African American.

[Lucy-Thomas]

How long will it be before black Americans stop using the rediculous term 'African Americans'? You're either African or American. If you were born in the US, you cannot be both.

How stupid would it be if people in Britain referred to themselves as Scandinavian Britons, French Britons or German Britons because that is where most of us could trace our ancestry back to.

[Lucy-Thomas]

It's not an argument, it's a discussion. you may be the sort of person who turns everything into an argument but I am not. As to losing the plot?????????????

[legendis.god]

As i said slipping away.

as its official terminology thtat would seem to blow lucys badly thought out arguement out of the water .


bang

splash



glug glug




sumk





D T H ?�?�? LOL

[THECORBYLOON]

Lucy-Thomas I have no idea what a politician has to do with this. While most folk in this country trace their ancestry to Europe, I doubt they were forced to come to this country to act as slaves.

[legendis.god]

corby best leave it


it can go on and on and on


leave safe in the knowledge we know youre right


gnight all

[S.K.SWEDEN]

I agree with Lucy. I'm from Irish/ Swedish parentage, but think of myself as British. Just because some government department has defined an ethnic background, doesn't mean it's right. They seem to have drawn a fine line here, with colour being the deciding factor.

[Lakitu]

I agree with Lucy, I think it's a rediculous (:p) term too. My Great Grandmother was Spanish but it's never occurred to me to call myself a Spanish-Scot.

I loved your Polititian quip! Not often you'll see me having a giggle before 8am :o)

[ChuckFickens]

Morning Spanish-scot, hope your well :)

[Lakitu]

LOL, good morning Numpty-English, yes I am :o)

[Bbbananas]

I am YorkLinc White Trash. And proud of it.

[Lakitu]

So long as you're proud of it :o)

[Bbbananas]

(My mother wouldn't be proud though - she thinks of us as Yorkshire White Elite...) Just cos she originated from the posh part of Hull. Bless her.

[joggerjayne]

I'm French.

Or, at least ... the band of riffs who invaded Sussex in 1066 and became my ancestors were French.

So ... ... ... once a frog, always a frog. Ask Kermit !!!!!

[Bbbananas]

Tell me JJ - have you ever had a frog in your throat? ;-)

[DrFilth]

so are you brighton french english then




:::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[daniela31]

My first language is double-dutch.

[twaflooers]

IMHO it is a term that is indeed superfluous.

Why is there a need to point out the absolute obvious? Are we all blind and / or need it drawn to our attention that a person's skin colour is a particular hue? I fail to see what difference that makes anyway.

Unless we are indeed all blind we can see that they are black and if we have any understanding of history we all know at some point everyone who is black has a heritage from Africa. Why do we need that continually pointed out to us?

Digressing slightly, I haven't read anywhere that say, Jimmy Carter, felt the need to be introduced as the 39th WHITE president of the USA. We could all see he was white so there was no need to point it out. Ergo why must we have it rammed down our throats that Obama wants to be the first AFRICAN AMERICAN president of the USA? Is it not enough just to want to be President?

I have no problem with being proud of your heritage, I am very proud of mine BUT I do not feel the need to constantly refer to myself as an ethnicity and neither IMO should anyone else.

[jake-the-peg]

It would be nice if it wasn't thought remarkable enough to comment that Obama was potentially the first black US president.

In the same way that it would be nice if it weren't necessary to point out that Maggie Thatcher was the first woman Prime Minister.

In both cases there is/was a prejudice that meant that there was a glass ceiling stopping such possibilities.

Both show that it is possible to break through such glass ceilings to the top job.

That's why it's important, that's why it's stressed.

The fact that Obama is where he is shows that the US has come a long way from when blacks had to sit at the back of busses and weren't allowed to eat in the same restaurants as white people. ( and that was less than 50 years ago)

[Lakitu]

Well said, Twa