::nodnod:: that's why I didn't even want to use the terms black and white--because they aren't real and are completely ridiculous and make barriers and groups where there aren't any there.
Ethnicity is "better" because, not only is it more specific and more truthful, your ethnicity has a greater bearing on your culture and lifestyle than does your skin color--although even that doesn't apply to everyone. And of course, as you said, it's better not to make a dividing line at all. :)
geez, you know a lot more about this than I do ;)
Although I don't even like the term "African-American", although it does apply to some of the kids at school (and is, of course, much better than "black") I'm fairly certain that most of the kids who have darker skin are from somewhere in the Caribbean. Although, thinking about it, their ancestors might have been brought over from Africa at some time in the past. But I think many think of themselves as being Haitian or Dominican or something.
I often feel very badly because I am aware that Native American is a term that falls horribly short and that the people I'm calling "Native American" are members of individual tribes and not one huge group. But at the same time I know very little about the different tribes and all that. I should look into that, come to think of it, instead of just complaining. (at academons yesterday I got a question wrong about which tribe Andrew Jackson fought. . . ugh. and my US History teacher is the advisor. >.< waaaah!)
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Date: 2002-12-12 03:51 am (UTC)Ethnicity is "better" because, not only is it more specific and more truthful, your ethnicity has a greater bearing on your culture and lifestyle than does your skin color--although even that doesn't apply to everyone.
And of course, as you said, it's better not to make a dividing line at all. :)
geez, you know a lot more about this than I do ;)
Although I don't even like the term "African-American", although it does apply to some of the kids at school (and is, of course, much better than "black") I'm fairly certain that most of the kids who have darker skin are from somewhere in the Caribbean. Although, thinking about it, their ancestors might have been brought over from Africa at some time in the past. But I think many think of themselves as being Haitian or Dominican or something.
I often feel very badly because I am aware that Native American is a term that falls horribly short and that the people I'm calling "Native American" are members of individual tribes and not one huge group. But at the same time I know very little about the different tribes and all that. I should look into that, come to think of it, instead of just complaining. (at academons yesterday I got a question wrong about which tribe Andrew Jackson fought. . . ugh. and my US History teacher is the advisor. >.< waaaah!)