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Because, at least in the UK and US, white history forms the majority of a countries actual history. Black history museums are interesting because they offer an

by dvdcxn 10y ago

Because, at least in the UK and US, white history forms the majority of a countries actual history. Black history museums are interesting because they offer an insight into the achievements of a transplant group in a country where they are a minority. It's not really about their history prior to immigrating. It's about their history after they've gotten into this new country, and the story of their integration. I don't think it has anything to do with race, it's a cultural thing - groups that identified with a common history in a strange land. For example, in the UK, despite being also predominantly white, I'm sure there would be a remit for a polish history museum, or even an irish history musuem.

SamUK96 10y ago
Thing is though, "polish" and "irish" correspond to, clearly, the country's history only. "Black" refers to literally anything about black people, which is a totally different idea.
- tptacek 10y ago
  They're identical ideas. The Irish-American community is the American community descended from Irish immigrants. The same is true of Polish-Americans, Italian-Americans, and German-Americans, all of whom have (a) museums, (b) pride parades, and (c) actual communities in most major US cities. You seem not to be aware that these things exist. They very much do. African-American museums celebrate the community of Americans descended, primarily, from people brought here as slaves from Africa. They have an immense shared culture and heritage, stemming in large part from the way the law of this country segregated them until just a few decades ago, and thus have a cultural identity here more coherent than those of (say) Irish-Americans (who do indeed have a museum, and most of whom couldn't name 3 cities in Ireland or tell you what Gaelic is).
  - pnathan 10y ago
    To strengthen your remark, there's a Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle - a lot of Scandinavians settled here years ago. There is also an Asian American museum. Unsure about other <x>-American museums.
    - tptacek 10y ago
      There are museums for all of them. There's a Serbian-American museum, featuring Nikola Tesla. There's a Greek-American museum a few blocks from me.

by dvdcxn 10y ago

SamUK96 10y ago

Thing is though, "polish" and "irish" correspond to, clearly, the country's history only. "Black" refers to literally anything about black people, which is a totally different idea.

tptacek 10y ago
They're identical ideas. The Irish-American community is the American community descended from Irish immigrants. The same is true of Polish-Americans, Italian-Americans, and German-Americans, all of whom have (a) museums, (b) pride parades, and (c) actual communities in most major US cities. You seem not to be aware that these things exist. They very much do. African-American museums celebrate the community of Americans descended, primarily, from people brought here as slaves from Africa. They have an immense shared culture and heritage, stemming in large part from the way the law of this country segregated them until just a few decades ago, and thus have a cultural identity here more coherent than those of (say) Irish-Americans (who do indeed have a museum, and most of whom couldn't name 3 cities in Ireland or tell you what Gaelic is).
- pnathan 10y ago
  To strengthen your remark, there's a Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle - a lot of Scandinavians settled here years ago. There is also an Asian American museum. Unsure about other <x>-American museums.
  - tptacek 10y ago
    There are museums for all of them. There's a Serbian-American museum, featuring Nikola Tesla. There's a Greek-American museum a few blocks from me.