re: Is the term oriental offensive?

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I get that your a black guy, that's fine. But if you prefer to be called African American, what parts of Africa are you from or originally from? Have you ever been there?

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First of all, learn to to read. I posted before you did that I don't have a problem with either "black" or "African American." What's ridiculous is that YOU do.

Secondly, the closest my family can trace the African parts of our heritage ( that's only one part, but also the most obvious ) is "west Africa." That's it. Thanks to the war torn land over there at the time and the slave trade that capitalized upon it. It is what it is.

Thirdly, no, I haven't been there, nor do I intend to go. That isn't relevant in the slightest when it comes to attempting to trace/claim lineage. bullshite tangent on your part.

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If you are here your an american, plain and simple.

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I've never claimed to be anything other.

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A white guy is a white guy, we don't claim that we are offended by term.

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What works for one group of folks won't always work for every group. We're not homogeneous in this country. Acknowledging such isn't automatically divisive.

Also, white people don't get lit up on forums like these when they trace their lineage to specific families and houses and such in the "old country." Let's not pretend these are equitable circumstances here.

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My heritage is mostly German but I don't demand that people refer to me as German-American or French-American. I'm an American and have been here for generations so none of it matters.

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That's all well and good for you.

My surname is German, my great grandfather was Irish, I have native American on both sides, and I claim Texas. Allowing someone to interchange the terms black/AA or someone preferring not to be called "oriental" isn't some terrible inconvenience/absurdity.

Unless you make it one.