[Mpls] African American and Jamaican

[Laura and lloyd]

On Saturday, July 9, 2005, at 06:15  PM, wmmarks wrote:
>
>
> To answer: No, it isn't at all ridiculous to make note that there is a 
> very large cultural difference between the two, as there is between 
> the Somalis and Af.Ams., or Ghanaians and Af.Ams, or any of a long 
> list of African countries and western hemisphere islands under the 
> aegis of the UK, France, or, once, Spain (Cuba, et.al.) These are 
> different cultures, each one, and since Af.Americans are born and bred 
> here, they are our own and live within the American (as in USofA) 
> culture and straddle the dominant culture and the Af.Am. subculture.

I'm very appreciative of Wizard's comments and observations. However on 
the cultural difference point, I'd like to add some dimension. 
Generally speaking, Americans choose their identification. That's been 
an unspoken social policy for many, many decades. We in the Native 
community know this all too well as we see droves of (undocumented) 
persons declare they are Native American. Some of them have enriched 
themselves with such self declarations. With some exceptions, we suffer 
these indignities in silence.

In other categories, large numbers choose to say they are Americans, 
rather than identify a specific cultural or national background.

Miscegenation, federal laws and policies on immigration and race, and 
social mores of prejudice have all skewed this preference selection. 
Who was once considered "white" has grown dramatically with the 
addition of southern Europeans and Jews. Who was once considered 
"black" has faded at the lighter end of the skin color spectrum as 
miscegenation has gone away (in law but not entirely in practice).

It is a sad thing to see one group of people trying to tell a person 
what race or cultural background he is. We  fought so hard in prior 
days to win the right to self identify what we are and have that 
accepted by society. I dare say no one wants to go back to those bad 
days of genetic labeling that resulted in such horrendous public policy.

Assuredly there are differences in culture between Jamaican heritage 
(Gen Colin L. Powell) and African American (north or south? east or 
west?). However, I've not heard it said that General Powell is not 
African American. Both he and CM Samuels had Jamaican parents (from 
whence our culture comes). Nor have I heard that about Louis Farrakhan, 
whose cultural background is the British Caribbean (St. Kitts).

So the argument seems thin to me, particularly as it is coming from 
others and not CM Samuels himself. "Born and bred" versus naturalized 
only has significance for running for president of the United States. 
Otherwise, no difference under the law.

Best,

Laura

p.s. on Wizard's other point, I agree. I questioned the Mpls school 
district's lumping all African and African Americans into one category 
because it distorts both. However, no change was made.


Laura Waterman Wittstock
Candidate for Minneapolis Library Board of Trustees
DFL and Labor endorsed
Minneapolis, MN
612-387-4915
www.laurawatermanwittstock.com
http://laurawatermanwittstock.blogspot.com/
Wittstock for Library Committee
913 19th Avenue SE, Mpls, 55414