TheBoost said:

I have no problem USING the term, but I've always had a problem understanding "African American."

In general, I know it refers to a American cultural/racial group descended from West African slaves.

I remember times Pres Obama had to do little linguistic hurdles to avoid to strongly identifying as a member of that group, since his own (black) history is actually from Africa, not a member of the group commonly called African Americans.

That group also does not include the millions from the African continent of the "Arab" ethnic group, nor white people descended from colonists, who come to America.

I tend to use the term 'black,' and no one black has ever told me they prefer otherwise.

Oddly, when I use "African American" I've been corrected several times, including, "No, I'm Aboriginal" "No I'm Haitian" and "I'm Canadian."

Not an ideal term, but whatcha gonna do?

I agree. I hate the term "African-American" unless the person actually is "African-American", meaning a person who was born in Africa (regardless of color), immigrated to the United States, and achieved citizenship.

I also prefer black, black American is the most proper to me.

As a matter of fact, I'm sick of the whole hyphenated crap.

Asian-American

African-American

Hispanic-American

etc. etc.

Why can't we all just simply be Americans without the categorizing and pigeon holing of our heritage?

I, myself, look and sound as white as the whitest dude in Texas. However, my surname is Mexican, my heritage runs 300 years deep in Texas, and as recently as my Grandmother, my whole family spoke Spanish and was Catholic. Should any of this really matter in my present self identity? Yes and no. While it matters to me personally, it shouldn't matter one iota in society. I don't deserve nothing more or nothing less because of my heritage.