Aren't We The Same???

[JABOOM]

Originally Posted by trinigirl

JABOOM I wanted to wait and read a while before i responded
YOU know what I do NOT think this question or concern is "STUPID" or "IGNORANT" I think it is unfortunate that you see it as such.
I actually think it is about knowing and understanding and bonding with each other. Afrochat is one of these such opportuinties that allows us to strengthen our bonds...

peace and love

You seem to misunderstand my stance on this....

This isn't a topic that bonds us together if we are sitting around talking about our differences.

See what I'm saying, I hate to when our people just talk about how "unalike" we are when we come from the same mold got through many of the same problems and go through the same hardships.

Putting emphasis on what separates us just pushes us further apart.

Hope you see my point

P & L in return

[robbboy2003]

I hope the brothers and sisters do come together and recognize each other as kin. Our physical bodies may have been separated,but our spirit of Beautiful Blackness should never leave us.

Folks, i have traveled and met Africans, and brethren from the islands,and in short order. It's like old happy day. Finally, get to meet and greet my sista and brotha. For me there's a kinship there,that is stronger than us not knowing one another's language. Thank goodness I've evolved enough to go to the source of a person now. Their spirit! You give a little and get back a lot! Peace! Shem Loew!

[trinigirl]

Bro. Jaboom, i hear you sir, however it is only through communication that we may really get to know each other, understand and love each other. I concur with you on our focus on our commonalities as opposed to our differences, hence the reason for asking if we ARE the SAME.

Bro. Robboy you have struck the right chord, "evolving enough to go to the source of a person". That is the true essence of what we should be striving for.
My brothers blessings to you both
always trini

[thicksista]

i'm feeling what everyone is sayin....one morning befor work i had this station(tv) it was just on...and i notice some white woman calling and asking..."why black people use the term.."african americans...they're in american...why don't they just drop the african"...i thought ..typical dumb-*** person...not understanding we're calling ourselves what we are1and...why didn't she have a problem with asian-americans, spanish-americans.etc....i am from african blood though i was born here in america...i love all my people!,no matter what part of the world they're in....also it's the white man that planted the first racial seed in our peoples head,against each other....i'm sure the mixed sistas doing slavery thought they were better and prettier than the darker sistas because they were treated a lil better. what must the whites think when the see us going against each other!

[StJohn1726]

Originally Posted by Diamond

No We are NOT the same. As you can tell we do live in "Americia" and we blackpeople have been "americanized" (If there is such a word). I have heard about this issue for a while many "africans" feel that we "american black people" reallyl dont understand bout our hertitage and they feel that because of that we are diffrent.

Truly, sista, I mean no disrespect, but anytime we use the word "American" to describe United States citizens exclusively, we show our lack of geographic knowledge, or worse our contempt for those Americans not dwelling in the U.S.

Latin Americans, Canadians, South Americans and arguably folks from the Caribbean are just as much "American" (should you choose to embrace that word) as U.S. citizens.

The longer we are divided, the longer we will be controlled.

[StJohn1726]

Originally Posted by trinigirl

I hope this is the right place for this.

WHY IS IT SOME AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE THE VIEW THAT TO BE OF ANY VALUE AS A BLACK WOMAN OR MAN (but for me woman) YOU MUST BE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN.
For too long I tend to get this condescending attitude that African Americans are better than your brothers and sisters in the diaspora.. Just reread some of the threads particularly relating to relationships..
WHY IS THAT???


That felt good.....
Thanks
trini

Trinigirl, I've felt your frustration, but I think a lot of this stems from lack of exposure. I'm the son of parents from Trinidad and Barbados and I was born in the States. As I child I was teased by other kids because I picked up my parent's accents. My sister (8 years my senior) had been called "coconut" when we were growing up in NYC. Our music was deemed "coconut music." Whether we listened to Calypso or Reggae, it was all coconut music to them back then.

However, by the time I entered college there had been a great turn around in attitudes toward Caribbean-Americans in NYC, probably because our population is so large and well distributed throughout the region. You were as likely to meet an African-American as a Caribbean-American in some reggae clubs. Although the region has been slow to accept Soca, some Dancehall artists got regular radio rotation since the late 1980's.

I now reside in Baltimore, which has a noticeable Trini population, and have never heard those put-downs of my youth uttered here. Doesn't mean it don't happen, I just haven't heard it. Human nature is to be fearful or suspicious of the unfamiliar. I think that's all there is to it really.

Peace and blessings

[TJ dad]

It goes both ways!! I've spoken to Nigerians and they have a word for us that I can't remember right now, but it means "eat out of pan and break it too" or words to that effect. Basically, it means that we African Americans don't take full advantage of the things we have in America like free education.

In another instance, one african called me brother and another african from Nigeria said that I wasn't his brother b/c I was "black".

But my point is that it goes both ways.

And NO, we are not the same. We may have the same skin color, but culturally we are different.

[Curious1]

I think our roots are the same...but due to so much mutational changes in "breeding" (yeah, I said it)...I think we are NOT the same but very SIMILAR...and I like that...I like that we come in different flava's like that as "Brown People of Color"...Too many of our friends are from the Islands..so I do have mad respect for all W.I...and yes even my African " Cousins"..

But are we the SAME...like 100% SAME-SAME...naw...our cultures,dialects to slang expressions, langauges,ethnic foods, heritages, customs to rituals aand even just down right "Black" idiosyncrasies are not the exact carbon copy..the same...BUT we are SIMILAR...and that is okay by me...(like engagements, some African tribal cultures, the way they "present" the groom to the families, and the bride..and the Fathers have tp give the blessings to them both in some family gatherings..is 100% enriched with symbolism and respect and African custom...the way blacks here may do it..is like "whatever"...see ya at the wedding type thing...no big big deal...lol..)

Oh yeah...I will be willing to admit that in interacting with one another offtimes..yeah..a deep seated "suspicion" of "Black on Black " (for lack of a better racial description) but Xenophobia does exists...

[Fiveskin]

Originally Posted by thicksista

i'm feeling what everyone is sayin....one morning befor work i had this station(tv) it was just on...and i notice some white woman calling and asking..."why black people use the term.."african americans...they're in american...why don't they just drop the african"...i thought ..typical dumb-*** person...not understanding we're calling ourselves what we are1and...why didn't she have a problem with asian-americans, spanish-americans.etc....i am from african blood though i was born here in america...i love all my people!,no matter what part of the world they're in....also it's the white man that planted the first racial seed in our peoples head,against each other....i'm sure the mixed sistas doing slavery thought they were better and prettier than the darker sistas because they were treated a lil better. what must the whites think when the see us going against each other!

This is almost to the point I was intending to make. I don't identify with African American. I was born and raised here and only stepped foot in Africa when I was in the military. I am black (mostly) and of African descent. I don't characterize whites as European Americans, in fact should I hear someone refer to themselves as Irish, I ask if they were born in Ireland. Same goes for Italian, etc. Africans who emigrate here are African American, their kids (born here) are American. To tag African is a geographic reference.