Raven Symone Says She’s ‘american’ Not ‘african-american’

[rightwinger]

What I love most is the reaction of people to her comments.

If a White Woman of Irish Ancestry said that she doesn't see herself as an "Irish-American" because she never lived in Ireland, but simply sees herself as an American, there wouldn't be a single eyebrow raised.

However, when a woman who every one sees as being Black who says basically the same thing, all hell breaks loose.

Evidently there is a problem among some with a Black person who doesn't succumb to the "Black Collective".

If a white woman of Irish Ancestry does not embrace the Irish culture, she does not need to declare herself "Irish-American"

However, if she, and her family have always embraced their Irish roots and culture......there is nothing wrong with calling herself an Irish-American

Doesn't make her any less an American

There is no question about that. You've posted a strawman.

The question is, Why is the Black Community, you could see the shock in Oprah's face, when Raven said what she said, react with such hatred that a person has decided that she wasn't going to allow her skin color or ancestry define her?

You have no concept of what a strawman is...but I will address your question anyway

The difference between what Raven said and that hypothetical woman of Irish ancestry is that the Irish woman can go about her life without anyone knowing what her ancestry is. She can fit into the mainstream of American life without question

A black person is always black and has been historically denied access to mainstream America. Oprah understands the struggles that African-Americans have gone through in our society and still go through
Simones "I am just an American" reflects more on the upper class upbringing and access she has received in life than the experience most blacks face in this country. The experiences of a Cosby kid do not carry over to most "African-Americans" who still want to maintain their cultural identification

"The experiences of a Cosby kid do not carry over to most "African-Americans" who still want to maintain their cultural identification"

Thank you for identifying the problem. People who don't want to be seen as every other American but claim perpetual victimhood simply because of the color of their skin.

They want to blame the problems of the past on "The White Man". They want to believe their history as Black slaves started once they reached the shores of the Americas... They don't want to accept the fact that those people were slaves long before they reached these shores.. Slaves held by other Black Africans .

Cultural Identity??

Is that speaking "Hood" instead of "talking White"??


Cultural Identity??

Is that skipping school and hanging on the street corners selling drugs or using drugs and not getting good grades or studying to get an education to get out of that neighborhood??

Cultural Identity???

Is that playing the victim instead of doing for yourself?

Why would you object to anyone having a culture which they identify with?

Southern Americans have their own culture
Mormons have their own culture
The wealthy have their own culture

Yet, African-Americans have a culture they affiliate with and you are outraged. To a bigot such as yourself (Call Racecard!) that culture may be skipping school and doing drugs...but in reality, that culture involves music, art, clothing, food, religion and speech.

Same as any other culture

 

[Asclepias]

What I love most is the reaction of people to her comments.

If a White Woman of Irish Ancestry said that she doesn't see herself as an "Irish-American" because she never lived in Ireland, but simply sees herself as an American, there wouldn't be a single eyebrow raised.

However, when a woman who every one sees as being Black who says basically the same thing, all hell breaks loose.

Evidently there is a problem among some with a Black person who doesn't succumb to the "Black Collective".

If a white woman of Irish Ancestry does not embrace the Irish culture, she does not need to declare herself "Irish-American"

However, if she, and her family have always embraced their Irish roots and culture......there is nothing wrong with calling herself an Irish-American

Doesn't make her any less an American

There is no question about that. You've posted a strawman.

The question is, Why is the Black Community, you could see the shock in Oprah's face, when Raven said what she said, react with such hatred that a person has decided that she wasn't going to allow her skin color or ancestry define her?

You have no concept of what a strawman is...but I will address your question anyway

The difference between what Raven said and that hypothetical woman of Irish ancestry is that the Irish woman can go about her life without anyone knowing what her ancestry is. She can fit into the mainstream of American life without question

A black person is always black and has been historically denied access to mainstream America. Oprah understands the struggles that African-Americans have gone through in our society and still go through
Simones "I am just an American" reflects more on the upper class upbringing and access she has received in life than the experience most blacks face in this country. The experiences of a Cosby kid do not carry over to most "African-Americans" who still want to maintain their cultural identification

"The experiences of a Cosby kid do not carry over to most "African-Americans" who still want to maintain their cultural identification"

Thank you for identifying the problem. People who don't want to be seen as every other American but claim perpetual victimhood simply because of the color of their skin.

They want to blame the problems of the past on "The White Man". They want to believe their history as Black slaves started once they reached the shores of the Americas... They don't want to accept the fact that those people were slaves long before they reached these shores.. Slaves held by other Black Africans .

Cultural Identity??

Is that speaking "Hood" instead of "talking White"??



Cultural Identity??

Is that skipping school and hanging on the street corners selling drugs or using drugs and not getting good grades or studying to get an education to get out of that neighborhood??

Cultural Identity???

Is that playing the victim instead of doing for yourself?

Here is the problem with your post. You are taking the video clip of a young woman who has no experience or understanding regarding that of which she speaks.

List of problems with this womans viewpoint.

She said your/her language. English is not our language. Its a second language. We dont even know our first/cultural language but our mouths readily form the sounds. I picked up 2 different languages from Africa with ease.

She assumes that people say she is talking white because she is correctly pronouncing the English language. I speak fluent english and no one thinks or mentions that I talk white. Its probably her attitude that without saying it she is denouncing the Black dialect of english spoken in the ghetto.

She assumes that everyone only knows one language therefore not giving any validity to the real presence of Ebonics.

 

[Antares]

Man did this spin out of control.

 

[blastoff]

Good for Raven. Likely somewhat of a result of hanging out with Oreo cookie Cliff Huxtable.

 

[Clementine]

I like her. She just doesn't see the need to be labeled according to race or orientation. Of course, lefties won't like that since they put us all in groups.

I liked her statement that she's just a human being who love other human beings.

I love this new thing of abandoning labels while embracing other labels as the new cool.

"I dont like labels so label me American."
"I like girls and I'm a girl...which is a silly label but dont label me a lezbian"
"I have dark skin but thats just a crazy societal label....Yanno, Skin...dark....What is skin anyway?"

Come on, the left has everyone labeled. We could seriously reduce the groups, which would help end the divisiveness.

If we are all citizens of America then we are Americans and that is important when our president is talking to his employers. We should all be addressed the same. Only people who take issue with that are the illegals. It's creepy when Dems address Hispanics, blacks, whites, rich and poor in different manners. They can't fathom that people of different races and financial situations could possibly have anything in common.

The left has made class and race the defining characteristics of people and it's getting old. No wonder they assume how a person feels just by looking at them when they put too much emphasis on color. If the left could learn to ignore it, we'd all be better off.

We should get back to basics.

 

[ClosedCaption]

I like her. She just doesn't see the need to be labeled according to race or orientation. Of course, lefties won't like that since they put us all in groups.

I liked her statement that she's just a human being who love other human beings.

I love this new thing of abandoning labels while embracing other labels as the new cool.

"I dont like labels so label me American."
"I like girls and I'm a girl...which is a silly label but dont label me a lezbian"
"I have dark skin but thats just a crazy societal label....Yanno, Skin...dark....What is skin anyway?"

Come on, the left has everyone labeled. We could seriously reduce the groups, which would help end the divisiveness.

Lets get logic understood. Labels dont exist if not for liberals. There are no "things" (like girls, gays, blacks, whites, Irish or Indians) there are only labels that liberals invented in order to divide groups. Even tho the groups are divided because they are not all alike, we should pretend everyone is the same....

Only blacks and gays tho...Not the proud Irish, Jews, Italians etc...Got it. If we all pretend to be the same group their would be world pea....ahahahahaha

If we are all citizens of America then we are Americans and that is important when our president is talking to his employers. We should all be addressed the same. Only people who take issue with that are the llegals. It's creepy when Dems address Hispanics, blacks, whites, rich and poor in different manners. They can't fathom that people of different races and financial situations could possibly have anything in common

Got it so addressing concerns from the Jewish community is bad and it divides. Sounds pretty liberal to me. You being a woman have different concerns that men dont consider. BUT talking to you about YOUR concerns is divisive to non-females? Does that also apply to locations? Texans have different concerns than people in D.C. etc.?

The left has made class and race the defining characteristics of people and it's getting old. No wonder they assume how a person feels just by looking at them when they put too much emphasis on color. If the left could learn to ignore it, we'd all be better off.

We should get back to basics.

Dont forget gender, location, Culture etc. See? You just outed yourself as being anti label ONLY when it comes to class or race but you neglected to mention culture, ethnicity, gender etc. I'm sure you just forgot to make them the target of your ire...right?

 

[Kosh]

I like her. She just doesn't see the need to be labeled according to race or orientation. Of course, lefties won't like that since they put us all in groups.

I liked her statement that she's just a human being who love other human beings.

I love this new thing of abandoning labels while embracing other labels as the new cool.

"I dont like labels so label me American."
"I like girls and I'm a girl...which is a silly label but dont label me a lezbian"
"I have dark skin but thats just a crazy societal label....Yanno, Skin...dark....What is skin anyway?"

Come on, the left has everyone labeled. We could seriously reduce the groups, which would help end the divisiveness.

Lets get logic understood. Labels dont exist if not for liberals. There are no "things" (like girls, gays, blacks, whites, Irish or Indians) there are only labels that liberals invented in order to divide groups. Even tho the groups are divided because they are not all alike, we should pretend everyone is the same....

Only blacks and gays tho...Not the proud Irish, Jews, Italians etc...Got it. If we all pretend to be the same group their would be world pea....ahahahahaha

If we are all citizens of America then we are Americans and that is important when our president is talking to his employers. We should all be addressed the same. Only people who take issue with that are the llegals. It's creepy when Dems address Hispanics, blacks, whites, rich and poor in different manners. They can't fathom that people of different races and financial situations could possibly have anything in common

Got it so addressing concerns from the Jewish community is bad and it divides. Sounds pretty liberal to me. You being a woman have different concerns that men dont consider. BUT talking to you about YOUR concerns is divisive to non-females? Does that also apply to locations? Texans have different concerns than people in D.C. etc.?

The left has made class and race the defining characteristics of people and it's getting old. No wonder they assume how a person feels just by looking at them when they put too much emphasis on color. If the left could learn to ignore it, we'd all be better off.

We should get back to basics.

Dont forget gender, location, Culture etc. See? You just outed yourself as being anti label ONLY when it comes to class or race but you neglected to mention culture, ethnicity, gender etc. I'm sure you just forgot to make them the target of your ire...right?

The far left continues to show that they want the labeling system in place..

But then again the far left is not known for independent thought..