Well, it's as credible as the person who cited it.....:)

So your answer is "no," then?

There is a difference between race and ethnicity. Being Black is my race. Being African-American is my ethnicity. And since many in this country call themselves Italian, French, Irish, Russian and Mexican, I think it is only right and makes since to label myself what I know I am. I am a decedent of African, not a descendant of America. There were only one group of people that were genetically from this country and it was not people that look like me or you. But the one thing I cannot do like many of those who are not Black (and there are many Blacks that can go back to other countries BTW), I cannot trace my heritage directly to a "tribe" or Klan (which they are really called BTW) like you and many others could. So to keep a since of my heritage and culture, I choose to call myself African-American. If I could I would consider myself Nigerian-American or South African-American like a famous actress can. And when I go to the World Cup I could cheer for my home country if they were participating (I know a joke is coming), but I cannot do that. And it matters to me that the people that I come from were not allowed to hold citizenship and were slaves. So no, I will never just be American. I cannot trace my background like a fellow official friend of mine who knows how is name was changed to reflect coming to America, rather than hold on to the language his Grandfather spoke. And all of that is important when it is obvious that a lot of my values did not come directly and only from this country.

Peace

All In The Family ...
 

I was born in the United States of America, as was my father, and my grandfather. On that level I consider myself to be an American. My great grandfather, and great great grandfather, were born in Ireland, so on that level I consider myself to be Irish American. Homo sapiens arose in Africa and migrated out of the continent around 50-100,000 years ago, so if you go back far enough in my family tree, I can be considered to be African American. In fact, JRutledge and I have a common ancestor, Mitochondrial Eve, the most recent common matrilineal ancestor from whom all living humans are descended. She is generally estimated to have lived around 200,000 years ago, most likely in East Africa.

So JRutledge? Since we're related, can I borrow twenty bucks?

off topic
a bit too detailed at times but a book called Arc of Justice is quite good about race in America. So is Contempt of Court
Amazon.com: Contempt of Court: The Turn-of-the-Century Lynching That Launched a Hundred Years of Federalism (9780385720823): Mark Curriden, Leroy Phillips: Books

If you give me $1000, then we are cool.

Peace

where's Antoine Walker when you need him?

I am not sure he has that kind of money. ;)

Peace

Giving your statement some thought, I'm going to add on to my ethnicity, I'm going from American to Broke-American.

Jeff, thanks for that explanation. That makes a lot of sense to me and I can respect that.

I call myself American because it'd take up a line and a half to accurately describe my lineage. Answering questions 8 and 9 on the Census this year was rather interesting.

Also, $1000 in exchange for $20? Maybe you're of Nigerian Royalty. How's the e-mail business going? :D