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That is not about race, it is about origin of root stocks. African Americans don't necessarily look any particular way, but have specific genetic material from specific areas. That's why you can say that they are from EastAFrica, West Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa.
The same has or is being done with DNA samplings of people of European descent, Asian descent, Polynesian descent, and Australian aboriginal descent.
By the same token, the map of North American native languages has been affected by DNA analysis.
As information of degrees of relatedness grows, the map of the travels of one's ancestors becomes clearer.
And terms like Native American, African American, Caucasian American tell us the broad strokes of just that map.
Besides, those of us of Native American ancestry sometimes like to hear an acknowledgment, no matter how 'politically correct', that we really were here first. ;)
Unless you are Saami or Basque, I suspect that there really is no analog for Europeans.
I agree that genetics are interesting, but it doesn't define who you are as a person. People who believe that are racists.
Do I have Jewish genes? Gypsy? Lapp? I don't know, and I don't care. I'm a Norwegian, and I would be even if I were black, brown or green.
I understand that you want to be associated with your own people, but what does it have to do with race? Surely it's your native culture you identify with, not the genes?
The whole genetic argument is kind of silly isn't it? Am I an "Adam and Eve - American"?
Even if you don't believe in Adam and Eve per se surely you believe in the theory that all peoples originated from one centralized location and spread over the globe through generations of wandering. So that if you go back far enough with your genes then Africans and Indians share a common ancestor, be it from modern day Ethiopia or Iraq or where ever. So are we all Ethiopian-Americans or Iraqi-Americans? Garden of Eden-Americans? Cradle of Civilization-Americans?
Besides, those of us of Native American ancestry sometimes like to hear an acknowledgment, no matter how 'politically correct', that we really were here first. ;)
I have no problem with ackowledging racial differences either, or even celebrating them.
But I don't use those differences to define who I am. I don't define myself as dark-haired or brown-eyed, and I don't see why my skin colour should be important either.
When you say people's heritage is important, you're talking about more than just race. Of course culture is important. Culture is a collective identity. Race is just your looks. the mildest word I can think of for someone who lets his looks define him is "vain" - and I can think of much worse.
I've never really thought of whether there are any good or neutral reason to let yourself be defined by your looks. There are plenty of bad reasons, ranging from vanity to racism.
I suppose people from historically oppressed races might identify with their race because other people have always defined them that way, but I don't think it's really the genes that they identify with.
So you've got a light-skinned, third generation American whose family comes from the former USSR. European-American? Poor question/answer construction. Remind you of anything?
Lawyer: Mr Griffin, which of the following two phrases best describes Brian Griffin: problem Drinker or African-American Haberdasher?
Peter: Uh, do I-I guess problem drinker, but that's uh-
Lawyer: Thank-you. Now, sexual deviant or magic picture that if you stare at it long enough, you see something?
Peter: Well, sexual deviant, but that other one's not even, eh-
All Americans should be "just Americans." We should be able to respect each others' history but stop classifying everyone. Anybody of any race or ethnicity should be proud of who they are and the label shouldn't matter.
United States
Why would anyone except biologists be talking about race at all?
That is not about race, it is about origin of root stocks. African Americans don't necessarily look any particular way, but have specific genetic material from specific areas. That's why you can say that they are from EastAFrica, West Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa.
The same has or is being done with DNA samplings of people of European descent, Asian descent, Polynesian descent, and Australian aboriginal descent.
By the same token, the map of North American native languages has been affected by DNA analysis.
As information of degrees of relatedness grows, the map of the travels of one's ancestors becomes clearer.
And terms like Native American, African American, Caucasian American tell us the broad strokes of just that map.
http://www.dnaancestryproject.com/?gclid=COmyxv7MlJ4CFc5L5QodNh-LpA
Besides, those of us of Native American ancestry sometimes like to hear an acknowledgment, no matter how 'politically correct', that we really were here first. ;)
Unless you are Saami or Basque, I suspect that there really is no analog for Europeans.
I agree that genetics are interesting, but it doesn't define who you are as a person. People who believe that are racists.
Do I have Jewish genes? Gypsy? Lapp? I don't know, and I don't care. I'm a Norwegian, and I would be even if I were black, brown or green.
I understand that you want to be associated with your own people, but what does it have to do with race? Surely it's your native culture you identify with, not the genes?
The whole genetic argument is kind of silly isn't it? Am I an "Adam and Eve - American"?
Even if you don't believe in Adam and Eve per se surely you believe in the theory that all peoples originated from one centralized location and spread over the globe through generations of wandering. So that if you go back far enough with your genes then Africans and Indians share a common ancestor, be it from modern day Ethiopia or Iraq or where ever. So are we all Ethiopian-Americans or Iraqi-Americans? Garden of Eden-Americans? Cradle of Civilization-Americans?
Besides, those of us of Native American ancestry sometimes like to hear an acknowledgment, no matter how 'politically correct', that we really were here first. ;)
This comment was deleted.
[1 point] 2 years ago by deleted user ReplyI have no problem with ackowledging racial differences either, or even celebrating them.
But I don't use those differences to define who I am. I don't define myself as dark-haired or brown-eyed, and I don't see why my skin colour should be important either.
When you say people's heritage is important, you're talking about more than just race. Of course culture is important. Culture is a collective identity. Race is just your looks. the mildest word I can think of for someone who lets his looks define him is "vain" - and I can think of much worse.
This comment was deleted.
[2 points] 2 years ago by deleted user ReplyI've never really thought of whether there are any good or neutral reason to let yourself be defined by your looks. There are plenty of bad reasons, ranging from vanity to racism.
I suppose people from historically oppressed races might identify with their race because other people have always defined them that way, but I don't think it's really the genes that they identify with.
This comment was deleted.
[1 point] 2 years ago by deleted user ReplyAnd I'm saying it isn't.
interesting
So you've got a light-skinned, third generation American whose family comes from the former USSR. European-American? Poor question/answer construction. Remind you of anything?
Lawyer: Mr Griffin, which of the following two phrases best describes Brian Griffin: problem Drinker or African-American Haberdasher?
Peter: Uh, do I-I guess problem drinker, but that's uh-
Lawyer: Thank-you. Now, sexual deviant or magic picture that if you stare at it long enough, you see something?
Peter: Well, sexual deviant, but that other one's not even, eh-
Lawyer: Thank-you.
No such thing as race, and we all have a common ancestor as recently as 150,000 to 250,000 years ago says mitocrondrial dna.
I know someone who could describe herself as a First Nation-French-Italian-Swedish-English Canadian but she is not so silly as to do so -unless asked.
All Americans should be "just Americans." We should be able to respect each others' history but stop classifying everyone. Anybody of any race or ethnicity should be proud of who they are and the label shouldn't matter.