The Stylebook Always Wins
Today’s L.A. Times story about Dean Baquet’s forced resignation describes Baquet as an “African American”:
Baquet, the first African American to lead one of the top U.S. newspapers, stirred a national debate about the future of the struggling industry in September when he publicly defied attempts by Chicago-based Tribune Co. to reduce The Times’ editorial staff of 940.
This is interesting because Baquet reportedly doesn’t like the label. As Kevin Roderick blogged in July 2005:
Several people emailed me after Baquet’s promotion to point out that he has been known to bristle at the African American label, preferring that when his ethnicity comes up he be called Creole.
Sorry, Mr. Baquet. The paper has rules, and you can’t fight the system.
Funny.
I really hate the term African American. Not all black people in this world are African-American. I have it on good authority that many people with this skin color aren’t American at all. It isn’t a portable term because it certainly doesn’t work when I’m not on American soil; I can’t figure out the nationality of every black person I see before I describe them. And what of Africans that are just visiting the US? How might one describe them if you only see them and not their passports?
Comment by MayBee — 11/8/2006 @ 6:51 am
When “African-American” was first coming into use, we used to get a LOT of phonecalls at the newspaper I worked for from black people saying they hated that appellation and why couldn’t white people just leave them alone and quit trying to change the rules all the time? I agreed with them, since many of them had lived through negro, colored, black, and the N-word before getting to “African-American.” If I’d been referred to as more than 3 things in my lifetime, I’d probably be irritated as well.
Comment by sharon — 11/8/2006 @ 7:04 am
I’ve always wanted to be a hyphenated-American, but I’ve had a problem figuring out what should precede the hyphen. It recently hit me: As a graduate of Texas A&M University (an Aggie), I’m definitely a member of an oppressed minority in the state of Texas. In the interests of having that much-coveted hyphen and with the additional goal of eventually gaining preferential treatment for the years of scorn an ridicule heaped upon Aggies everywhere via Aggie jokes, I’d henceforth like to be referred to as an “Agro-American.”
Comment by Diffus — 11/8/2006 @ 7:30 am
Maybee,
Go here.
This site has everything.
Comment by Leviticus — 11/8/2006 @ 7:33 am
My college newspaper (Michigan State) once referred to Nelson Mandela as an “African-American.”
Comment by Steve — 11/8/2006 @ 7:40 am
“Not all black people in this world are African-American.”
And not all African-Americans are black (Charlize Theron).
Comment by Jim Treacher — 11/8/2006 @ 9:31 am
When the “what is your race” question on questionaires allows it I write “human”. Otherwise, I check “White” although I’m really pinkish-beige.
Comment by nk — 11/8/2006 @ 9:41 am
Leviticus- thanks! funny site, and funny insight.
Comment by MayBee — 11/8/2006 @ 2:36 pm
Just spell my name correctly.
Comment by David Ehrenstein — 11/8/2006 @ 6:40 pm
And don’t confuse me with THIS dude!
Comment by David Ehrenstein — 11/8/2006 @ 6:42 pm
No problem, MayBee.
Comment by Leviticus — 11/9/2006 @ 6:41 am