question everything
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:21 PM
Original message |
Is Teresa Kerry African-American? |
|
She is from Africa, but I have heard that some find this offensive, that this description should be used by descendants of slaves in this county.
What do you think?
|
Indiana_Dem
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:22 PM
Response to Original message |
1. I think you're hilarious! lol |
tishaLA
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:23 PM
Response to Original message |
2. It's probably up to her. |
|
Have you asked her by which identity she prefers to be known?
|
Alenne
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:23 PM
Response to Original message |
3. I'm sure Teresa Kerry considers herself white |
|
but if every white person from Africa would like to check African American on the census it can only add to our numbers.
|
rucky
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:35 PM
Response to Reply #3 |
12. She may single-handedly drive up the median income stats |
|
then people will say, "what inequality"?
|
MAlibdem
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:41 PM
Response to Reply #3 |
19. I have a friend from S Africa |
|
Who's white, he calls himself a white African American (well, he's not quite a citizen yet).
|
Alenne
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:46 PM
Response to Reply #19 |
24. Most people from South Africa or any African country |
|
call themselves by what country they come from, South Africans, Nigerians, Sudanese. White South Africans are usually called Afrikaners.
|
formernaderite
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 11:26 PM
Response to Reply #24 |
40. A woman who works in our office is also from Mozambique... |
|
She refers to herself as African. Yes, she too is of Portuguese extraction like Ms. Heinz. Her family escaped to Zimbabwe some 30 years ago,and then had to leave once again and move to South Africa nine years later. Eventually they all went back to Portugal, which they hated. She knows she will never be able to go back to her homeland, but she also can't identify with being anything other than African. When she took classes at University, she told me she checked African-American which the administration told her she could not do. They suggested she state that she is Hispanic, because of her Latin family name, which she found hysterical. Needless to say, she was appalled at all the categorization that occurs here.
|
AP
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:24 PM
Response to Original message |
4. Republicans will try to convince bigots that she is. |
arewethereyet
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:25 PM
Response to Original message |
5. its a running joke with my South African friends |
|
they like to chide our mutual black friends. its all good natured.
|
Dookus
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:26 PM
Response to Original message |
6. this is the whole problem with the term |
|
"African-American"
It includes white people of African descent (which is not what the term is generally meant to imply) and it excludes people of African descent who may live in other places, say the Caribbean. Do we need to specify "African-Jamaicans" or "African-Haitians"?
|
kskiska
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:35 PM
Response to Reply #6 |
13. Same problem with "America" and "Americans" |
|
The term "America" encompasses this entire hemisphere – North America and South America. They're all "Americans," actually. Somehow, the United States hijacked the term and I'm sure Canadians and many others resent it. I can't blame them.
|
arcos
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:38 PM
Response to Reply #6 |
18. American could include anyone in the Americas... |
|
and actually a lot of people in Latin America resent that from the US.
In Latin America, North America and South America are not considered separate continents, it is only one, called America. Thus, anyone from any in the region can be considered an American.
It is not very politically correct to say "Soy americano"... you better say "Soy estadounidense". So... I'm not sure "African-American" necessarily excludes "African-Jamaicans" and "African-Haitians".
|
Dookus
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:46 PM
Response to Reply #18 |
23. Yes.. I understand that |
|
the rest of the hemisphere also lays claim to the term "american". But then that means we need to use the term United-States-African- American". Ugh.
I like "black".
|
Alenne
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:48 PM
Response to Reply #23 |
25. You can call yourself black |
|
Nobody is forcing you to use African American but there are people who prefer African American.
|
Dookus
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:52 PM
Response to Reply #25 |
|
but it would be a lie.
The issue is, if I am referring to someone who's black, and I don't know anything else about them....
what should I call them? I don't know if they're American. What if I *DO* call someone from Jamaica an African-American - will everybody understand what I mean?
The term is either too broad or too narrow to be of much use.
|
arcos
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:58 PM
Response to Reply #28 |
29. I understand your point... |
|
and yes, I agree.
Although I'm not American (in the narrow definition), I've always thought "black" was the better word to avoid confusion... it is the word most of the rest of the world uses.
|
tishaLA
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 08:00 PM
Response to Reply #28 |
|
like Audre Lorde, Claude McKay, etc.
|
arcos
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 08:26 PM
Response to Reply #30 |
33. do they call themselves Afro-Caribbean? n/t |
Alenne
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 08:03 PM
Response to Reply #28 |
31. It really isn't that serious |
|
Since most people in this country know that African American refers to a black person there would not be any confusion. But you can call whoever you want whatever you want.
|
arewethereyet
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:44 PM
Response to Reply #6 |
22. black is accurate, simple and straightforward |
|
I never use the term African American.
|
_Jumper_
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 08:35 PM
Response to Reply #6 |
|
Edited on Thu Feb-05-04 08:37 PM by _Jumper_
n/t
|
spooky3
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 10:44 PM
Response to Reply #6 |
37. I have been advised that "persons of color" is preferred for that very |
|
reason. But for some reason that has not become the most popular usage. Maybe because many groups could legitimately claim that title, but that would obscure distinctions that some want made, e.g., between Latinos and African-Americans?
|
AngryAmish
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 10:51 PM
Response to Reply #37 |
38. I hate "persons of color" as a term |
|
It implies that Anglos are transparent. Hate is actually too harsh of a term, but the phrase is unpleasing to my ear.
|
Jerseycoa
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:26 PM
Response to Original message |
JI7
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:27 PM
Response to Original message |
8. she is from africa of portuguese descent |
|
born and raised in mozambique africa, but of portuguese descent. she is an american citizen now. she has a really good knowledge of the world including america.
|
jenk
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:33 PM
Response to Reply #8 |
9. I thought she was french |
|
Heinz? Sounds french to me.
|
displacedtexan
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:36 PM
Response to Reply #9 |
|
Were you trying for humor, or do you really not know that Heinz is a German name?
|
jenk
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:38 PM
Response to Reply #14 |
|
I thought it had something to do with all the Kerry-French GOP talking points.
|
JohnKleeb
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:37 PM
Response to Reply #9 |
16. married to John Heinz before he died |
|
Portuegese does sound French though, I can see why you were mistaken jenk.
|
Bucky
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Feb-06-04 12:02 AM
Response to Reply #16 |
41. Yes, before he died would be a good time to marry him. Good call, Teresa K |
|
She was born American. Let's call her American. Sheesh. I guess since my ancestors came from Africa (aka, "Lucy") I could be called African-American too. I'm tired of being divided by race. Let's be Americans.
|
SummerGrace
(349 posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:34 PM
Response to Original message |
10. Born in Mozambique - Portuguese parents |
|
Born in Mozambique to colonial Portuguese parents, the former Teresa Simões-Ferreira earned a bachelor's degree in romance languages and literature from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and a degree from the Interpreters School of the University of Geneva.
After John Heinz died in a 1991 plane crash, she was urged by state and national Republican leaders to run for her husband's seat.
Instead, she took charge of the $1.6 billion Howard Heinz Endowment and the Heinz Family Philanthropies. She created the prestigious Heinz Awards, which recognize outstanding vision and achievement in the arts, public policy, technology, economics, labor, the environment and the human condition.
|
MoonRiver
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:35 PM
Response to Original message |
11. What part of Africa is she from? |
|
In South Africa whites call themselves Africaners.
|
Mairead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:52 PM
Response to Reply #11 |
27. She's from Mozambique |
|
Edited on Thu Feb-05-04 07:53 PM by Mairead
And I'm fairly sure the term 'Afrikaner' is only used by those whose first language is Afrikaans, since it means 'African' in that language. The English-descended ones call themselves 'South Africans'.
|
Nicholas_J
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 08:12 PM
Response to Reply #27 |
|
Afrikaaner is applied to people of Dutch ancesty who lived in South Africa. It is a specific term applied to people of Dutch Ancestry who lived in South Africa. It is not an appropriate term for any other white colonial resident of Africa. It is not applied to the white citizens of Zimbabwe(ex Rhodesia) or of Mozambique which was a Portugese colony. In essence Mrs Kerry is Portugese.
|
Closer
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:37 PM
Response to Original message |
|
African American first lady. That'll go over REAL well with the southern and midwestern vote.
|
JohnKleeb
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:41 PM
Response to Reply #15 |
20. Actually its Portugese and a lot of those areas were originally |
|
French like Lousiana still has a lot of French Creole descedants. Also your guy has a Jewish wife, if they wont go for Teresa what makes you think they would go for Judy Steinburg Dean. I won't play that way with you because I dont think people really care about a candiate's wifes background.
|
JI7
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:42 PM
Response to Reply #15 |
|
she is loved in iowa and every other part of the country.
|
greatauntoftriplets
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 07:50 PM
Response to Reply #15 |
26. We in the Midwest are hardly that provincial, especially not in Chicago. |
|
That being said, I am still not a Kerry fan.
|
genius
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 08:45 PM
Response to Original message |
|
Edited on Thu Feb-05-04 08:46 PM by genius
A fact is a fact.
|
question everything
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 10:40 PM
Response to Reply #35 |
|
Thanks, all. I was afraid that my post would be considered insensitive.. Last year, or two, the stunning actress Charlize Theron was the hostess of Saturday Night Live. She is from South Africa and introduced herself as African-American and I thought it was clever then but, then, this was SNL...
Of course there is also north Africa but we describe the people from there - Morocco, Algiers, Tunisia, Egypt - as Arabs.
I, too, find the term black the easiest, but someone once said that this describes a person in what s/he is not - white. I don't know. I am not good at PC.
And then there is Colin Powell who is described as African-American but was born in Jamaica.
Again, thank all for the interesting posts.
|
DrFunkenstein
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Feb-05-04 10:54 PM
Response to Original message |
|
And a Catholic one at that!
|
Moderator
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Fri Feb-06-04 12:10 AM
Response to Original message |
DU
AdBot (1000+ posts) |
Fri Apr 26th 2024, 06:42 PM
Response to Original message |