What is the true meaning of African-American?

My cousin told me that they are the black people in America whos ancestors were enslaved by the Europeans and taken to the ';new world';. And she told me that because I was born in Ethiopia and i was born there and everything, I can never be African-American. My roots are from East Africa, not West Africa. My ancestors have never been enslaved by any other country.





so anyways the real deffinition of African-American???What is the true meaning of African-American?
Taken from the United States Census





African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa.[5] In the United States, the term is generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Most African Americans are the descendants of captive Africans who survived the slavery era within the boundaries of the present United States, although some are — or are descended from — voluntary immigrants from Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, or elsewhere.[6]





My position:


You have the freedom to call yourself what ever you want, whether thats African American or Ethiopian. But your ANCESTRY is Ethiopian, my ancestry is American. I believe that the term Black American is reserved for the blacks from decendents of the American colonial era, not neccessarily decesndents of slaves (Not all black Americans were slaves, most in the North were always free) And how are you so sure your ancestors werent slaves in AFRICA. Slavery still plays a role in East Africa till this day..What is the true meaning of African-American?
originally an african american was exactly that. During the slave trade, the native americans were almost run to extinction, so the europeans brought africans to america because they thought they were stronger and immune to many diseases. They became known as african americans because they were african, but now lived in america.





I think you would be considered ethopian, not african american.
African Americans have descent from Africa from a long time ago but they are usually described as Africans that were enslaved by whites in America for generations and then faced segregation. Africans are africans that were not enslaved by whites. Blacks is a term to describe all people with really dark skin especially people from Jamaica.
Your friend did give you the full definition of African Americans. We also have a different genetic build, different diseases, different dialects, etc.


Basically African Americans are the first waves of black people in America
An african american is someone who was born in africa..and now lives in america..


They could be black, indian, white, etc.etc..


It has nothing to do with skin colour..
People living in America with African descendants in their near past.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_ame…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNZIjvX1cWM%26amp;feature=related
Desendents of slaves or either africans who came here in the 1800's.


Basically, the Black Americans, you see...



american peope w/ african ancestors or people directly from african who are now u.s. citizens.