Can you tell the difference between the average ADOS and West African person at a glance?

[96Blue]

I'm from London and you can tell the difference between a West / Central / South African and a West Indian more than 50% of the time but less than 66% imo.

And it's even harder to differentiate between different African groups.

Typically if someone presents themselves as belonging to the West African diaspora in any way - you would accept it. Which is why people are surprised when an Actor is African British but plays an AA role. The differences aren't so pronounced that you would reject how someone is presented.

Biggie Smalls
Meek Mill
DaBaby
Busta Rhymes
Malcolm X
Chamillionaire
OT Genasis
Slick Rick

Without knowing who is AA and who isn't - most would struggle. Especially with dark skin people with afro hair.

OT Genasis and Chamillionaire, I could tell at 1st glance were not from here. They have certain facial features and mannerisms that just told me they were from somewhere else. As far as Busta and Biggie... I would have to say I would've assumed Busta is from somewhere else also, Biggie? Meh.

 

[Voice of Reason]

@qwer

 

[qwer]

Yeah sometimes it just depends I’ve seen a lot of Nigerians that look africna americnas and Vice versa

 

[Givethanks]

The coli is def full of white people


West Africans in Canada always think I'm from their respected country

Whenever I'm in Chicago, mfkrs think I'm ya average black man. It's not until I open my mouth.

 

[MoveForward]

Absolutely 100%… I don’t want to get into it because y’all are too fukking sensitive and start reporting. Even with surface level sh-t, the “Americanized” ones have a different style and eye for fashion than ADOS.

 

[UberEatsDriver]

Come to New York. Yes you can.


West Indians and Caribbeans might be harder to tell apart.

even some Haitian people you can tell them apart from others. Some Jamaicans too

 

[Budda]

It may be harder with western born West Africans, for example Idris Elba Damson Idris Kofi Siriboe, Anthony Joshua not sure most can tell these are continental west Africans at a glance

 

[™BlackPearl The Empress™]

Yes

 

[Budda]

Yes, look at their hairline.

 

[96Blue]

Come to New York. Yes you can.


West Indians and Caribbeans might be harder to tell apart.

even some Haitian people you can tell them apart from others. Some Jamaicans too

Are they dark skinned, too? And can you tell the difference between them without them saying a word to you?

Like their aura, how they walk, talk, etc? Because I can and have on most occasions. I've had some freak out and ask me "how did I know?"

 

[old boy]

nothing is an absolute but relatively speaking i can. i would venture to say an easy 8.5 times outta 10 which ain't bad. there is an overall caribbean look & then in the micro a look for specific islands. for instance, one look at pete rock back in '91 when he dropped all souled out EP and i not only knew he was west indian but specifically jamaican. just like before i even knew how this new rapper from DC's name was pronounced (thought it was "whale" on nahright website) let alone his lineage, i already knew our brother wale was nigerian


but to add on to what @RTF was laying down in post #10 it's true, sometimes it is representation that can fool you or what i always refer to as "energy." in my high school years after returning from living in florida for a spell, though i went to tilden in east flatbush, both west indians and fba's assumed that i was an fba. until i started imitating my mother's accent and talking about my favorite west indian dishes. on both sides the jaws would drop because you couldn't tell them otherwise before finding out. then when they looked, especially my fellow west indians, it's like "oh shyt this nikka IS lol!!"

for instance, a lot of caribbeans got the prominent chin. tons of us. when you got time just take a look at rihanna side by side with beyonce in any image search & you will see the difference between a caribbean woman & an fba woman. i got that riri chin lol

 

[Umoja]

You can tell the difference but it is hard to say why and whether you could tell by just looking at pictures.

The way people walk, talk and dress are also indicators.

 

[DJSmooth]

For sure. ADOS has a different swagger about us. Our Caribbean brothers and sisters are harder to distinguish sometimes like the Jamaicans especially if they grew up in Western culture.

 

[UberEatsDriver]

Are they dark skinned, too? And can you tell the difference between them without them saying a word to you?

Like their aura, how they walk, talk, etc? Because I can and have on most occasions. I've had some freak out and ask me "how did I know?"

Harlem is the best example. Harlem is filled with Africans.

go to little Africa on 116th street. The immigrants are obvious from language and manors.

The ones who are Americanized just have a different appearance and no I don’t think skin tone has nothing to do with it. Those Africans from Guinea with the last name Diallo don’t seem too dark skin to me. Their skin tone can compare with AAs.

 

[UberEatsDriver]

I’ve met all types of Africans living in nyc and I swear the only the time one fooled me was this African girl who was Senegalese with French background. I thought she was AA until I saw her last name