Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American founders?

Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by pessimizer on Thursday December 26, 2013 @01:58PM (#6967447)

I think it's respectful to call people what they wish to be called. If someone prefers to be called "African-American," calling them that has nothing to do with political correctness, it has to do with the person standing in front of you.

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Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by wcummings on Thursday December 26, 2013 @02:16PM (#6967530)

The problem is when people use it as a synonym for black. For example, a Jamaican immigrant would not be African-American, and a white South African would be.

No one considers black an offensive term, and in many cases "African-American" is clunky and imprecise, for example this thread. OP is really asking about black founders.

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Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by pessimizer on Thursday December 26, 2013 @02:24PM (#6967570)

That's just a mistake. I'm pretty sure that there aren't many black non-Americans asking to be called African-American.

>white South African would be.

The "African" in "African-American" has nothing to do with where you were born or where your parents were born, just like the "Free" in "Free Software" has nothing to do with beer. It has to do with the origin of the features that make you distinct (in a historically particular way) from white Americans.

Of course, if white Africans who move to America identify as African-Americans, it's certainly their right, and I'd gladly refer to them as that.

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