I'm a native english speaker but trying to learn other languages (and speaking with english learners) has given me a new appreciation for simplicity for ease of

I'm a native english speaker but trying to learn other languages (and speaking with english learners) has given me a new appreciation for simplicity for ease of learning. For something which wants to be the lingua franca of the world I think this is a desirable attribute. And given few things are universal across existing cultures, it doesn't leave much room for metaphor. The whole term of African-American is indeed a confusing mess, for reasons you pointed out, but also that a straightforward interpretation might mean that Elon Musk (being South African) should fall under that umbrella, but to suggest so would land you in some hot water. I would hate to have to explain this nuance constantly to non-native speakers.