There’s plenty of first generation Americans at my college whose parents are from the Carribbean or Africa. I’m cool with most of them and they embrace or respect Black American culture. I feel like my generation can bridge the gap between Black Americans and Black non Americans. Because we see through the stereotypes of each other cultures and unite as one.

I think the point the article is missing is the economics. The majority of African students in Ivy League colleges are children of high ranking officials from Africa and Caribbean Islands with access to finance and resources not available to the average native.

However, diversity amongst people of African heritage needs to be encouraged rather than ghettoising issues as this.

America would benefit much more educating its own than one that is likely to follow a dictatorial career in Zimbabwe.

After reading the full article, I am confident I am “RIGHT” in identifying myself as a “BLACK American rather than an “African American. I feel the term “ARICAN American has become corrurpted in that it not only includes Blacks from other countries but also Whites from Africa. I coin it, as the Blackening out of Black America and it is an insidious development meant to do just that. We have cultural differences, economic differences and racial differences in that Blacks from other cultures invariably always look down on Blacks born out of slavery in the US. They tend to think, believe and are taught they are better than, not the same as, and more deserving than American Blacks and I say this from experience…. not conjecture.

They (Africans and some West Indians) usually have tremendous financial backing. Also “fresh” immigrants aren’t as likely to detect covert racism from whites, therefore they are easier to “train”, oops, I mean “program”, damn I mean “instruct” than natural born black Americans. That being said, people need to embrace the similarities and stop letting John Hawkins live on through this type of ignorance! And yes, I know I’ve probably pissed off an immigrant somewhere, but the truth stings a bit, eh?

I agree with most of the people that posted here, but we have more to gain by making connections with immigrants than we do by pointing out how annoying they can be. Not all of them are completely ignorant to what has happened and is still reverberating in this country today. It’s mainly the parents of these children. The 1st generation of American has more hope for unity than we give them credit for. Especially when other Africans write them off as American as well. They deal with identity crisis, but when it comes down to it they’ll realize that they are not in the majority here and that actually does mean something then I’m sure we’ll all make progress. I know a lot of immigrants and they point the finger just like we do. They say how Americans (black Americans too) ask ignorant and hurtful questions (oh they have clubs in Africa? do yall have paved roads?etc;) You have to think about how that would make you feel. Then you’d realize how information is blurred by the media and people on both sides are ignorant of each other’s life experiences. We’re coming around though. The real enemies are becoming more blatantly visible. Now if only those going through unnecessary struggles could unite, then we’ll start to gain ground on the crooks. (and no not all crooks are white or American)

I agree with WestsideCartelAtl85 completely. We WILL bridge the gap. Ignorance is played out.

This is all hilarious to me ..I guess I am a REAL African American. My parents are from GHANA and I was born here in america…. 1st generation… I have numerous family members that went to UC schools (UCLA, BERKELY, USC)out here in cali.. For us on the west coast.. Those are prestigious schools.. Some got athletic scholarships, other had academic, and others grants etc… I even have a uncle that teaches at Duke, and we had no money from our families back home…The point I am trying to make is that I notice that you guyz stated that these students were nationalist and presidents children, have money etc etc.. That is largely not the case.. I am stuck on both sides of understanding my peoples here as well as understand my folks abroad.. I just think they treasure education a little more than we do and work harder becasue of where thaey had to come from.. In africa english is taught as a second language from day one if you can afford school for your child in africa… where in america.. That is not taught unless you choose to want to learn a second a language. I think most africans frown upon us because we are spoiled as a culture… Everything in this country is available upon you to make yourself successful and they are too many of us that dont take that advantage…I mean my mom and dad had to learn english work hard to obtain a green card.. etc… (SOMETHING THAT ARE HISPANIC COUNTERPARTS NO NOTHING ABOUT) I think that is the underlying issue… But in a nutshell this topic is a division of our own people… WHich is really idiotic..

I am not surprised when I see Blacks from a majority black culture do well here. No one in there experience told them they weren’t going to do well because of their race. They do not even subconsciously understand the concept.

Even our so called leaders in the US state or imply that with out some special help we will never make it. Such attitudes from those who call themselves our leaders takes a toll.

Equality begins in the head, not in some government program.

Blakluvr1219-I agree with you, and you seem to be realistic (as opposed to egotistical) about the situation. Black Americans (Amerifrcans, whatever the hell you wanna call us lol) really don’t realize the advantages we have because we compare what we have to what whites have. We don’t compare it to what our granparents had, or what some child born in the middle of a war in the Congo, or even just some child that grew up in a country where there was rarely electricity and no free education. I agree with you on that. And because of the last two sentences Blalluvr1219 stated I agree with him fully.

The only thing I would want to point out is that a person that finds the way (whether through connections, hard work, or money) to travel across the world in pursuit of more wealth, education, and opportunity is someone I have a very tough time comparing to a person born into a relatively disadvantaged situation and being hassled about “people like them” on a consistent basis. The mind develops based on your experiences. It’s not fair to compare the child of a heroin or crack addict (or just a poor single parent) to that of someone who moved halfway across the world with one goal in mind. Still I agree that we don’t realize how good we have it, and one’s mindset (optimism rather than pessismism. opportunity rather than scraps) will play the largest role in determining one’s financial success in life.

http://www.TEACHBLACKHISTORY.com

goddamn! whos that girl in the picture? i know somebody who looks exactly like her! but she doesn’t go to an ivy league school nor is she an immigrant. does she have a myspace? get at me if you seen her.