Why is African American the only term to refer to both race AND ethnicity?

Question

Ok, so the census list the white/Caucasian race as white but breaks people down with. Polish, German, Irish etc.

They list latinos (which is really an ethnicity but thats another story) as Mexican, Puerto Rican, El Salvadorian, etc

Asian race breakdown is Japanese, Chinese, Korean

Black/African American race is broken down down as Nigerian, Jamacian, Hatian, and AFRICAN AMERICAN.

While all blacks are racially African American, they are not all ethnically African American

Answer 1

Because they dont care and the Western world are not friends with Africa

Answer 2

Because the census people are on drugs.

Answer 3

Your point?

Answer 4

.

Bollocks and additional hairy BOLLOCKS...how dare they break us down to a jumble of letters!!!! WHO DO THEY THINK THEY REA??? ooops ERA......ooooooooooooooooops ARE!!!!

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Answer 5

Because the West African slaves in the US pretty much banded together, and stopped being Wolof, Tuareg, Igbo, Yoruba, or whatever, instead they became just "black" (later "African").

"Black/African American race is broken down down as Nigerian, Jamacian, Hatian, and AFRICAN AMERICAN."

In this case, "African American" means descendants from West African slaves that where sent to the US. Haitian means descendants of West African slaves from Haiti. Jamaican means WA from Jamaica, and Nigerian refers to any ethnic group from Nigeria (even though many African ethnic groups are between more than one country, like the Somalis of Ethiopia, Somalia, etc. and the Kongo of Congo and DRCongo, or the Mandinka or Sesotho).