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is it just me, or is it that when you look around in college, most of the people that are black are not direct decendents from Africa? I dunno, probably 9 out of 10 in my school are not direct decedents of Africa. Probably 5 out of 10 are of Caribbean decent, however, most just go and claim African American. I define African American as direct decendents of Afria from the slave ships, or someone who has just came over now. As in a Nigerian-American, etc.

But my question is: Where are all the African Americans that i speak of?

I would have to agree that the term African-American is somewhat abstract. I always check other when asked for my description. Most West Indian's are not really African American, they are Afro Carribbean if anything. Most of our ancestors first came here on BWee, not a slave ship.

I am not in college anymore, so I do not know if there are a lack of "Black Americans" in NYC. Quite possibly. Remember though that NYC has a higher ratio of "other" than most American cities. I'm sure someone in Miami would think the same way you do about the lack of Black Americans, but then there are places like Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina that are swarming with them.

I fall under the catagory african american. I was born here in the united states so that's what I put on applications but I do
agree with what you are saying, my ancestors landed in Guyana
and not here but I consider myself afro/american with a caribbean background

__________________
American By Birth, Guyanese By Blood!!

Ok. I have come across many Caribbeans who say that an African American is someone who is either their parients came from Africa or is from Africa but is a citizen of the U.S. This I strongly do not agree with. The American Blacks of this country classify themselves as African American because they are decendents of Africans who were brought to the U.S. for slavery. As for me, My mother's parents are Jamaican but were born here and my father's parents are not Caribbean at all. So I classify myself as African American and Jamaican. When people say that you can't call youself African American because u weren't born in Africa or you can't call yourself Jamaican because you weren't born in Jamaica is ignorant. Beef Roti, if and when you have kids would you agree with a Trini saying that your kids aren't Trini Americans or Trini in general because they were born here? You can not tell a person to not represent what their heritage is just because they were born here. All I'm saying is people of African decent who cannot identify themselves with any other country except for Africa and America are African Americans because those two places are where their family originated from so thats their nationality.
Respect

Aren't the Caribbean islands, Guyana or Brasil part of America ?
The word America doesn't define just a country but a entire continent. Therefore African Americans are the descents of blacks brought to slavery not just in the United States but in America, the continent.
What makes the blacks from the Caribbean not coming "directly" from Africa as you said ? I wonder about the distinction you're making. Do you imply that some are better than others ?

is that my definition of african american is either: black person livin in america who's parents are from africa within the past 2 generations

or

black person livin in america who can not trace their roots, and therefore conclude that their parents came from america.

i say, if you stopped on the slaveship in trinidad, or any other country before america (united states) then you are not african american.

I agree with you totally. The term "African-American" that we all so easily identify ourselves with is a generalization that White America has placed on all "blacks". Italian Americans, Irish Americans and so on get to identify themselves according to their national identity. Those of us that can allow ourselves a distinction Trinidadian, Guyanese, Jamaican, etc. have every right to do so.

Roti King

African Americans are children of the slaves who were migrated from Africa and brought to America by ship. Therefore African Americans are the children of the African slaves.
We are West Indians one of the reasons being because of the Amerindians (Arawaks & Caribs) that once inhabited our islands and because our islands are located in the west indies. If you wanna class us as a race whether we migrated to America, Canada or wherever, we cannot be called African Americans, AfroCanadians and what soever we are called Afro West Indians despite I don't agree with people saying that we are west indians and nothing cannot chage that.

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-04-01 AT 12:21 PM (EST)[/font][p]Like you stated in your email........that is your definition.....also, the original descendants of the Caribbean are not people of African descent......you don't seem to be well informed.......I suggest you do some more reading before you post such messages on the worldwide web.

Respectfully,

FYI

Who the original inhabitants of the Caribbean are is still in question. There were African decendants in the Caribbean and
the America's long before the Europeans and the slaves came.

Check out

http://community-2.webtv.net/PAULNUBIAEMPIRE/BLACKCIVILIZATIONS/index.html

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-07-01 AT 12:18 PM (EST)[/font][p]Though who the very first inhabitants of the Caribbean region is still under constant debate and investigation, the fact does remain that the majority of the region was inhabited by the Arawaks prior to and during the time slaves began to "arrive" from Africa under European supremacy. See Below:




Arawak, a once-predominant group of "Native Americans" originally inhabiting an area that stretched from present-day Florida down through the islands of the West Indies and the coastal area of South America as far as southern Brazil. The group is in the Arawakan linguistic family. The Arawak were the first natives of the Americas encountered by the Italian-Spanish navigator Christopher Columbus.

A number of Arawak tribes have been extinct for several hundred years. Those of the Lesser Antilles were subjugated in fighting with the Carib peoples in the late 15th century. The Arawak population in the West Indies fell from a probable 2 to 3 million to a few thousand by the early 16th century; by the end of that century, island Arawak were extinct. This catastrophic mortality rate was due to the introduction of European diseases, damage to the Arawak's food supplies, and Spanish brutality and enslavement.

Before the Spanish conquest, the large-island ecologies, offering bountiful harvests and abundant fish, combined with the compact and stable island populations, permitted the development of an elaborate political and social structure. A class of hereditary chiefs ruled three other classes, the lowest of which was composed of slaves. Conflict between classes was apparently minimal. In this matrilineal society, rulers were succeeded by their eldest sister's eldest son. Religion offered a hierarchy of deities parallel to the social structure.

The Arawak tribes of South America better survived European contact because their groups were smaller and more scattered. Their social structure was also matrilineal but much less complex. Mainland Arawak traded with the Dutch and English. In the 17th and 18th centuries they made a transition to plantation agriculture.

In the 20th century the existing Arawak began to accept wage-paying jobs as a supplement to farming, hunting, and fishing. Although their present-day culture reflects various non-Arawak influences, this group has been noted since pre-Columbian times as skilled potters, weavers, and wood- and metalworkers. Today some 30,000 Arawak live in Guyana, with smaller numbers in Suriname and French Guiana. Arawakan-speaking groups are also widespread in other parts of South America.

There is also a mixed populations of such descendants in certain areas of Trinidad, which is likely linked to its closeness in vicinity to South America.

I think it still requires more investigation and study as to who was the majority or who were the first at any particular time throughout history. It's a big task to pin point facts due to nature of human beings to migrate from one place to another. Some things that really help are the carbon dating and maybe evidence of some ancient census data or estimates based on housing, living circumstances and other remnants left behind by a particular culture, mix of cultures, or group of people.

I CHOSE TO IDENTIFY MYSELF AS AFRICAN AND CALL IT A DAY

It so touchy that I don't know how to start. First of all I would like to say that ALL of our ancestors are from Africa. I cannot tell you which country in Africa,(we vary) but this is where we are from. During the slave trade many blacks where killed, thrown off boats, left to survive of their own fetus. What also happen is that there was not enough room for them. Did you know that over 200 million African slaves died in waters alone? Most likely not.Gosh it is soo much information.... The second largest population of Blacks in the world are in Brazil. They got there by slave traders, that colonized the land and had uses they needed blacks for. Blacks where also put in plantations in the caribbean. The sugars, natural resources, fruits, and much much more. Westerners thought that the caribbean was paradise.( You can easily look this information up in college history books, and compare with other authors) Because of migration blacks are in the caribbean, but don't forget where your ancestors are from. Our history has been meaningless because ignorant others still think, they are whatever Blacks were not asked to be in other countries. they were put there to work. I myself can say I am African American. i know my history. Though I cannot narrow down, which country my ancestors are from, I can always look at Africa's map and feel a sensation because my people suffered for me. I can never forget this

Hi everyone. I find this topic soo interesting because this is what I have to explain to people when I tell them my roots. I was born in NYC but before I was 2 months old I was in Trinidad being baptized and living with my family. When it was time to start school I came back and had gone to T&T to visit during the summers. Now if you're in the US you know where you are at-who still has the majority here. For their purposes I identify myself as an African American but my culture is West Indian. Being west indian isn't a race...unless I'm wrong and someone can correct me. So Identifying with which one is the question. Just because I was born here doesn't mean I don't know anything about roti, fete or limin'. Ironically when I talk to some west indians they feel that because I wasn't born there I can't claim it. So this discussion was really interesting to me. Take care all.