In honor of Dr Martlin Luther King Jr's birthday

[Wickabee]

No - the word Americans will suffice, why do you have to put colour as part of definition? Why are Americans with brown or black skin any different than any other Americans.

Stop trying to confine them by Race.

How does one refer to the group within "Americans" though? Sometimes it isn't about race, but simple description. Referring to a black person as black is not wrong. It can actually be a detriment to avoid referring to blacks as "black".

[centrehice]

They are Americans .....

End of.

[Wickabee]

They are Americans .....

End of.

So if you're mugged by someone you will refer to that person as "American" when describing him to police and hope they can decipher what he looks like based on "American".

[ajcorleone]

Sorry but i do have to chuckle at that.It is a valid point

So if you're mugged by someone you will refer to that person as "American" when describing him to police and hope they can decipher what he looks like based on "American".

[centrehice]

So if you're mugged by someone you will refer to that person as "American" when describing him to police and hope they can decipher what he looks like based on "American".

Not if I am in Uzbekistan at the time.

[ajcorleone]

Do you travel that often?

Not if I am in Uzbekistan at the time.

[Wickabee]

When I was a kid a friend of mine had her backpack stolen. Her parents took her to the police. Being that it was a town of about 6000 people, it should have been pretty easy to figure out who it was. They were there for 2 hours until she finally said "he was black"

The police immediately went to the black family's house (there was literally one) and got the backpack back in about 5 minutes.

That's what avoiding "black" due to PCism does.

[Wickabee]

Hice is just being difficult.

[gladdyontherise]

No - the word Americans will suffice, why do you have to put colour as part of definition? Why are Americans with brown or black skin any different than any other Americans.

Stop trying to define them, or confine them by Race.

Because otherwise it's making broad statements. It's not insulting to say white or black.

They are Americans .....

End of.

So like wickabee said, let's say I get in a fight, should both of us involved be termed "americans" and that's it? It's really short sighted, in my opinion.

It's not an insult, racism or anything else to use the term black or African American.

[shrewsbury]

I have no issue with people using color to describe Americans, what I do have an issue with is phrases such as; African American, Italian American, and such.