Do African-Americans consider themselves better than Africans?

Question

Now before you all go off and blast me with "Oh I'm racist" or I'm being "biased", I just wanted to clarify a few things:

> This question wasn't designed to spark controversy

> This question is from an anecdotal experience as well as a few others' observations.

> I want serious answers and not some Politically correct mumbo jumbo.

Do certain African-Americans (and certain Caribbean people too) consider themselves better than Africans? Why is it that the two respective groups of people I'm talking about tend to use the argument that Africa is in an impoverished continent, but seeing that Caribbeans/African-Americans are living in a nation where computers are mainstream, that suddenly makes them "superior". It's also humorous in a way because the scholars that argue about Egypt's "Black history" are mainly African-Americans and not Africans themselves. If one is to exclude that they were ever from Africa, then why bring a nation which changed the world that is in Africa and claim it as yours? It's even gone to the extent that many Caribbean people even state that they were never from Africa, but that a part of Africa's landmass was ripped away to create the Caribbeans and the inhabitants essentially magically appeared.

Like I said, this question isn't to provoke or to cause controversy...I just want to know whether my personal experiences (I've met ALOT of Caribbean people and African-Americans) is correct?

This is a summarized (yes it is, weirdly) of the "brief" details..I'll edit it in case you need a clarification on something.

Answer 1

I don't. We're all the same to me, the only difference is what are race is (African- African American).

Answer 2

"This question wasn't designed to spark controversy" unless ur doing some kind of research paper (Y ask) of course its gonna spark controversy, are u serious ? This is Y!A

But to answer the question No i dont think I'm better or worst. Should I ?

EDIT:  Mr.Martian i did not say it IS controversial  but it has potential.  I feel if someone needs to start their question off with " I not a racist but...."  Or " This question wasn't designed to spark controversy" Etc. Most likely Are/is

BTW did u get the kind of answers you were hoping for ?

Answer 3

To be honest yes I think I am better than an African

Answer 4

can i just say that any black american who thinks that they are better than Africans are showing their self-hatred in all its tragedy. why?

your ancestors were brought to america from Africa in the first place because whites thought that they were better than the Africans they met. nowadays, you protest against racism (which is essentially a sense of superiority), and yet you feel the same about Africans. how f'd up is that?

you say that you are not African, well it doesn't matter how much you try to deny it, but you got your looks from somewhere

you try to use the excuse that Africans look down on you because of stereotypes.well, i'm sorry but this is a worldwide thing. how many of you even know any Africans? My cousins actually love america and idolise black american figures. if they could read some of these answers then they would be bitterely disappointed.

but hey, a long as you living in the good old US of A who gives a d**n right?

bring on the thumbs down but i think some of you need some self pride. Humanity is not all about computers, bling,cars and green. look in the mirror, look into yourselves and try to learn something about your ancestors for pete sake. some of you know jack sh it about the continent. your ignorance stuns me sometimes but i'm sure most of you will just get irate and defensive about this message. well, it's your life. i for one, am going to continiue to be PROUD to come from Africa.

Answer 5

No.

Answer 6

This is a good question. I'm African- American and I don't consider myself better than no one. My family is currently trying to find our roots from Africa, My great grandfather is from Africa (we are trying to see from what part he was from). What makes me upset is when  some Black Americans say they aren't African American, because they aren't from Africa, but their ancestors are from Africa, so why not take pride in your heritage. Sometimes I find it funny when black americans say they care about Africa and get mad when the government doesn't help Africa, but yet they don't want to be classified as an African American. Beats me.

Answer 7

No, but a friend of mine who is African told me that the African American girls at her school did not get a long with the Native Africans & vise versa. I didn't think it was because of a superiority complex but because of cultural differences.  

Answer 8

My immediate co-worker is African and the other African American co workers really look down on him, because of his thick accent and the fact that he likes rock music. He only really mingles with the whites and Mexican Americans because of this lack of acceptance.

Answer 9

I am White Berbere

and i am from Africa , i dont considere myself better than The Black Americans and i dont thin that the black americans considere themselves better than African

Answer 10

Hex to the no. Most African people speak like, 10 different dialects and I only speak the English language(womp womp). Shoot, they are smarter than I'll ever be..lmao

Answer 11

Yeah Western world blacks as a whole think we are better than Africans

We don't own a economies as large as African ones

We don't have history in these nations prior to 1502

We have been hated in these nations we seem to place before anything today

We are not better than Africans

Africa is not completely poor it just holds the most poor nations in one continent and the western world media exaggerates Africa's poverty

Nigeria 38th richest country in the world is richer than Portugal the country which started the slave trade

South Africa is the 25th richest country in the world

Africa has the potential to make the western world collapse once their governments stabilize then I doubt western world black will be screaming they are westerners rather than we are all black lol

Western world black are too busty trying to be accepted, chasing material or moaning while Africans are being themselves most the time

Answer 12

I am black american and I understand you. We say that because it's kind of true. Except for timbuktu and some of the islamic civlizations africans have nothing. Black americans have inventions both current and historical, modern music(pretty much every genre), and we have the most progress(the next american president will be an honorary black american)

Answer 13

The racist ones do.

Answer 14

Probably.  Much in the the same way that Hispanic Americans consider themselves superior to Mexican and Latin American immigrants.

Answer 15

I rather be called black than african american. I wasnt born in Africa. and i think there are the africans that dont like Americans...they probably jealous because they think we are lazy.. and Africans arent the only ones that think that. And yeah.. i dont get offended easily.. i really dont kow what offends people so please dont get offended by what i just said lol.

Answer 16

THEY ARE!!!! More white influence & white blood/genes!

Answer 17

That is an interesting perspective. I am African American and never considered my self superior. A year ago I went to Ghana and it seemed as if the Africans there felt the same way. We were called brothers and our divisions didn't seem to matter. However, I was told that some Africans actually view African-Americans as inferior, because our ancestors were "weak" enough to be captured. Back on topic, I think some may think themselves superior simply because of the negative portrayal of Africa. Africa is always associated with AIDS, war, etc. Meanwhile, America is always uplifted. Therefore in their mind, being an African American would be better than just being African.

Answer 18

Doesn't answer the question, but I prefer the term American of African decent. My ancestors arrived in America in 1690. I thought I was an old time family till running into many Blacks whose ancestors arrived as much as 50 years earlier.

Obviously I am White. In fact of Swiss and also Viking heritage. I served in Viet Nam in 1966 and 67. No one I more want protecting my back and flanks than Black soldiers. I'll take them over Special Forces, Rangers or Reccon Marines. Lazy, disloyal, unreliable. You're out of your ever lovin mind!  They are the best of the best.Given any opportunity at all, they will prove themselves.

Better get back to your history books. Africans in the area of Timbuktu were working iron tools a few centuries earlier than the Hittites and a millenium earlier than Europe. Take your European superiority and shove it! Africa had some very advanced cultures. New discovery in South Africa had Africans in fishing communities and wearing jewlery and cosmetics in 50,000 BCE. And what was going on in Europe at that time. Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals were fighting over animals they clubbed to death. Why, thee only fire they had came from lightning strikes, while Africans created it from flint strikes and friction wheels.

I respect Darwin on beginning of the evolution theories. But science and archaeology has revealed much more in the past 200 years.

As to the Carribean connection. Nearly all slaves as well as convicts and indentured servants from Europe processed through the island of Barbados. The islands did not break off from Africa and float there. They arrived by ship. Chained to prevent him from jumping overboard and swimming home.

Love it Candy. You may not know where exactly you come from but you are connected to the fact there was highly advanced cultures. My memory is a bit foggy. But it was the African city that was the center of the salt trade That city had sewage, piped water and even gas lights while Europeans wore a single pair of clothes till they rotted off and crapped in the same water sources they obtained their drinking water. Basic problem where you lost your exact roots is the old fact that after about two generations you lose your native language. Heck most whites can't do much better than 3 generations back. History books are just starting to come up to speed and recognize the culture of Africa.  A little note on Egypt. Seems the people there were more Greek like than African. Of course that all changed when the Nubians took over for a number of centuries. A lot of effort was made to suppress the history of Africa to make Africans seem inferior and in fact sub human. But that again a great lie.

One thing Candy. If you can't actually trace your roots, choose what you want to be. Or at least try to pick the basic reagion you believe you may be from. Like me. I am Swiss. But before that Danish. And before that, who knows?  Everyone migrates. Go back far enough, looks like we share the same ancestry in Ethiopia about 2 million years ago. If not there some primordeal ooze a billion and a half years ago.

Answer 19

I LOVE Africa

ss you crack me up..

Answer 20

I'm Black and I don't consider myself better than anyone. If anything I would love to find out where my ancestors were from and visit that part of Africa (If it were possible). And as for that guy who said African's didnt invent anything, he is so unbelievable ignorant I don't even know what to say. there were whole Kingdoms and societies, laws and innovations way before Europeans ever stepped foot on Africa. And I'm not talking about the Egyptians or the Arabs, I'm talking about Ghana, Songhay, the Zulus, Ashantis, and all of the other great cities and peoples that had their own diverse cultures. It pisses me off when black americans believe the c**p that there was nothing in Africa before the Europeans "discovered it". Thats like someone from Canada coming to NY city and saying that they "discovered" it and everyone who lives there.