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Is it true that in Dubai, the typical custom when talking about African Americans, is that they prefer to use the term "blacks" instead of "African American" ???

I was quite surprised when someone told me this. I did not believe this to be true and was surprised to hear this. Can someone comment on this thanks.

Dubai has loads of nationalities. Which nationality are you talking about? Some people use the word black due to lack of command of English. Arabs have a habit of using that word although when speaking in Arabic they use the word equivalent to African.The term "black" man or woman, is also becoming more popular all over the world. In the U.S. people have started to use it more frequently and it is becoming less and and less offensive. Unless usage is in formal documentation or speech, hardly anyone says Caucasian anymore either. People just say "white". Most times no offense is intended, just simplicity of speech. "Black" is not an inherent insult, it is a colour. The problem was with the stigma and stereotyping associated with the word. If that disappears, the word in itself is fine. Dubai does have racist aspects to it but racism based on colour is not in the forefront. So, people use the word "black" often meaning no offense or discrimination by it.

I think the term "Blacks" might be widely used however I think it has racist undertones, however more subconsciously today. We no longer call Chinese Yellows or native American Indians Reds. There is an inconsistency of treatment there. The perpetuation of the terms blacks and whites only serve as a constant reminder that draws a line of distinction between races and reflects ignorance of culture, laziness and lack of respect more than anything. I think it's disrespectful to refer to any race as a color, because a color is an inanimate thing and to be referred to in inanimate terms I believe is demeaning.

The use of the terms blacks and white also has cynical undertones to the extent that it pigeon holes individuals with in each group as existing separately from each other and being part of separate entity groups. I think it serves to reinforce a artificial wedge between races, when in fact races and cultures are far more mixed and diverse than many appreciate, both culturally and ethnically.

Every human has an ethnic origin and every ethnic origin has with it an attachment to a culture. What I have noticed however is that the cultures most distant from the modern developed technological world in which we live, fare the worst in terms of racism and lack of understanding by the modern world, to the extent that its evident of a lack of value placed in primitive cultures, by the modern world.

The term "black" or "African American", as far as I know coming from the States, is the preferred term by black/African Americans. History will tell you that black Americans fought for the right to be referred to as black/African Americans to abolish the "N" word.

If not black or African American, then what? If not "white", then what? I certainly don't want to be called a honky or cracker or be referred to as "caucasian"!!! Since my nationality is blended, how would I refer to my race? Here in Dubai Asians are from India, etc. In the States Asians are those whose ethnicity is from the Far East.

In the US defining terms were needed for employment as "quotas" were established and it was used to avoid job discrimination. There are many forms used in the US where you are asked your race and African American is used on the form, as is "white" and "hispanic". Several races are listed, along with "Other". In the US it is black or white, then it comes down to ethnicity.

It's unfortunate that people are defined by the color of their skin or where they came/come from, but it's a fact of life.

I think less and less people are being sensitive to referring to them by the colour of their skin. Call me brown, black ... you won't offend me

-- Thu Oct 07, 2010 5:29 pm --

Btw dee7o, I like your response . . . it makes lots of sense.

In order to be called African American someone would have to be of African descent AND American. But most black folks in the states will readily tell you that calling them black is fine by them. The currently over the top PC culture in America is driving the use of the term African American.

In my mind it would be equivelant to calling a white American "European American". That would be the most equal term to describe American whites as African American describes black Americans.

You cant call a Kenyan African American as they are not from America......Most appropriatly you would call them Kenyan just as we describe other people by their nationality. However describing them in terms of skin tone would most likely use the term Black.