Sineater - Yank questions :)

[lobs211]

Sineater - Is "Yank" like racial vilification? Is that politically incorrect?

Anyway - trying to take my mind off my business in other thread and I have some questions 🙂

ok so I really wanna know: Do black Americans have a connection with Africa? Do they consider it home? Do they like go back and find their people/ tribe/ families?

Can they trace that? And do they identify by tribe? So eg) If Oprah met Obama - do they talk tribes? Areas thier people from or do they just consider themselves American?? and have no connection to country?

I really wanna know this - thanks 🙂

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

"Yank" is only anathema to someone from the deep South, unless it is an address from a foreigner.........for instance, a Mississippean wouldn't be overly bothered by your referring to him as a "Yank".  Kinda like someone from OZ calling a Pommie a "Pommie", but heaven help a Yank calling a Pommie a "Pommie"..........

Few Black Americans consider Africa their homeland, and have little interest in seeking out their African forebears.  They have absolutely nothing in common except for a possible prediliction for sickle-cell anemia.

Why would an American born in Hawaii even have any knowledge of a language used in Africa........my ancestors came from Scandinavia, and Norsk is Greek to me............

[tcmsecretuseid]

I think Sineater will answer your, YANK question, differently than I will. Different parts of the U.S. think differently about that term. 

Since I know that the Australians don't think of YANK as a derogatory term, I don't care that I'm called that when I'm posting here. 

Most Australians feel it is the same as being called an Ozzie. Several years ago, I tried to explain that it is not the same, but I gave up. LOL

Sineater will tell you that hon, and sweetie are not condescending either. Most women who live in California cringe when they hear those terms. Those are Southern words. 

The U.S. has a lot of different Sub cultures. We react differently to certain phrases and words. 

The second question is a little more complicated. Most black people do not have a tribe that they visit in Africa. In fact, I don't know any that do that. Many years ago there was a mini-series called "ROOTS" on TV. Several Black people did trace their roots back to various tribes, and studied black history. I don't think Obama, and Oprah are talking about their African roots when they meet up. 

His mother is White. He was raised in the U.S., as was Oprah. 

[tcmsecretuseid]

Lobs, btw, about 16 American posters have moved to CS from the American boards. 

You might get more answers than you ever wanted. 😉

[lobs211]

Thanks Americans LOL

I still dont understand though - Africans are tribal people and black Americans are from Africa but the ones in USA dont relate to Africa is that right?

Maybe their history starts in USA for them or they dont have a connection to land? They dont identify with a tribal link? Is that right?

SO their history must start where these ones now were born -= ie) USA

I am trying to make sense of this LOL - to me I picture an Africa American getting to 18 or whenever and going 'Home" to find their history, their story, where thier people come from and what not but this is not the case it seems.

Thanks for taking the time - Im not gonna use "Yank" anymore I dont think 🙂

Cheers

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

Kinda reminds me of my mum, when some American woman insisted she say a few words in "Australian"...........she replied, "I am......it's called the "Queen's English"........

[Anonymous]

Why would an American born in Hawaii even have any knowledge of a language used in Africa.

good question

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

I'm certainly not offended, and neither were Southerners when the Pommies started singing, "The Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming, and they won't be going, until it's over, over there"........   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v33jF5TGLw

[the*scarlet*pimpernel]

A few years I went traipsing off to the UK. I particularly wanted to go to Scotland, as that's where my fathers ancestors were from.

Scotland was beautiful, I loved it. Then I went to Ireland and it felt like home.

I have since learned that my ancestors were Irish and moved to Scotland during the Great Potato Famine.

I imagine the American Indians might have the connection to the land and the tribes that Lobs has mentioned.

[love*today]

They could have knowledge of their language through family.

Kinda like when Others come to Aus, they still speak their language at home and they certainly pass down traditions to their offspring.