Pop quiz

 Which one of these two people is African?

Photo copyright Chris Kirchoff. 

 Photo by Colin Mead. Copyright SA Tourism

Go ahead, give it some thought...I'll wait (cue game show music....)

Ok. All done? Great. So by a show of hands how many of you chose photo number 2?  Raise them high so I can get a good count (1, 2, 3, ...500,.....) Okay,  so quite a few of you. Now, just for fun, how many of you chose photo number 1? Anyone? Ok, there's one hand raised -ooh I think I see another hand - yep waaayy in the back. Well, the correct answer is - (cue drum roll please)
Photo Number 1...AND Photo Number 2! That's right - both of these handsome young people are African. Surprise anyone? I'm sure it did. So why bring this up? Before I get to that take a look at these photos:

  

http://african-american-hairstyles.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/african-american-hairstyles2.jpg

 

 photo located at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

Which of these two women are American? That's right, they both are. They are both Americans. My point? The woman in the first photo (Jill Scott, for those of you NOT in the know)  is considered African-American while the women in the second photo (Sarah Palin, and if you don't know who she is you've been living under a rock!) is considered American. My question then becomes - why the distinction? 

If Ms. Scott is to be labeled "African-American", then why isn't Mrs. Palin given a similar monniker? Say, "European American"? See what I mean? Not only that, but how do we know that Ms. Scott is even of African descent? Oh, wait - she has "dark" skin so that must mean she's of African descent, right? Oh really? May I call your attention back to photo number 1 again please? Go ahead - scroll back up. I'll wait (cue game show music, maistro) Find it? Okay, the man in that photo has a complexion that isn't at all close to that of Ms. Scott - actually, it's closer to that of Mrs. Palin. Yet, the man in that photo is African while Mrs. Palin is American. Back to Ms. Scott - if not African descent then from where? Good question - I certainly don't know but I do know that there are other possibilities other than just Africa... Jamaica, West Indies...Verily, I don't know and I bet those who instantly consider her African-American don't know either.

I say all this to say that we, Americans, don't suss out the ethnicity of those who are of the majority only the minorities. Don't believe me? When you filled our your application for a driver's license did you see a box that read: European American? Icelandic American? No, neither did I.  So why don't we ask the ethnicities of those who comprise the "majority" ? Ohhh, ecause they were here first. Really?

And what of this proud people? Why do we see the need to label them as NATIVE Americans? Seems to me that if they are NATIVE AMERICANS, then they should be simply "AMERICANS". Afterall, they were here first - at least that's what the name, oh yeah and the history books, imply. Right?

There are many other ethnicities that I could mention, but I fear this post is quite long already. But I'd be remiss if I didn't at least ask - is it fair to lump all people under one common grouping (i.e. Latin Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, etc.) because we don't comprise the majority?

So what do I consider myself? American. Oh you mean what color am I? Black. A little historical research revealed that I actually have an ansetral history that originates in Trinidad-Tobago. I don't see that option on any forms I fill out (medical, applications, DMV, etc.)-  so I'm always hopeful when I see Black (usually the only option is African-American - ok so I've written in "Black" a time or two) and quickly check that box.

Believe me, I understand and appreciate the importance of celebrating diversity - but I have to tell you, this vigilant and constant distillation of a person's anscestry feels less like a celebration and more like exclusion. 

I'm just sayin'...