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The problem is when people use it as a synonym for black. For example, a Jamaican immigrant would not be African-American, and a white South African would be.
by wcummings 13y ago
The problem is when people use it as a synonym for black. For example, a Jamaican immigrant would not be African-American, and a white South African would be.
No one considers black an offensive term, and in many cases "African-American" is clunky and imprecise, for example this thread. OP is really asking about black founders.
- pessimizer 13y agoThat's just a mistake. I'm pretty sure that there aren't many black non-Americans asking to be called African-American. >white South African would be. The "African" in "African-American" has nothing to do with where you were born or where your parents were born, just like the "Free" in "Free Software" has nothing to do with beer. It has to do with the origin of the features that make you distinct (in a historically particular way) from white Americans. Of course, if white Africans who move to America identify as African-Americans, it's certainly their right, and I'd gladly refer to them as that.