This document discusses the difficulties in naming and labeling the social group of African Americans. It summarizes Manny Otiko's article which debates whether the terms "Black" or "African American" are more appropriate. Otiko notes that neither term is perfect, as not all African Americans identify as African and the term "Black" was previously used in an offensive manner. The document also discusses how some African Americans feel pressure to change aspects of themselves, like their hair, in order to appear less threatening to white Americans due to the effects of long-standing cultural norms.

1. USING MANNY OTIKO TO INTRODUCE ALL FOUR ESSAY
TITLES
Manny Otiko: “Black or African American: Which term is
correct?” (2009)
Starting with this debate shows you have a developed understanding of ethnicity and sets
you up well to discuss Af. Am ID
• One of the reasons it is so difficult to name this social group is that we are still close
to the civil rights era, segregation and a time when most terms were used as a means
of causing offence or oppression.
• Not all “black” Americans consider themselves African
• Culturally, African Americans share more traits with America than Africa e.g.
Superbowl, prom, graduation
• Just because skin colour and genetic heritage
• His girlfriend found the term “black” offensive. In an age where we are more racially
aware and still feeling the effects of the civil rights movement it is difficult for non-
“black” people to find a term to define this social group without feeling that they are
being racist. ->
are similar does not mean all black
Americans are the same (branding, homogenisation through mass media reps)
• Links to Good Hair “if your hair is relaxed, white people are relaxed. If your hair is
nappy, they are not happy” (Paul Mooney)
black people may feel that they have to change the way they speak
about themselves in order to make others feel better, mediating their ID to suit
others.
• “If white people see your hair in its’ natural state they are afraid of it.” (Tracie
Thoms)
• Both these quotes suggest a culture where it is acceptable/desired to change yourself
to make yourself less threatening to others. This belief has been passed down
through generations for so long it has become a way of life (hegemony)

2. Discuss both terms and the problems with labelling this social group, then choose a
term to use for the rest of the essay (Black American is a good term to use as it
doesn’t brand people as “African”)
Example intro:
The representation of African Americans in the mainstream media is problematic. One of
the reasons for this is that the social group have been unable to build their own
mainstream representations: they have been viewed and manipulated through the eyes of
media owners (Gramsci- hegemony). The Reverend Al Sharpton says in Good Hair that black
people don’t even control the hair on their heads, so what hope do they have for issues
that matter, such as education and the way black males are portrayed in the mainstream
media?
Manny Otiko in his article “Black or African American: which term is correct?” (2009)
contemplates the difficulties of naming this social group in a country where most terms
used have at one point or another been derogatory. He states that even though he prefers
the term “black”, his white girlfriend found the term offensive, effectively mediating the
way he viewed and referred to himself. He also states that the problem with the term
“African American” is that some consider themselves to be American first; culturally they
take part in more American rituals than African, so why should they be branded (Chomsky-
propaganda model) according to their genetic heritage?
Otiko being asked to refer to himself as “African American” to make his girlfriend feel
better is part of a wider cultural trend in America, of a social group changing themselves to
be less threatening to others. In Chris Rock’s 2010 documentary “Good Hair” the comedian
Paul Mooney states that “if your hair is relaxed, white people are relaxed. If your hair is
nappy, they are not happy”. Tracie Thoms says “If white people see a black person’s hair in
its’ natural state they are afraid of it”. This indicates that there has long been a habit of
changing one’s appearance to please the dominant social group, that has been passed
down and reinforced for generations until it has become an accepted fact, even desired
behaviour (Gramsci- hegemony).