Label for Blacks Born in U.S.

Re “Just Call Us ‘Black Americans,’ ” Voices, Feb. 13:

I prefer to be called “African American.” I will gladly call Frank Terry “Black American” if he so prefers. He should not, however, be allowed to promote that label without counter-argument.

Indeed, I am an American, and under ideal circumstances that would be sufficient. If we are now living in ideal circumstances someone failed to inform me. I appreciate the universal identity that “African American” gives me. It reminds me that before people from my heritage became slaves in America they were royalty in Africa. “Black American” reminds me that slave owners put people from my heritage in chains and called them Negro, colored and worse before we decided to give ourselves a name. Black was used temporarily to express pride.

It became obvious that Asian Americans, who may call themselves not by a continent but by a country, such as Japanese Americans or Korean Americans, were not called “Yellow Americans.” I can’t recall hearing “Brown Americans” or “Red Americans” much either.

CHARLES DARDEN

Burbank

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I share Terry’s concern and correctness about calling black Americans “African American.” My son-in-law was born and raised in Egypt. He came to this country to do his medical internship, joined the Air Force and became an American citizen. He is not black. He is proud of being African American.

If The Times were to take a poll, as I have in one of my classes, it would find that many people think that “African” and “black” mean the same thing. Please help in getting the public to think of Africa as being as diverse and varied as the U.S. I am descended from Scottish, German and more recently Irish ancestors. I am glad that they came to this great country. After two or more generations the people here should be “Americans.”

GEORGE REEVES

Fullerton