Hyphenated Americans

[onpatrol98]

13. I stopped using it in college.

The term never felt quite right for me. Then in college, I had an American friend who had a baby by an African. Well...that kid was DEFINITELY African American.

Then, I remember someone asking John Kerry's wife something about African Americans. She made some crack about the fact that she was an African American, too. Well, of course she is, but her attitude was kind of stinky about it. The question was clearly in reference to black people living in America.

Finally, an African student told me that you are, whatever you say you are when you're overseas and you're in trouble. He doubted that we'd say we're African American...just American. It seemed silly to him to suggest otherwise.

So...at this point, I've given up.