African American specifically applies to Blacks who were forcibly captured and sold into slavery in North America because 1) white American viewed them originally as chattel and with the civil war and resultant end of slavery and citizenship prompting nationwide Jim Crow laws, blacks were never seen as real Americans because America was founded on a white supremacy mythos. 2) These descendants of slaves lost their original culture and there had been no way for them to figure out why where they originated from. But unlike the formally English/Scott-Irish who became self-identified as American after several generations in the US following war of independence, blacks were not allowed to self-identify as the same class because their skin contained more melanin. Hence African-Americans. Why make that distinction? Because people who immigrated today now and became Americans did not lose their original cultural identity/nationality/ethnicity. So Musk would be considered South African-American and a white American noting that white South Africans were European colonialists while black South Africans were “natives”. Hakeem Olajuwon is a Black American. He is a Nigerian-American, so he should not be classified as an African-American. The egalitarian perspective is that your nationality is your identity and it’s meaningless to distinguish between white and Black Americans but reality shows that this is an idealists dream. Many people just cannot see beyond skin color.
With 'why not'? Anyway, @Ubiquitin answered much better then I ever could. It appears DeSantis was making a joke where 'African-American' was the punch line. Poor form, but I am sure his base will eat it up and if he gets too much criticism, he'll complain about wokeness and his base will eat that up too. Win-win. Whatever happened to decorum and professionalism and just being a conscientious human being?
Actually, the ones who cannot see beyond skin color are the ones who are insisting that only a black person could be African American.
Long read: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/...e-donald-trump-as-the-gops-combatant-in-chief I think it's meant to be a negative piece, but even the author seems to sense that it is inevitable that DeSantis will become US President. To me, it's clear. DeSantis will be President. He has "it". That's why bitter leftists like SamFisher hate him so much. It was clear to me when Obama first appeared on the scene as well. He also had "it". I like Obama a lot as a person. In terms of politics, De Santis is my man (except when it comes to gun control). Trump fears and hates DeSantis.
We don't need an ex Trump butt kisser as President. We also don't need an anti-gay bigot as President. Now is not the time to take a step backwards in time when discrimination and hate ran rampant.
As a Joke I'm guessing it's not uncommon. It was in Mean Girls written by Tina Fey a white Democrat lady so that means it's fine.
Redistricting battle further positions DeSantis for 2024 presidential bid https://thehill.com/opinion/campaig...positions-desantis-for-2024-presidential-bid/
