Why "African American"....

[Ab-Titchaz]

Tazameni balaa ya Wachina mitaa ya Sauzi...they are now "black people"!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7461099.stm

 

[Mbu]

I just don't get it, why describe a black person in America as "African American"?! In my opinion, they should be referred to as Americans, period. As long as they possess all rights to be American nationals, then they are Americans.
I don't know, i could be wrong, but honestly, i find this kind of reference somewhat discriminative.

Could you advice me otherwise please.....

Thank you.

SteveD.

...kwani huko tuu? ushawahi sikia Black Caribbeans? as if 'white' caribbeans ndio majority huko West indies!

Aborgines hawaitwi Black aussies, au wao ni kwakuwa indigenous people?

 

[Steve Dii]

...kwani huko tuu? ushawahi sikia Black Caribbeans? as if 'white' caribbeans ndio majority huko West indies!

Aborgines hawaitwi Black aussies, au wao ni kwakuwa indigenous people?

..."a number of african british and indian british have applied for jobs in the gov this summer".....!!!

 

[Fundi Mchundo]

Wakati wenzangu wanazungumzia mambo ya muhimu zaidi mimi nimeona nijibanze huku. Napenda kuwatahadharisha kuwa ni ndefu na imelengwa kwa SteveD aliyeanzisha hoja.

Kwa nini African- American na siyo American tu, nadhani ndiyo hoja ya mheshimiwa Steve.

Kwanza ni lazima tuelewe kuwa historically mtu mweusi mmarekani hakuwa na nafasi katika hiyo jamii mpaka miaka takriban 150 iliyopita. Mtu mweusi aliingia marekani kwa mara ya kwanza mwaka 1619, lakini ni mpaka baada ya civil war ya mwaka 1861-1865, ndipo alipotambuliwa kama raia wa nchi hiyo kupitia 14th Amendment ya constitution yao, iliyopitishwa mwaka 1868. Miaka miwili baadaye , mtu mweusi alipewa haki ya kupiga kura, nayo kupitia 15th amendment ya constitution. Matukio yote haya yalipingwa vikali maana sehemu kubwa ya jamii iliona ni kosa kusema mtu mweusi yuko sawa na mtu mweupe. Katika majimbo ya kusini, yaliyoshindwa katika vita yao, walianza kupitisha sheria zilizoitwa Jim Crow kuhakikisha kuwa watu weusi na weupe hawachanganyikani wa namna yeyote. Sheria hizi zilianza kutumika mwaka 1876 hadi 1965, ambapo kile kilichoitwa, the Civil Right Act, kiliondoa mabaki ya mwisho ya sheria hizo gandamizi. Ndiyo maana, Condoleeza Rice anapenda kukumbushia kuwa hao wanaoitwa the founding fathers walipotamka "We the People....." hawakumaanisha mtu mwenye rangi yake au jinsia yake.

Sasa suala la African America limetokea wapi? Ukiangalia kwa miaka yote hiyo, mtu mweusi alipewa majina na wale waliokuwa juu yake. Nigger, Negro n.k. Ni majina yaliyotumika kumtofautisha na jamii, na kwa upande wa Nigger, kuonyesha inferiority yake. Watu weusi wasomi wengi walilikubali hilo la Negro wakati wakilikataa hilo la Nigger. Ni baada ya vita kuu vya pili, wakati wa vugu vugu la mapambano ya kudai haki sawa na kutambuliwa kama binadamu wengine ndipo hawa ndugu zetu wakaanza kuangaza macho yao Afrika. Afrika ambayo wakati huo, nayo ilikuwa katika mapambano na watawala wake. Wakina Paul Robeson, Du Bois, na wengine wakishirikiana na wakina kwame Nkrumah, Senghor walisaidia sana kuweka msisitizo katika hii link yao na Africa. Wakaanza kuvaa Kente, kuweka Afro na kudai watambuliwe kama watu tofauti wenye haki sawa na wenzao. Mapambano yaliendelea kwenye lugha, muziki na hata kwenye kusherehekea sikukuu. Watu weusi wakaanza kusherehekea Kwanzaa, ambayo misingi yake imekita kwenye uelewa wao wa mila za kiafrika na nguzo zake saba zimepewa majina ya kiswahili (Umoja, Kujichagulia,Ujima,Ujamaa,Nia, Kuumba na Imani). Ni wakati huu ndipo jina Afro American na lenyewe likabatizwa na wao wenyewe tofauti na hapo awali. Baadaye ili kusisitiza uhusiano wake na Afrika, jina hili likarekebishwa kuwa African American. Kwa kutumia jina hili ni kuhakikisha kuwa historia yao haitapotea na vizazi vyao vitaendelea kukumbuka na kuenzi asili yao.

Hapo katikati palitokea tena kukumbatia kwa jina Black ambalo awali lilikuwa linatumika kuonyesha mtu aliyekuwa inferior. Ikumbukwe kuwa neno hili Black halina uhusiano na rangi kwani wahispania, waitaliano, wahindi, na wengine waliokuwa wakidharauliwa wote waliwahi kuitwa black. Uingereza mpaka sasa wahindi, wapakistan wanahesabika kama black, ingawa wengi wao hawapendi. Hii iliwasaidia wakati wa ubaguzi maana waliweza kushirikiana na watu weusi kupambana na ubaguzi. Kwa hiyo, hakuna cha ajabu kwa wachina wa Afrika Kusini kudai nao waingizwe katika jamii ya watu weusi.

Tofauti nyingine iliyojitokeza ni kutokea kwa wahamiaji kutoka Afrika huru ambao hawakushiriki katika Civil rights movement. Hawa wanaangaliwa kwa wasiwasi na African Americans wa asili maana mara nyingi wanakuwa na mafanikio zaidi. Mafanikio haya yanawapa kiburi ambapo wengine wanajiona bora kuliko wale waliowakuta na kuwaacha wakiishi ghetto. Ndiyo maana wengine wao walisita kumkumbatia Osama, na kusema si mweusi wa kutosha, kutokana na kutokuwa na experience ya kuishi kama wengi wao. Mke wake ndiye anayempa credibility. Na ukiona uchungu wake, utaelewa kwa nini imekuwa hivyo.

Kwa kumalizia tuu, ikumbukwe kuwa na damu nyeusi marekani ilionekana kama umekuwa contaminated. Walikuwa na sheria inaitwa "one drop rule" yaani ni tone moja tu la damu nyeusi linakufanya kuwa mweusi. Obama hata afanyaje hawezi kukubalika kama mtu mweupe wakati anakubalika kama mtu mweusi na walio wengi. Kwa vile hakuna uwezekano wa kuwa na colour blind society, jina hili litaendelewa kutumika kama badge of honour na wale wote ambao wamebahatika kupata tone moja la damu ya mtu mweusi.

Huko uingereza na sehemu nyingine ambako watu weusi walikuwa marginalized pameanza kuchipuka kitu kinachofanana. Si ajabu kusikia neno Black-Briton. Pengine huko uingereza ni kutokana na kuwa wengi wao hawakutoka moja kwa moja Afrila bali walienda kwa kupitia Carribean ndiyo maana African British halijaingia.

Kazi kwenu!

Amandla.

 

[Fundi Mchundo]

...kwani huko tuu? ushawahi sikia Black Caribbeans? as if 'white' caribbeans ndio majority huko West indies!

Aborgines hawaitwi Black aussies, au wao ni kwakuwa indigenous people?

Kuna Afro-Caribbeans. White Caribbeans ndiyo wenye mamlaka kwa hiyo wao hawakuona sababu ya kujitofautisha maana ilichukuliwa kuwa weupe ndio norm.

Australia Aborigines walikuwa wanaitwa Blacks. Hili neno kama vile Aboriginals lilikuwa la kejeli. Siku hizi wanatumia zaidi indigeneous Australians ingawa wengine wao wamekumbatia tena neno Black na Aborigine.

 

[Nyama Hatari]

one time manager mmoja wa Walmart shut the door to my face eti am Black

Could be that you just couldn't sing the Wal-mart song and do the Wal-mart dance routine the proper way like normal White folks do ... (solution: teach yourself to appreciate country music and consider taking some dancing lessons for the jig, the twist, the fox trot and that kind of stuff ) tehe-tehe

 

[bintimacho]

How about an African who is not an American being presumed to be "African American"

Like a Tanzanain going about his business and being addressed as African American.

How can one be "African American" if one is not even American.

There is the assumption in America that every black person is "African American"

thats totally true,
why arent the europeans in america be called euro americans or say asians be called asian american?
thats just discrimination, that every black is african american.
if one is an american citizen then they are americans period.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

thats totally true,
why arent the europeans in america be called euro americans or say asians be called asian american?
thats just discrimination, that every black is african american.
if one is an american citizen then they are americans period.

So who's discriminating who when African-Americans themselves embrace the term? Can you explain that to me, please?

 

[sumar]

Thank you Ab-titchaz. I did not read your opinion, but was carried away by that little almost naked boy dancing. I felt very tired, you made my day. I laughed my pants off.

 

[BAK]

Ni jina tu la kutofautisha mtu mmoja na mwingine lakini mimi yanayonikera sana ni minority au colored people... . Tanzania hutasikia hata siku moja tukiwaita wenzetu waarabu, wahindi au wazungu, minority.

 

[Kuhani]

Could be that you just couldn't sing the Wal-mart song and do the Wal-mart dance routine the proper way like normal White folks do ... (solution: teach yourself to appreciate country music and consider taking some dancing lessons for the jig, the twist, the fox trot and that kind of stuff ) tehe-tehe

Nyama Hatari,

Naona umekosolewa kwa hii comment, lakini mi nadhani nimekuelewa vizuri sana.

Nadhani una sympathize na mwenzetu mweusi aliyefanyiwa ubaguzi. Kwamba angekuwa Mzungu wasingemfanyia hivyo. Si ndio?