cykogirl

oops, i was referring to the white south african teenager in your original post when i said that in the context of the definition given by the US Census Bureau, he wouldn't be eligible for the award.

but you're right, the definition makes anyone eligible even if they're not african. i don't think they should use the word "african" then.

magician

I wonder if any schools in South Central Los Angeles (or whatever it's supposed to be called these days) have a "Distinguished European American Student Award" or a "Distinguished Asian American Student Award" or a "Distinguished South American American Student Award"?

Would a Russian American qualify as European American, or as Asian American? What about a Pakistani American?

cykogirl

i *think* people of pakistani ancestry are considered asian american. but please correct me if i'm wrong.

i find it odd that native americans are still referred to as "indians". i just heard on the radio the other day about how NY state is violating the "indian treaty"...they were referring to a native american treaty. i wonder how people from india feel about that.

magician

I'm sure that some of them wish that they could have their own casinos, too.

no_really

I think a better question is, what has he done for the community? It is rather moot if the kid hasn't done anything to win the award other than be an American "from" Africa.

magician

"Johnny, what's all that noise out there?"

"It's OK, mom, we're just playing 'Cowboys and Native Americans'. Wait, I forgot about Mary. We're playing 'Cowpeople and Native Americans'. What's that, Jimmy? We don't have any cows? Mom, we're playing 'Midwest and Western Immigrants of Both Sexes Riding Horses and Armed with Guns and Oppressed and Wrongly Viewed as Savage Native Americans who are Simply Trying to Protect the Land that is Rightfully Theirs'. Or, at least, we were. Now it's too dark to see any more. I'm coming inside."

cykogirl

[QUOTE]Originally posted by magician

magician

[QUOTE]Originally posted by no_really
I think a better question is, what has he done for the community?

The Gasman

I think it should have gone to a black kid only. The term African american is just the latest politically correct term for the peoples of Central and Southern Africa that are most often distinguished by their natural dark skin and very curly hair, (the afro) which derived for the very hot and dry climates of most of that reason. Everyone knows it does not stand for a white person who was born in Africa, or whose family was there for a few generations.

Just like the term Asian took over for the now defunct Oriental that was used to describe the people of southeast and eastern Asia. I'm Indian, but noone calls me asian. The Russian people are Asian, but when you say asian are you reffering to them?

magician

Finally, we're getting to the whole point of this thread.

People are trying to be politically correct and end up being just plain wrong.

The girl who got angry should have been angry at the idiots in the school's administration who meant "Black" but were too cowardly to say it. Instead they tried to adopt a friendlier term that didn't mean exactly what they wanted, and now they're penalizing someone who's called them on it.

"When we say 'African' we don't really mean everyone from Africa, only certain, select, chosen Africans."

"When we say 'Asian' we don't really mean just anybody from Asia, only certain, select, chosen Asians."

Their award is racist. And they've tried to hide that racism behind vague, ultimately inaccurate language.

Shame on them.