Africans accuse African Americans of "appropriating" their culture (legitimate criticism?)

[Poitier]

AAs need to realize the Africa they idealize doesnt exist anymore. People in Africa are on twitter, and driving cars now. Americans want to believe Africans are still in tribes, and doing chants and shyt



Focus on your own culture

This is an oversimplification. There are tons of areas rural areas in Africa that are not urbanized. Plenty of nomadic herders and even some hunter gatherer types all over the continent who should not be marginalized. In fact, the urban areas are the exceptions not the rule, but that is changing as farmers move into the cities more and more for service jobs.

And its essentially impossible for African Americans to focus on our own culture when we have to coexist with immigrants. I don't think many African Americans are overly concerned with other people's cultures, yet the reverse is often not true.

 

[Retired Account]

AAs need to realize the Africa they idealize doesnt exist anymore. People in Africa are on twitter, and driving cars now. Americans want to believe Africans are still in tribes, and doing chants and shyt



Focus on your own culture

AAs arent focused on Africa though

 

[Birnin Zana]

Considering that we are only 44 million strong and live across a vast ocean, I think its unfair to compare us to Asians and Europeans who live much closer to the continent.

Even when not compared to others, the fact remains, AAs are simply not in Africa like that.

China isn't close to Africa, yet an African has a much better chance of seeing one than an AA.

In fact, an african has a better chance of seeing a WHITE American than and AA.

 

[Poitier]

China isn't close to Africa

What do you think the Silk Road is?

In fact, an african has a better chance of seeing a WHITE American than and AA.

Once again, you are comparing unequal population sizes. How many people do you realistically expect to repatriate from 44 million?

 

[Made Myself A Boss]

I gave you historical context already and modern musicians.

Find the full docu though because because it touched on Rock in general.

Good shyt.. I like a healthy conversation, on here without someone having to throw insults on neg you because they don't agree..

I will check for the references you linked on here..


For everyone else who got butthurt and responded with simple shyt like "ur dumb" and that's it

Spoiler

 

[How Sway?]

I dont know why people run from or off the topic of Africans trying to look down on New World Blacks especially African-Americans. This is a subject that everyone seems afraid talk about, but instead try to stick their heads in the sand.

I don't see anything @Poitier or anyone else said wrong. The fact is Africans, especially first gen immigrants have a very eurocentric viewpoint of AA's. They are naive and ignorant about AA's. They don't know what its like to live under a dominate culture and see AA's addressing white supremacy as us being "whiners" or "lazy".

People may bash Hispanics specifically Mexicans(I'll admit I have too), but at least Mexicans aren't naive about white racism and have MUTUAL understanding with AA's when it comes to racism in America. Africans on the other hand think its a myth and AA's are crybabies and they even side with whites.

Some of the discussions I've seen with Africans talking about the Trayvon, Michael Brown and police brutality situations are all testament to that. I've also seen some Africans get very hateful with AA's who have a big interest in their African heritage, those Africans telling those AA's that they are NOT African but American and for them to stick to American culture. This is why I've always been since...

And yeah I don't give a damn if I offend anyone. This NEEDS to be addressed instead of us stuffing it in the closet...

i mean, I do agree that a lot of Africans do not really care for AA but Your mistaking 'eurocentric view" with Ethnocentrism.

Hell, if anything Most African Americans (not all but yes MOST) have MUCH more of a 'EUROCENTRIC" view of Africans an Africa than the other way around breh.

And quiet as kept, the main reason why a lot of Africans dont really care for AA's comes from bad experiences and false rumors. Its really not that deep like folks on the coli make it seem.

EDIT: And LMAO at "but at least Mexicans aren't naive about white racism and have MUTUAL understanding with AA's when it comes to racism in America.". anybody who dapped this is an idiot....

 

[Birnin Zana]

There are over 1 billion Chinese and there are millions of them in Africa doing business , are you seriously going to make that comparison? LMAO

Yes I am. I was in Africa during the 90s, before the Chinese started rolling deep in Africa. I stand by my statement. Even then, the average African, without question, had a better chance of seeing an Asian (Chinese, Korean, phillipino or otherwise) a white American, or even a Canadian than a black American. That's real talk.

This isn't to diss anybody, but the fact is AAs don't expat to Africa like that. Even when traveling to Africa, AA numbers are low.

My comments were replying to @Poitier who said AAs are all over Africa. That's not the case. As it stands, the average African in Africa hasn't and will never meet an African American in his or her life.

 

[Raptor]

Africans accusing African Americans of appropriating African culture?

Sounds like cac trickery to me

This is the thing I dont get, some of these people who are criticising Aframs for cultural appropriation come from countries who music scenes have heavy African American pop and RNB elements. Look at Nigerias most viewed music video. I dont see Aframs complaining about Nigerians stealing African American music elements.







Compare that to Ethiopian and Eritrean music which uses heavy traditional habesha scalars thats distinct, even in genres such as Ethioblues which has alot of African American soul influence

 

[Poitier]

This isn't to diss anybody, but the fact is AAs don't expat to Africa like that. Even when traveling to Africa, AA numbers are low.

In this context, Ghana is fast becoming a mecca for black Americans who are looking for lucrative opportunities in a new environment. According to recent reports, about 10,000 African-Americans visit Ghana yearly. Currently almost 3,000 American blacks reside in the capital, Accra, the major hub of Ghana.

Signs of a growing trend

While these numbers are not huge, they are still significant. Almost six years ago there were only 1,000 African-American expatriates living in Ghana, so clearly the numbers are rising steadily.


Why Ghana is fast becoming a hub for African-Americans


Those who can afford to travel to Africa can do so. There are no major African cities without AA expats and tourist.

 

[Birnin Zana]

What do you think the Silk Road is?




Once again, you are comparing unequal population sizes. How many people do you realistically expect to repatriate from 44 million?

Breh you are the one who said AAs are all over Africa, when thats not the case. I was simply responding to you comment.

 

[Poitier]

Breh you are the one who said AAs are all over Africa, when thats not the case.

What part of Africa do AAs not have a presence? You keep talking about scale and scope.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

You are truly pathetic, you know that right?

Are you trying to insinuate that the same Africans in Congo who lost 20 million lives in the Congolese Holocaust by King Leopold II are "naive about white racism"?

Are you trying to insinuate that the same Africans in South African who had to endure apartheid that only ended TWENTY-YEARS ago are "naive about white racism"?

Are you trying to insinuate that the same Africans in Namibia who suffered the FIRST GENOCIDE OF THE 20th Century from 1904 - 1907 by way of Second Reich Germany in which over 100,000 Namibians lost their fukking lives "are naive about white racism"?

Are you trying to insinuate that the same Africans in Kenyan who lost thousands of lives and suffered inhumane treatment in the Kenyan Holocaust orchestrated by the British are "naive about white racism"? (Her Blueprint: The Global Fund for Women Blog: British Terror: The Kenyan Holocaust)

Are you trying to insinuate that the same Africans in Nigeria who were bombed to death in the Biafran War, which was the only time in which the USA, the USSR and the Arab world co-operated with each other during the Cold War, are "naive about white racism"?

Are you trying to insinuate that the same continental Africans who have been subject to biological warfare throughout the 20th and 21st century from CACs in the form of the introduction of AIDs and the Ebola virus are "naive about white racism"?

Are you trying to insinuate that the same continental Africans who have witnessed every single one of the great, black leaders from Steve Biko to Patrice Lumumba to Thomas Sankara get assassinated by the CIA/MI6/Europeans are "naive about white racism"?

I know a lot of you guys are inclusive and on that bullshyt "brown-and-black coalition", but please don't insinuate that some fukking Latinos know more about "white racism" than fukking continental Africans you royal ignoramus. You deserve to be fukking shot in your mouth for uttering such bullshyt you little prick.

Are YOU f*cking pathetic??? Or can't your low IQ peanut size brain NOT grasp what I meant. I'm talking about actually LIVING UNDER a DOMINATE CULTURE and being a minority which no African has. This is case for AA's and Latinos. Sorry fi you don't like it.


What the f*ck does diseases have to do with racism? Wow... Comparing wild conspiracy theories to actually struggles. Glad I can take you seriously.


The rest of those are true and all, but I'm talking about MODERN day Africans.

But the hell those assassination of leader have to do with racism to the general public?

Are the Belgium still killing millions of Congolese? No.

Are Kenyans and Namibians still apart of a Holocaust? No.

What the hell does the Biafran War have to do with living under a dominate culture??? Nothing.

And who the f*ck mentioned black-brown unity. Putting sh*t in my mouth only makes you look like an idiot.




Like I said Africans are naive to living under a dominate culture and being a minority and to be honest I'm glad what I said made you go on your little period. Nothing you say can deflate that.

 

[TTT]

Africans or "African culture" as a singular is something that is misused often. How can a few people even begin to represent an African viewpoint on anything. There are African migrant communities in many places and it seems people proxy those for what Africans think. One African country will contain cultures, subcultures and various tribes and languages. Entertainment or music is one facet of culture, afropop , hip hop and other genre are listened to by many people. But, there are many other types of music on the continent that are not even mentioned. Some of the biggest artists are people like Koffi Olomide,Werrason,Ladysmith Black Mambazo,Oliver Mutukudzi who do not do the pop style of music you see on MTV Africa Base. Maybe those kids are second generation or immigrants but staying among Africans shows just how many different cultures they juggle. Heck many Africans can carry on a conversation using 2 or 3 languages at a time. Many people will listen to rap, dancehall, house but that does not mean that is the only music they listen to, Congolese music in lingala was as big and influential as Nigerian pop has been. Clothes are not even the entirety of our cultures anyway, depending on tribe there are rites of passage, wedding, death and birth rituals, how we relate to each other through ancestral names and veneration of animals as totems. I won't go on with that point but it appears to me that even some Africans do not seem to appreciate what their culture is if they just look at food,clothes and music.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

While i disagree with his inclusion of mexicans ( they , along with hispanics in general , are NOT ally's of blacks AT ALL) , what he had to say about Africans ( especially in america) is pretty much dead on. It's funny , ive come across so many racist whites ( online and offline) that known about the chasm between Afro Americans and Africans and are quick to mention it in arguments. "Them monkeys from Africa dont even like you" , and similar comments such as that lol. Ive even heard about Africans colluding with whites and going in on Afro Americans. How do so many Whites know about the rift between the two groups? Could it be because theyve actually met Africans before who have expressed hostility and/or aversion for Afro Americans in their presence? This (among other reasons) is why i dont really care about pan africanism and are only concern myself with my own people.

First off all I just want to point(which I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO!) that I NEVER repeat NEVER said Mexicans and blacks are allies. I have actually bashed Mexicans many times on here and real life for their racism. I SAID UNLIKE Africans that Mexicans have more of an understanding like under a dominate culture and being a minority in America compared to Africans.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Unfortunately alot of Africans I know seem to have superiority complex when it comes to African Americans , but watch them worship whites when they wear their traditionm garments or speak their language. I know a hausa dude who said that he feels that hes people are better than African Americans because hausa kingdoms sold weaker African tribes to the whites. Alot of Africans have blood on their hands when it comes to slavery and there are still many Africans I know who came from slave selling cultures who still maintain the stigma against those who are descendants of slaves. Pan Africanism has always been a pipe dream.

Exactly. And as we are seeing in this thread those same Africans are running from and denying this subject.