OBVIOUSLY if a black person lives in the UK, they are African
No. They're African if they happen to have been born in Africa, in which case they're usually referred to as Nigerian, Botswanan etc rather than as a generic 'African' (or at least, they are by people who aren't being offensive ETA: in the UK, I mean, not that you were being :)).
If they were born in the UK and have UK citizenship, they're British (and sometimes British and Black, but we don't differentiate in the same way that the US does).
A considerable proportion of Black British families originally immigrated from the Caribbean, so you do hear references to Afro-Caribbean culture, but as far as I know, the preferred term used by the Black community is still British and Black.
Oops, sorry. The almost fight distracted me. THat should have read they 'aren't African American.' My bad.
The differentiation in the US drives me nuts. I keep trying to explain to my classes that the rest of the world is not like that. That's why I needed this information. So, thanks.
Edit: That whole sentence is totally convoluted actually and it should have said they are black, but not African American. Sorry for the confusion.
It's actually OK in the UK to refer to the actual colour of their skins... whites, blacks, half-cast... It is also the same in South Africa, to call someone "coloured" is actually considered an insult by the black community, they are proud to be called black. Coloured refers to those of mixed race.
I remember being in Canada (Toronto) a few years back, and getting a strange look for asking for a white coffee as if it was insult; apparently I should have asked for a coffee with milk. I don't quite get the whole "political correctness" thing you have over in North America where you can't just simply say someone is White or Black
I agree with prehistoriccat and Alyse, Black is the accepted term. The US is over sensitive when it comes to these sorts of things. I really like to freak people out and say human. :)
HA!!!!! Awesome. I'll have to remember that. LOL! Human. :-D Its perfect. And I completely agree, we're WAAAAAAAAY to sensitive. Political correctness has totally run amok here. *headdesk* It drives me nuts.
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No. They're African if they happen to have been born in Africa, in which case they're usually referred to as Nigerian, Botswanan etc rather than as a generic 'African' (or at least, they are by people who aren't being offensive ETA: in the UK, I mean, not that you were being :)).
If they were born in the UK and have UK citizenship, they're British (and sometimes British and Black, but we don't differentiate in the same way that the US does).
A considerable proportion of Black British families originally immigrated from the Caribbean, so you do hear references to Afro-Caribbean culture, but as far as I know, the preferred term used by the Black community is still British and Black.
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The differentiation in the US drives me nuts. I keep trying to explain to my classes that the rest of the world is not like that. That's why I needed this information. So, thanks.
Edit: That whole sentence is totally convoluted actually and it should have said they are black, but not African American. Sorry for the confusion.
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I remember being in Canada (Toronto) a few years back, and getting a strange look for asking for a white coffee as if it was insult; apparently I should have asked for a coffee with milk. I don't quite get the whole "political correctness" thing you have over in North America where you can't just simply say someone is White or Black
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