In a message dated 11/17/2010 1:23:04 PM Pacific Standard Time, steven.walling@gmail.com writes:
Also, point of quibbling as an American: not looking to argue about it, but Obama is generally thought of as African American, as it says in the second sentence of his en.wiki article. It might offend people if you try and say our President isn't black. >>
Obama is exactly half-black and half-white. Funny how he is "African American" but of course he is equally "Caucasian American"
I suppose it's intellectually dishonest to claim that "most American blacks are part white", since it's possibly also true that "most American whites are part black"
W
2010/11/17 WJhonson@aol.com:
In a message dated 11/17/2010 1:23:04 PM Pacific Standard Time, steven.walling@gmail.com writes:
Also, point of quibbling as an American: not looking to argue about it, but Obama is generally thought of as African American, as it says in the second sentence of his en.wiki article. It might offend people if you try and say our President isn't black. >>
Obama is exactly half-black and half-white. Funny how he is "African American" but of course he is equally "Caucasian American"
Which shows only hot dangerous "political correctness" can get. I wonder if in 2050, when the white population will no longer be be in majority, such a person will be called an European-American...
For those of you who speak other languages than English, I suggest reading the English, French, Spanish, Italian and/or German versions of en:Mulatto. You will get an extraordinary glimpse of what different groups consider relevant about this subject - the French have an interesting comparison of the term in several languages.
I suppose it's intellectually dishonest to claim that "most American blacks are part white", since it's possibly also true that "most American whites are part black"
Citation needed?:P
Strainu
2010/11/18 Strainu strainu10@gmail.com:
2010/11/17 WJhonson@aol.com:
In a message dated 11/17/2010 1:23:04 PM Pacific Standard Time, steven.walling@gmail.com writes:
Also, point of quibbling as an American: not looking to argue about it, but Obama is generally thought of as African American, as it says in the second sentence of his en.wiki article. It might offend people if you try and say our President isn't black. >>
Obama is exactly half-black and half-white. Funny how he is "African American" but of course he is equally "Caucasian American"
Which shows only hot dangerous "political correctness" can get. I wonder if in 2050, when the white population will no longer be be in majority, such a person will be called an European-American...
I meant to say "how dangerous"...should have read the email before sending it. :(
For those of you who speak other languages than English, I suggest reading the English, French, Spanish, Italian and/or German versions of en:Mulatto. You will get an extraordinary glimpse of what different groups consider relevant about this subject - the French have an especially interesting comparison of the term in several languages.
I suppose it's intellectually dishonest to claim that "most American blacks are part white", since it's possibly also true that "most American whites are part black"
Citation needed?:P
Strainu
On Wed, Nov 17, 2010 at 2:18 PM, Strainu strainu10@gmail.com wrote:
2010/11/17 WJhonson@aol.com:
Obama is exactly half-black and half-white. Funny how he is "African American" but of course he is equally "Caucasian American"
Which shows only hot dangerous "political correctness" can get. I wonder if in 2050, when the white population will no longer be be in majority, such a person will be called an European-American...
This is rapidly going off topic, but...
"Hispanic-American" is European-American, too - just from Spain (and some Portugal) rather than England.
Except where the native american population intermixed with the Spanish (and Portugese), which was pretty much everywhere.
Actual lesson -
It's easy to get hung up on people's skin color or other arbitrary and fuzzy labels. What matters more is that we're not as attractive a project to volunteer in for various social, economic, and (the preceding sentence notwithstanding) "racial" groups. Regardless of how we label them, we need to attract participation from internet-savvy members of all the populations we don't represent well, over time.
Our international flavor helps with that, in that overall as a Foundation and wider project we do have widespread inclusionism of disparate peoples. But introspection into underserved communities within big countries (the US particularly) and into underserved nations would be wise. The latter is open to new communities but not actively attracting them; the former, a US chapter with teeth could go after.
So for 200 years it's OK to classify anyone with a drop of African blood as "black" (and subject them to all forms of racism and discrimination), but once a 1/2 African is elected president, he can't be called "black" all the sudden?
References: [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_Integrity_Act [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_rule
Ryan Kaldari
On 11/17/10 2:18 PM, Strainu wrote:
2010/11/17WJhonson@aol.com:
In a message dated 11/17/2010 1:23:04 PM Pacific Standard Time, steven.walling@gmail.com writes:
Also, point of quibbling as an American: not looking to argue about it, but Obama is generally thought of as African American, as it says in the second sentence of his en.wiki article. It might offend people if you try and say our President isn't black.>>
Obama is exactly half-black and half-white. Funny how he is "African American" but of course he is equally "Caucasian American"
Which shows only hot dangerous "political correctness" can get. I wonder if in 2050, when the white population will no longer be be in majority, such a person will be called an European-American...
For those of you who speak other languages than English, I suggest reading the English, French, Spanish, Italian and/or German versions of en:Mulatto. You will get an extraordinary glimpse of what different groups consider relevant about this subject - the French have an interesting comparison of the term in several languages.
I suppose it's intellectually dishonest to claim that "most American blacks are part white", since it's possibly also true that "most American whites are part black"
Citation needed?:P
Strainu
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2010/11/18 Ryan Kaldari rkaldari@wikimedia.org:
So for 200 years it's OK to classify anyone with a drop of African blood as "black" (and subject them to all forms of racism and discrimination), but once a 1/2 African is elected president, he can't be called "black" all the sudden?
References: [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_Integrity_Act [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_rule
Ryan Kaldari
My mail was not about whether calling Obama black is OK or not OK. What's OK in the US might not be OK in Europe and vice-versa. I've made the point that different cultures have a different vision of races and especially about people of mixed origin.
What is not OK from my POV is people finding offensive to call him "almost black" or anything else than black, as Steven Walling suggested, that I don't really understand. It seems to me like the fact (anthropological fact, that is) is skewed to...what purpose exactly? But again, this is a European's POV, perhaps in the States it really is necessary to call Barack Obama black.
Strainu
On 11/17/10 2:18 PM, Strainu wrote:
2010/11/17WJhonson@aol.com:
In a message dated 11/17/2010 1:23:04 PM Pacific Standard Time, steven.walling@gmail.com writes:
Also, point of quibbling as an American: not looking to argue about it, but Obama is generally thought of as African American, as it says in the second sentence of his en.wiki article. It might offend people if you try and say our President isn't black.>>
Obama is exactly half-black and half-white. Funny how he is "African American" but of course he is equally "Caucasian American"
Which shows only hot dangerous "political correctness" can get. I wonder if in 2050, when the white population will no longer be be in majority, such a person will be called an European-American...
For those of you who speak other languages than English, I suggest reading the English, French, Spanish, Italian and/or German versions of en:Mulatto. You will get an extraordinary glimpse of what different groups consider relevant about this subject - the French have an interesting comparison of the term in several languages.
I suppose it's intellectually dishonest to claim that "most American blacks are part white", since it's possibly also true that "most American whites are part black"
Citation needed?:P
Strainu
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