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stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 4:09:55 AM   
MissyRane


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Status: offline 		..but I'm so tempted to ask so I'll ask, how do you know whether you're a native american or just caucasian??? all the native americans i've seen are...simply..caucasian, can they be african american..asian living in america.. etc. too? erm I'm just not getting this native american term..confuses my simple brain

< Message edited by MissyRane -- 4/26/2006 4:14:44 AM >
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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 4:40:00 AM   
philosophy


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Status: offline 		why would you care?

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 4:43:24 AM   
MissyRane


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Status: offline 		If you need to comment, make a good f*cking comment and keep your attitude to yourself.

< Message edited by MissyRane -- 4/26/2006 4:56:25 AM >

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 4:51:42 AM   
subjected2006


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Status: offline 		indigenous american may be a more accurate term...and i look caucasian because i am .i do however have one great grandparent who was straight run blackfoot.,and just to show my impatience with people who need to classify others into little groups i will choose "other" as ethnicity..

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 5:11:29 AM   
foxnotinsox


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quote:

..but I'm so tempted to ask so I'll ask, how do you know whether you're a native american or just caucasian??? all the native americans i've seen are...simply..caucasian, can they be african american..asian living in america.. etc. too? erm I'm just not getting this native american term..confuses my simple brain


Hmmmmmm .... I imagine the confusion comes from "american" being used to describe one from the States, when in actuality it can be anyone from either North or South America. However, I would never term myself as "american" as I am not from the States.

Up here, "native american" is someone who is descended from the original natives of the americas ... the Cree, Navaho, Sioux, Cherokee, etc. No, we do not use "indian" as that would be somebody from the Asian India .. a mistake made by the original explorers who thought they had found a passage to India .... ummm though east-Indian would be the Asian while west-indian would be the caribbean.

As for calling somebody whose descent is Asian or African or European a "native" american, I would be confused too. I can trace my family tree in North America back to the 1630s (yeah yeah one of the originals at Plymouth Rock), and still would not consider myself a Native. Canadian, yes to be sure =) ... but nativity should be reserved for those who were here first.

< Message edited by foxnotinsox -- 4/26/2006 5:19:22 AM >

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 5:16:06 AM   
philosophy


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quote:

ORIGINAL: MissyRane

If you need to comment, make a good f*cking comment and keep your attitude to yourself.


without knowing why you'd want this information it's hard to figure out the most appropriate way of finding out........as for my attitude, i suggest you have a close examine of yours first.

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 5:16:09 AM   
MissyRane


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Status: offline 		Thank you I think I get it now

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 6:12:18 AM   
FangsNfeet


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Status: offline 		When Columbus first came to the American Continent, he assumed he had sailed around the world and landed on India. In India, Europeans refered to the people there as Indians. As it was later realized that America was it's own continent, the term Indian stuck with the natives of the land. Now after some 500 plus years, we have Political Correctness to guide us. Being that the navitives of America are not actually Indian, it was found to be both offensive and confusing as people from India began living in America. So the name we bestowed on the race of the natives was changed to Native American to sort out the confusion. However, I still find Native Americans who slip up and say they're Indian from such and such tribe. It's a matter of finding a name to call the original race and it's decendants that does not does not conflict with other races and cultures around the world because of one persons assumption.

To me, the term African Amercian is confusing to me. Apparantly you actually have to be black to be and African You can be a caucasion male born and raised in Africa, move to the USA, and still not be an African American. What are you called when  you're a black tourist from Austrailia. I don't think they particurly like being dubed "African American" when there's not much to prove they are from Africa and don't have anything to do with America. When filling out an application or a discription of yourself, the only way to tell someone you're black is to check "African American." When is the USA going to learn that not every negro person has heritage with Amrica or Africa?    

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 8:04:04 AM   
meatcleaver


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Status: offline 		Caucasian meaning white is an American (as in USA) term. In Europe it simply means someone from the Caucasus so I suppose that is the differentiating label to compliment African-American etc. etc.

What amuses me is why so many whites call themselves Irish-American, Italian-American, Polish-American but there are no English-Americans, especially since the majority of Americans still speak English. Though from what I understand and I dion't mind being corrected, the biggest ethnic group from Europe is from German descent but I guess they conveniently forgot their origins around the time of WWII. Added to the amusement factor is the quote from Roosevelt about there only should be one type of American under the flag.

< Message edited by meatcleaver -- 4/26/2006 8:05:01 AM >

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 8:21:34 AM   
Arpig


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Status: offline 		The proper terminology for the so-called major races (actually properly classified as subspecies) of human kind are as follows
- Capoid (or Khoisanid): Hottentots & Bushmen
- Congoid (used to be known as Negroid): Blacks originating in sub-Saharan Africa
- Caucasoid (or Europid): The so-called whites, includes Europeans, middle easterners & those from India & Pakistan.
- Australoid: Aborigines of Australia & new guinea, and small populations in India & Malaysia
- Mongoloid: The various Asian or oriental peoples, which includes the Amerindian race.

As to what does "native American" mean....rather obviously it means a person born in the Americas, and thus one can be of any racial subspecies and be a native American.
The PC usage of the term "Native American" is a person descended from the original aboriginal Amerindian population of what is now the USA, however, a simple understanding of the meanings of the words will show this to be a misuse of the term.


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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 8:32:34 AM   
Mercnbeth


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quote:

ORIGINAL: MissyRane

..but I'm so tempted to ask so I'll ask, how do you know whether you're a native american or just caucasian???


if you are a member of one of over 500 federally recognized tribes, or can prove that one of your ancestors was a member of a federally recognized tribe, then you are entitled to the "benefits" that other tribal members also enjoy...could be college tuition, health care, a house to live in on the reservation, or a dividend check every month based on your percentage of the share of the take at the casino.
 
Many tribes do not have a minimum blood requirement, however, proving your ancestry might be troublesome.
 
Most of the "native" Californians(those that were born here) that this slave has met that were of mostly caucasian ancestry claimed some Indian ancestry as their families made their way from their point of immigration in the east, very slowly making it out here to the west.  for example, this slave's ex was born here in California~tall, sun-bleached blonde/ brown hair and blue eyes.  on his mother's side, both grandparents came form the Oklahoma/Arkansas area and each claimed a grandparent that was a member of the Cherokee and Blackfoot Nations, respectively.

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 8:45:48 AM   
MissyRane


Posts: 1032
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Status: offline 		Thank you all for your answers I've got a much better understanding of the term now

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 10:50:41 AM   
FangsNfeet


Posts: 3758
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Status: offline 		"What amuses me is why so many whites call themselves Irish-American, Italian-American, Polish-American but there are no English-Americans, especially since the majority of Americans still speak English. Though from what I understand and I dion't mind being corrected, the biggest ethnic group from Europe is from German descent but I guess they conveniently forgot their origins around the time of WWII."

That is funny. I forgot about those white people adding there ancestors country to american. I think most of it has to do with recognizing one another by culture/heritage. No many like being alone having no familiarity with others.

I'm an USA citizen and that's all there is to it. I could care less where my great great great great great grandfathers came from. I don't know them and they don't know me. Any genitic traits that may come from the French, Germans, Danish, and Irish has nothing to do with my culture. St Patrick is my Saint Patron and I drink Pints made by HARP. That's about as Irish as I am and care to be.  

It dosen't matter where my ancestors came from. If I ever to back to those countries it's not like those citizins are going to acknowledge me with open arms. Hell, my ancestors left there for a reason. If I do go back, I'll probably know why and feel better about being an American. The only thing history is really good for is learning not to make the same mistakes.

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 10:56:49 AM   
mnottertail


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quote:

ORIGINAL: MissyRane

..but I'm so tempted to ask so I'll ask, how do you know whether you're a native american or just caucasian??? all the native americans i've seen are...simply..caucasian, can they be african american..asian living in america.. etc. too? erm I'm just not getting this native american term..confuses my simple brain


Caucasians always lie and Natives always tell the truth........or is it the other way 'round?

Ron

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 11:13:42 AM   
IronBear


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From: Beenleigh, Qld, Australia
Status: offline 		An Australian Aboriginal person visiting the US or living there fora while would ce classed as either Indigenous Australian or just an Australian...... Regardig Afro-American.refering to those Americans with negro blood, technically speaking surely a Causacian-African (say from South Africa of either Dutch or british stock) movig to the US would also be classed as Afro-American were he to become a US citizen?????? 

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 11:18:05 AM   
Brandon72


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quote:

ORIGINAL: FangsNfeet

"What amuses me is why so many whites call themselves Irish-American, Italian-American, Polish-American but there are no English-Americans, especially since the majority of Americans still speak English. Though from what I understand and I dion't mind being corrected, the biggest ethnic group from Europe is from German descent but I guess they conveniently forgot their origins around the time of WWII."



What amuses me more is how politically correct we all have to be. For example, to be P/C we shouldn't call black people black, but african-american. But what if you are a white guy from South African? Are you also an african-american?

A few months ago I read the bold print on an Ebony magazine that headlined "Are you dating a white man?"  I was like wait a minute shouldn't that read "Are you dating a euro-american man?"  ... don't refer to me as a white man,  I want to be know as a euro-american.

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RE: stupid question.. - 4/26/2006 3:04:35 PM   
NakedOnMyChain


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From: Indiana
Status: offline 		Lots of Native Americans' ethnicity is mixed with other races, often caucasian.  I'm Native American.  I'm also Scottish, Irish, and French.  There are only a couple of tell-tale features that could possibly let you know that I have some Native American descent.  For the most part, the Scottish outweighs it.

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