Which one is less offensive?

Okay I really want to know because I don’t want to offend anyone! Is it offensive if you call a person who is “black” Black, or do “black” people WANT to be called African American?! I am NOT TRYING TO OFFEND ANYONE!

Answer #1

How often does it really come up? How often do you find yourself talking about someone’s color and more importantly why? I don’t often talk or think about if my coworkers heritage is Irish, Italian, German, or whatever; it isn’t often germane to our conversation the same way skin color isn’t usually germane. African American really doesn’t make sense because most blacks you meet have roots here going back generations; they are just as American as anyone else; they don’t need a qualifier because they are a different color. Most people here are mixed heritage. Is Tiger Wood’s heritage African or Asian? it is really both but people think of him as black or African American because his skin is dark. Charlize Theron is lighter than most white people but she actually is from African so I’d argue that in fact she is African American.

Getting back to the question of which is less offensive. I hear “black” more often than “African American.” I remember “African American” beginning to be preferred in the 1970’s and gaining in popularity in the 80’s but its popularity seems to have waned lately. When I worked with people from the Indian subcontinent I was surprised to hear them refer to darker complected individuals there as “black.” In typical American use black refers to someone of African heritage.

Answer #2

I personally think it’s a good question, I think the media blow ‘titles’ out of perspective… however, I do think that what people want to be called in individual…

if you mean whats the ‘current guidelines’ on ethinc grouping…it’s probably best to got to the NICE website or something like that…

I have a very close friends who is ‘black’ I’ve known her 24 years, and I STILL don’t mention anything regarding her ethnicity…I don’t know why, I don’t see it as relevant, I simply say her family is from nigeria…but I do think that the media make people feel that they should be careful when they might say something ‘wrong’ - I mean, it’s them whose creating this ‘division’ or emphasising these irrelevant factors…I don’t care where someone comes from, what colour their skin / hair or eyes are…it’s not important…but the media ‘go on’ about it like it is…and there in lies the problem..!

Answer #3

I just call them black. Because I know they’d call me Asian. not oriental or whatever other words for asian, and Caucasians WHITE.

Answer #4

thank you EVERYONE, because I don’t often bring it up I just wanted to know which one is LESS OFFENSIVE.

Love Boo

Answer #5

I wonder if when they speak about us, do they say my ‘WHITE’ friend…or whether they worry if it would offended or not.

Why would you even have to bother saying? I’d just say my friend…not my Asian friend, or my Yellow friend. I think what is offensive, is categorizing them into anything other than just another human. It might be ok if you meet someone from another planet…you could say…this is my Martian friend.

Just ignore me…it’s getting late.

Answer #6

African American Is less ofensive. but you could say that when talking past tense like history ((Barak obama is an African American))

Answer #7

African American SHOULD be considered offensive because not all people with dark skin are from Africa or America.

One could be British Jamaican.

Answer #8

African American would be better, but I have many black friends who call themselves black all the time so I don’t think either is offensive.

Answer #9

My friend at work is black. She HATES being called African American… because her family originated from Jamaca(sp) and not Africa. So, the politically correct term wounldnt be african american either, because not all black people are or african origin. She always says “I am a black woman. It doesnt matter where I am from. Call me black, because that is what and WHO I am.”

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