Teresa Heinz Kerry is an Afro-American

[DemoTex]

Teresa Simoes-Ferreira was born and raised in Mozambique in East Africa. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in romance languages and literature (French, Italian, and Portuguese) from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She speaks five languages. After graduating from the Interpreters School of the University of Geneva, she worked for the United Nations in New York.

http://www.johnkerry.com/about_teresa/leader.html

Smart cookie. Sounds like a White House team from heaven. Not the Afro-American thing. The CV thing. What does the current First Lady's CV say? "Killed a guy. Black-eyed a drunk?"

[goclark]

1. Born in Africa?

I would love to claim Mrs. Kerry as African American but I'm not sure that we can claim her as our own.

Were her parents African American?
I do understand that she was born in Africa. There are many whites born there.

Does she claim to be African American? I have never heard her say that she is one of us!

I do think that she is "one classy lady" and when she moves to the WH we can give her an Honorary Soul Sister Award!



:silly:

[jpgray]

7. She is of Portuguese heritage, but born in Africa, if I remember

So she is techinically an Afro-American since she was born in Africa, but not an African-American because she is not black/ethnically African. This always gets confusing. :crazy:

[noiretextatique]

26. it really isn't that confusing...she is a white woman

in america, regardless of where she was born.

[sangh0]

27. A Latina would be a more accurate description

and I read in an article that that is how she identifies herself. The article quoted her as responding to criticism she had received for wearing a cape by saying something like "It's not a cape, it's a shawl, and if the conservatives knew anything about Latinas, they'd know that we like shawls"

[noiretextatique]

28. yes, latina is more accurate

since that is how she identifies herself.

[IndianaGreen]

29. She is not Latina

Latina applies to people from the Americas, regardless of ethnicity.

Had she been born in Brazil...

[sangh0]

32. from dictionary.com - It looks like she is "Hispanic"

La·ti·no ( P ) Pronunciation Key (l-tn, l-, lä-)
n. pl. La·ti·nos
A Latin American.
A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States. See Usage Note at Hispanic.

****************************************
His·pan·ic ( P ) Pronunciation Key (h-spnk)
adj.
Of or relating to Spain or Spanish-speaking Latin America.
Of or relating to a Spanish-speaking people or culture.

n.
A Spanish-speaking person.
A U.S. citizen or resident of Latin-American or Spanish descent.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Usage Note: Though often used interchangeably in American English, Hispanic and Latino are not identical terms, and in certain contexts the choice between them can be significant. Hispanic, from the Latin word for “Spain,” has the broader reference, potentially encompassing all Spanish-speaking peoples in both hemispheres and emphasizing the common denominator of language among communities that sometimes have little else in common. Latinowhich in Spanish means "Latin" but which as an English word is probably a shortening of the Spanish word latinoamericanorefers more exclusively to persons or communities of Latin American origin. Of the two, only Hispanic can be used in referring to Spain and its history and culture; a native of Spain residing in the United States is a Hispanic, not a Latino, and one cannot substitute Latino in the phrase the Hispanic influence on native Mexican cultures without garbling the meaning. In practice, however, this distinction is of little significance when referring to residents of the United States, most of whom are of Latin American origin and can theoretically be called by either word. ·A more important distinction concerns the sociopolitical rift that has opened between Latino and Hispanic in American usage. For a certain segment of the Spanish-speaking population, Latino is a term of ethnic pride and Hispanic a label that borders on the offensive. According to this view, Hispanic lacks the authenticity and cultural resonance of Latino, with its Spanish sound and its ability to show the feminine form Latina when used of women. Furthermore, Hispanicthe term used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agenciesis said to bear the stamp of an Anglo establishment far removed from the concerns of the Spanish-speaking community. While these views are strongly held by some, they are by no means universal, and the division in usage seems as related to geography as it is to politics, with Latino widely preferred in California and Hispanic the more usual term in Florida and Texas. Even in these regions, however, usage is often mixed, and it is not uncommon to find both terms used by the same writer or speaker. See Usage Note at Chicano.

[Hekate]

42. Portuguese (language/culture) is NOT Spanish (language/culture)

But as I said in my earlier post, let her self-identify.

The point about my origins in Hawaii is that I learned that ethnicity and race are very elastic. Very. When I was growing up it was culturally important to be able to claim some Hawaiian heritage -- or at least look like you could (said the tanless freckled maiden). The local people of Portuguese descent generally identified as non-white, which might surprise their distant cousins on the East Coast, who no doubt look at Portugal as part of the Spanish peninsula as part of Europe. The reasons are complex, but there it was. Elastic.

Hekate

[noiretextatique]

33. ok...she's white again

:7 perhaps that's why some are making such an issue of this "afro-american" thing

[IndianaGreen]

37. Yep, she is white again

and I am Latina still.

[SemperEadem]

36. Africa is a continent made up of countries

what country, exactly, did she come from? That is what her prefix before -American is.

[IndianaGreen]

38. Mozambique (a Portuguese colony)

She was born there from Portuguese parents. Mozambique was a Portuguese colony.

[SemperEadem]

35. An Afro is a hairstyle..

not a country or origin.

[Cascadian]

2. In any case, it will be a historic first.

Teresa Heinz-Kerry will be the first foreign born First Lady ever.


John

[LTR]

21. John Quincy Adams' wife was born in England

Had to do some searching for this one.

Here's some info from Al Gore's house:

Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/la6.html

Only First Lady born outside the United States, Louisa Catherine Adams did not come to this country until four years after she had married John Quincy Adams. Political enemies sometimes called her English. She was born in London to an English mother, Catherine Nuth Johnson, but her father was American--Joshua Johnson, of Maryland--and he served as United States consul after 1790.

A career diplomat at 27, accredited to the Netherlands, John Quincy developed his interest in charming 19-year-old Louisa when they met in London in 1794. Three years later they were married, and went to Berlin in course of duty. At the Prussian court she displayed the style and grace of a diplomat's lady; the ways of a Yankee farm community seemed strange indeed in 1801 when she first reached the country of which she was a citizen. Then began years divided among the family home in Quincy, Massachusetts, their house in Boston, and a political home in Washington, D.C. When the Johnsons had settled in the capital, Louisa felt more at home there than she ever did in New England.

[PsN2Wind]

3. A couple of quetions off-topic

are you going to change your handle to Demo Tarheel? And how'd an Army dude end up flying in Peter 2 Victors?

[Wonk]

4. I think Afrikaner-American would be more accurate than Afro-American. nt

[DavidDvorkin]

20. Why Afrikaner?

Is she descended from Afrikaners who moved to Mozambique? Or did her parents or other forebears move to Mozambique from Europe? If the latter, then she's not an Afrikaner.

[joeprogressive]

5. dont you have to be born in america with african roots to

be african american. Technically, isn't she African regardless of parent's heritage.

[IndianaGreen]

6. I wish you folks quit using this "African-American" nonsense

It is repulsive and it is a twisted use of the term when applied to a white European-blooded person that just happened to be born in Mozambique.

Teresa Heinz has never used that term when referring to herself.

[MercutioATC]

10. Agreed! I think "African" has more to do with bloodlines than birthplace.

You wouldn't call an ethnic Thai who was born in Stockholm a Swede, would you?

[IndianaGreen]

12. Portugal has a nasty history of colonialism

An ethnic Thai born in Stockholm is a Swede.

African-American specifically refers to an American of black African descent. To say that Teresa Heinz is African-American is to turn a whole series of federal civil rights laws on its head, putting someone of European blood in the same category as people in a protected category.

[Bunny]

15. The local wingnut radio guy makes a huge point of

referring to her as African-American, with just the right amount of smug sarcasm in his voice. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be some sort of talking point for the right, but there it is.

[IndianaGreen]

16. In what you say is true, then this is a new version of...

the story about McCain having a "colored" child that was used against him by Bush during the 2000 GOP primaries.

Subtle racism!

[noiretextatique]

34. it's not subtle

some are term as a slur and a code word...it is blatantly racist.

[NightTrain]

8. And Chef is her father!

:P

[JI7]

9. born and raised in Africa, but of portuegese descent

[cryofan]

11. I hear she speaks Ebonics, too

Anyone else hear that?

[goclark]

23. No I Haven't Heard @the Ebonics

That would surprise me!

Generally, African Americans of her age only speak Ebonics when they are in casual conversation with friends and family.

Who was she speaking Ebonics to..the press, her family, her hired help, her close friends?

[cryofan]

40. just kidding around, actually!

I doubt she does speak Ebonics. I really doubt it!

[DieboldMustDie]

13. Didn't all our ancestors come from Africa...

250,000 or so year ago? ;)

[Hekate]

14. Ah--I come from Hawaii, but I would never call myself a Hawaiian

Being as how I look very much like my Irish ancestors, and the term Hawaiian is used to denote a person with at least some native Hawaiian ancestry. It's not like saying "I'm a Californian."

Why not just ask the lady what she calls herself? I learned a long time ago to let people self-identify. Her name is Portuguese, she was born on the African continent, and she is now a US citizen. That's not impossibly exotic, nor does it mean she has African ancestors. (or not) When I was in college I worked in an import shop with a half a dozen Indian women -- that is, their ancestors were from the Indian sub-continent, but they had been born in places as far-flung as Fiji, the former Belgian Congo, and the British Isles.

Hekate

[IndianaGreen]

17. She never used that term to describe herself

another poster indicated that the term is being used by a RW radio personality in a mocking manner.

[never cry wolf]

24. I had heard that she did refer to herself as this

I say, why not? Are we Americans? Chileans are americans as well, if we define ourselves per the heritage rather than the geography all us white folk would be europeans. Native Americans would be the only ones to truly be able to claim the title Americans, along with native peruvians, etc. Are egyptians african american? Moroccans?

If a white american moves to england are his ancestors of american heritage?

[JI7]

30. newsmax reported she did

[Media_Lies_Daily]

39. Newsmax, huh? Your honor, I rest my case.

[noiretextatique]

31. actually...i think this is really stupid

culturally, she is not afro-american, a term that refers to black americans. it gets a little more complicated with black africans...but not really, since the term refers to more than a common race, it also refers to a common culture. eqyptians, morrocans, ghanians, or ethiopians do not share a common culture with each other, nor with black americans.

[never cry wolf]

41. I agree

Personally I wish we could do away with labels all together. We're all Americans. More importantly, we're all humans. At least the non-freepers are anyway.

[meow2u3]

18. She's living proof...

that not all African-Americans are black.

...Personally, I don't even like the term "African-American to describe a black (that politically-correct-yet-geographically-inaccurate BS). I'm a white "European-American" and I know not all Euro-Americans are white.

What the hell ever happened to the old-fashioned Caucasian and Negro? They may not be politically correct, but these words are more anthropoligically accurate.

[goclark]

19. Let's Ask Her

This is an interesting thread. The only one that can clarify this is the lovely lady herself.

I am sure that I am African American and proud of it. I just don't think that she is African American.

I personally am not in favor of being called a Negro or Colored. Those were labels put on us by the government to clearly tell us not to use the buses and the bathrooms and the drinking fountains.

The label African American tells me and the world that I AM an AMERICAN, I was born here,so were my parents and as far as I know my great, great, great grandparents were born here!

And, I am also proud of my African roots.

As far as the charming, beautiful, intelligent,rich, giver to meaningful charities, etc, etc, Mrs. Kerry goes,,, I'm sure that she would be welcomed with open arms as a hero to the African American community.

I would prefer that she be welcomed by my community with what ever label she wants for herself.

My compassionate people would love her if she fights with every ounce of her being to be labeled..

A Drum Major For Justice
A Drum Major For Peace
A Drum Major For The Environment
A Drum Major For Quality Health Care and Jobs and Civil Rights Issues



Let's ask her about her roots and ask her quickly because I really don't appreciate the Right Wing putting labels on anyone. Their bigoted agenda should be put where it belongs ---in 1863.

I feel deep in my heart that Mrs. Kerry knows exactly who she is and next January she will be identified as First Lady Of The United States Of America.



:party: Let's Celebrate in November '04

[Media_Lies_Daily]

22. I'm sorry, but tell us why you chose that title for your post, when...

...you know for a fact that NOTHING was mentioned in the article you linked about Afro-Americans?

[goclark]

25. Totally agree

I have checked her website and there is nothing there that says that either.
The title strongly tells us that it is True.