Glenn finagles a dumb complaint about 'real' African-Americans.
Let me break it down to for you. If you are born somewhere on the continent of Africa and migrate to America, then you do so as a
Two of these answers mean that you are associated by the US government as a former citizen of an African nation. And while it's true that a goodly percentage of Americans cannot locate America itself on a globe, those of us with a rudimentary understanding of geography should make a small effort to recognize that country as well. Africa, in the American imagination, suffers a great deal of ignorance. People here can name more animals than states. That is unacceptable for political discussion, period.
So while the good professor attempts to make a point about the term 'African American' he does so with an article which is a crushing indictment of this very ignorance. The soldier in question who hails from Kenya is so tightly identified with his country of origin that fellow soldiers don't remember his real name, only 'Kenya'. Kenya is a nation, and that's the point.
We African Americans identify with the dark continental myth. It's overreach, but the term serves its demographic purpose well, if not specifically. But the term is ours. We invented it, like 'black' and we resent its misappropriation. We cannot prove which African nation from which we originated, our contemporaries can. Do us all a favor and respect that.
Volokh also give a bloodless legal rendering of a related controversy. The disrespect in the matter is clear.