans?
Maybe I'm looking from a positive aspect, but I just happen to believe that "some" of the Afrikaners also happen to actually like their particular country (the people, food, culture to a certain extent etc.).
I do agree that it would be easier for them to assimilate into any European country.
I hope you aren't discouraging black Americans from possibly coming back to their original homeland....cause there is a small minority that would like to.
Africans would just need to welcome them in & help them get assimilated.....
Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by ezeagu(m): 6:53pm On Jul 12, 2017
Because Africans see culture more than color.

1 Like

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by reverendwillie: 11:17pm On Jul 12, 2017
Fulaman198:


African Americans for instance can't return to Africa because where would they go within the continent?

Fulaman could you elaborate on ^that^ a bit more?


Ngo40 check this out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxycSHD92-g

Hmm... if you don't even do right by other 'purebred' Africans how will it be possible to receive African Americans properly...? If you don't even love yourself how is it possible to love anyone else...?
Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by reverendwillie: 12:10am On Jul 13, 2017
Jeez... I wonder what happened to all these micro nations grin



I'd have to say there's nothing inherently wrong with the concept of micro nations but from my political observations this is a route Africa should avoid, not to mention Africa was always a force when the larger empires thrived. I guess one of the underlying questions is what does a micro nation do when a large empire wants to obtain something you have by force? What do you do about the geographic advantage if you're landlocked or isolated? What about geoeconomics and the terms of trade?

I think you could take what happened in Gambia with Ecowas and apply that to any wealthy micro nation in Africa, if you don't have the means to secure the resources or have competitive products to leverage someone more powerful may try to exploit the situation. The codification of human capital en masse provides a better chance to innovate and outperform competition and it's one of the reasons the USA has absorbed so many immigrants from all corners of the world.

Definitely needs further analysis but from that viewpoint alone I think these micro nations in Africa would need to at minimum function as a conglomerate just to guarantee the prosperity of their very own micro interest grin

1 Like

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Nobody: 2:09am On Jul 13, 2017
reverendwillie:


Fulaman could you elaborate on ^that^ a bit more?


Ngo40 check this out.



Hmm... if you don't even do right by other 'purebred' Africans how will it be possible to receive African Americans properly...? If you don't even love yourself how is it possible to love anyone else...?





Wow....and she really cried out with much sincerity & passion for her country cry
Much food for thought.....
Thanks for sharing this.
Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by AAinEqGuinea: 2:35pm On Jul 13, 2017
Konquest:


^^^^^^^^
@AAinEqGuinea

Just a quick one...

I wrote that Whoopi Goldberg's DNA
test indicates that her direct ancestry
is Equatorial Guinea. The correct
country is Guinea-Bissau which I
originally intended to type. Guinea-Bissau
shares direct boundaries with another
West African country called Guinea-Conakry! Quincy Jones has a paternal
lineage with the Tikar ethnic group
in Western Cameroon.


When you do intend to visit Nigeria, please
do your due diligence, always keep in
touch with the American Embassy/American Consulate in Lagos, have a network of friends from Nigeria and in
the U.S. who can put you through your
movements in Nigeria and the TRAVEL
Section of Nairaland
and everything
will be fine.

There are dubious people in a lot of
countries of the world who always
look for loopholes to take advantage
of people with foreign accents, so you
have to move or walk with some swag
so that will show them you know
what you are doing and where you
are going! grin


I would suggest you visit Obudu Mountain
Resort in Cross River State by air and a
quick visit to Uyo in Akwa Ibom State
which is next door.


Inagbe Grand Resort in Lagos State
is also a great place to visit among
other locations like Badagry's slave
trade era relics.


The hilly city of Jos and the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja also have
fantastic natural and geological views.


You can also contact credible tour guides
who will make your visit memorable
and have your 3rd-party mobile tracking
apps on your mobile devices just in case
anything happens in a worse case
scenario. I hope this helps.


I'll have to research Tikar and other lost/sold tribes everyone wants to forget. Tikar.. the name sounds pretty cool.

worry not...I already planned out my trip to Nigeria. I plan on first and foremost conducting a self-guided tour of Makoko... and who knows, maybe I'll meet legendary Kidnapper Evans himself to see how much my life is worth, and then over to Kuje Prison to see the horrid prison cell where the Great Nnamdi Kanu was once held captive by the tyrant Buhari, Britian's new visiting president, and lastly entering and winning the Goodluck Jonathan lookalike contest.

This trip will be amazing.

reverendwillie:


Fulaman could you elaborate on ^that^ a bit more?


Ngo40 check this out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxycSHD92-g

Hmm... if you don't even do right by other 'purebred' Africans how will it be possible to receive African Americans properly...? If you don't even love yourself how is it possible to love anyone else...?




Poor girl. Sounds like her Africanness expired. Quit notice served.

2 Likes

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Fulaman198(m): 4:47pm On Jul 13, 2017
Ngo40:


Ok...I see your point, however are the Afrikaners now (meaning today's modern society) oppressing the Africans?
Maybe I'm looking from a positive aspect, but I just happen to believe that "some" of the Afrikaners also happen to actually like their particular country (the people, food, culture to a certain extent etc.).
I do agree that it would be easier for them to assimilate into any European country.
I hope you aren't discouraging black Americans from possibly coming back to their original homeland....cause there is a small minority that would like to.
Africans would just need to welcome them in & help them get assimilated.....

There are definitely still some racist tensions in South Africa today and whites still do control most of the the wealth in a country in which they are a minority (hence the extortion). South African blacks though are getting more and more educated (more and more are attending university).

I am not discouraging black Americans at all. But for them to come to a country like Nigeria (which I won't suggest, I would recommend Ghana for them) we need to do away with our ethnic and religious bigotry. There are other countries in West Africa where they can go, but they would need to adapt to the cultures of those lands instead of doing what most Westerners try to do when they go to another country (bring their own culture and try to impose it on a non-Western society).

2 Likes

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by reverendwillie: 12:22am On Jul 14, 2017
Ngo40:



Wow....and she really cried out with much sincerity & passion for her country cry
Much food for thought.....
Thanks for sharing this.

Yep, welcome


AAinEqGuinea:


Poor girl. Sounds like her Africanness expired. Quit notice served.

grin
She should dry her tears and look at the bright side I mean she could be Oprah after all

This young African lady knows exactly who she is, now Oprah on the other hand isn't so fortunate I mean just look at some of the things they're saying about her

Oprah Winfrey was surprised to learn (from a mitochondrial DNA test of her female line) that she is probably not descended from the Zulu tribe as she had thought; instead, it appears that her tribal ancestry is more likely linked to the Kpelle people (who cluster in the Guinea Highlands of what is now central Liberia and Guinea), the Bamileke people (who cluster in modern-day Cameroon), and the Nkoya people of modern-day Zambia

There was never really a fighting chance for poor oprah rarely do her kind ever match a single ethnic group. undecided
Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by AAinEqGuinea: 5:51am On Jul 16, 2017
Fulaman198:


I'm sorry, but to be an African one must practise an African tradition or culture. The Africans that Westernise themselves for instance in Europe are NOT Africans because they practise European culture. They even had the audacity to call themselves "Afrikaners" yah ok. Their language is a Dutch-derived language from the 17th century. I have watched videos of YouTube where a Dutch man and Afrikaner spoke on the phone with no issue understanding one another. That just goes to show you how similar the two languages are.

Fulaman, long time no speak, but hope all is well my man.

Hardly any Africans practice African traditions and culture the way we would want to imagine. We just cant take the traditional song and dance from many African traditions but exclude everything else that has been apart of Africa for a long time. Your critique is extremely rigid so lets not hold back any punches. If one believes that an outward expression of African culture is the requirement of Africanness then you would have to endorse the practice of skull mining, cannibalism, kidnapping and human sacrifices, polygamy, herbalist and charms (all deemed illegal in Nigeria) committed by practitioners believing that they're also preserving tradition. By your critique these are the purest African you don't ever want to meet.

There are many levels of social evolution in which at some point no one's African anymore. Consider African Muslims or Christians? It doesnt matter if Jesus was a Black/African man, Christianity would not be a global religion if not for white western evangelism. Muslims, for the most part, brought their sword to African traditions. As you're aware many Africans in Nigeria and other places have made Christianity/Islam a religious additive. They should be considered less African based on traditional and rigid standards, but do they know this? We can go further down the slope until we realize that it's probably absurd to put someone's Africanness on trial.

I know there's something deeper in the Black man's soul at play. Animosity and tribalism on this level isnt birthed out of nowhere, especially for AA's (or Caribbeans or Brazilians) who didnt surrender their African customs by their own free will -- you know this is true, but yet your African critique is so rigid that it excludes everyone but the most fearless and criminal (and thus the most African).

2 Likes

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by ezeagu(m): 7:34pm On Jul 16, 2017
Human sacrifice and co (I don't know any group that viewed cannibalism as okay) are not really African traditions, but beliefs for personal gain.

1 Like

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by MtuMsuper: 2:36pm On Jul 17, 2017
AAinEqGuinea:
But Africans born in American are still considered African?

I've heard that it has to with culture... but id argue that many people from Africa, but are now in the West Indies, to this day retained and practice more of core African traditions than many Africans. We know that there are hundreds if not thousands of African cultures, so is ones Africanness confined to continental boundaries?

I've heard that because many whites had forceful relationships with enslaved Africans that this somehow nullifies their true and pure Africanness. Although this is true, many Arab also had relations with Bantu or Darker complexion African as well. Does this make Muslim or Christian Africans less African?

Is it because African Americans can't claim a nationality/colony so one is forced to carry the identity of his enslaved world, which on its own is a loaded discussion/thread. Proudly Jamaican, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Kenyan, Biafran when it's argued that ethnicity is far more important, see Culture above.

Are white Afrikaans more African than African Americans?

What and who defines the expiration of one's Africanness?

Any feedback is valued.

I think Aframs ooze and drip America. Head to toe.From your beer cap to your Nike Jordans y'all scream America. From your accent, to your food choices, heck, it's difficult to conceal your americanness. Just embrace it. I have several nieces /nephews from all over the States with direct connections to the motherland who visit regularly. I keep telling them to just be themselves and not fear the disapproval that alot of them face when they come home. Yes, lots of africans don't understand how someone related to them ends up speaking like so strange. Many can't make the connection between nature and nurture, sadly. Its one thing to look like me and share my exact surname, and its another to not talk like me and eat like me.

As for the Afrikaners, i actually know one who's a naturalized American, and teaches at a Florida university . I wonder how he checks the race box when filling a form or during census. He is an African American , y'know. Strange.

2 Likes

Re: Why Do Africans Refer To African Americans As Only Americans? by Fulaman198(m): 9:00pm On Jul 20, 2017
AAinEqGuinea:


Fulaman, long time no speak, but hope all is well my man.

Hardly any Africans practice African traditions and culture the way we would want to imagine. We just cant take the traditional song and dance from many African traditions but exclude everything else that has been apart of Africa for a long time. Your critique is extremely rigid so lets not hold back any punches. If one believes that an outward expression of African culture is the requirement of Africanness then you would have to endorse the practice of skull mining, cannibalism, kidnapping and human sacrifices, polygamy, herbalist and charms (all deemed illegal in Nigeria) committed by practitioners believing that they're also preserving tradition. By your critique these are the purest African you don't ever want to meet.

There are many levels of social evolution in which at some point no one's African anymore. Consider African Muslims or Christians? It doesnt matter if Jesus was a Black/African man, Christianity would not be a global religion if not for white western evangelism. Muslims, for the most part, brought their sword to African traditions. As you're aware many Africans in Nigeria and other places have made Christianity/Islam a religious additive. They should be considered less African based on traditional and rigid standards, but do they know this? We can go further down the slope until we realize that it's probably absurd to put someone's Africanness on trial.

I know there's something deeper in the Black man's soul at play. Animosity and tribalism on this level isnt birthed out of nowhere, especially for AA's (or Caribbeans or Brazilians) who didnt surrender their African customs by their own free will -- you know this is true, but yet your African critique is so rigid that it excludes everyone but the most fearless and criminal (and thus the most African).

Hello, yes, long time indeed.

I'm sorry but that's not true. You speak about a very limited portion of Africa and not the majority. Many Sahelian groups have not changed much in a span of 5000+ years. If you go to Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Niger Rep., Chad, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mauritania, Many parts of Nigeria, many parts of Cameroon, etc. you will notice that many African traditions are practised to the core.

You can not base your perspective on how "Africans" living in large cities behave and those who aim to be Westernised. They are but a small representation on what the daily life is for a traditional African.

I for instance, consider myself a traditional African (a real Fulani). I practise Pulaagu to the core as do many other Fulani people.

1 Like

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