Per Merriam-Webster: African-American - an American who has African and especially black African ancestors

Halle Berry is 1/2 white. She has a white mother, just like Charlize Theron.

That term was coined by the U.S. gov't.
" Boca's scared. He sees policemen in his soup. "

The majority of black people do not like the term "African American". That term is offensive and racist!!
How can you call Black American as "African American" and he/she was not born and never been to Africa??!!
Do you see White American call themselves "European American"??!! The answer is NO!!
Miss USA 2012, Nana Meriwether is a REAL African American. She was born in Soweto, South Africa.
I know this is a really old post, but I just have to respond to this. Plenty of white people certainly do identify with their ethnic heritage, even though many of them have never stepped foot into their ancestors' homeland. Do you not understand that many white people of European descent identify with the COUNTRY of their heritage, not the CONTINENT of Europe? For example, Irish, Italian, Polish, etc. Of course they wouldn't call themselves "European American" because they have no reason to identify with the continent as a whole when they know specifically which country their family is from. So stop acting like white people never make any reference to their ancestral homeland. That is a blatant lie! I never hear anybody complaining about someone saying they're Irish or Italian despite the fact that they've never once been to Ireland or Italy. But for some reason certain people get all up in arms over black Americans being called African Americans just because some of us haven't been to Africa. It's idiotic and hypocritical.
Historically, black people who were descendants of African slaves were not able to determine the specific locales in Africa where their ancestors lived. That's why the broad term "African" American is used, because the information was not available to be able to narrow it down to a specific area or country. So they just referenced the continent in general. That is changing now, with the availability of genealogy traces some people are now able to narrow down the part of Africa that their descendants came from.
And please don't act as if you speak on behalf of all Black Americans. I am a Black American, I am a descendant of slaves, and I don't find the term "African American" to be offensive or racist at all. How is it racist to indicate that someone has African ancestry? Do you not even comprehend that it was black people who wanted to start using this term in the first place? I don't know what gives you the idea that the "majority" of black people have a problem with it. If someone is offended or insulted by the fact that they are descendants of Africans, then they have some internal issues that they need to address.

The majority of black people do not like the term "African American". That term is offensive and racist!!
How can you call Black American as "African American" and he/she was not born and never been to Africa??!!
Do you see White American call thems2000elves "European American"??!! The answer is NO!!
Miss USA 2012, Nana Meriwether is a REAL African American. She was born in Soweto, South Africa.

You are correct sandraviss, Theron is a white South African who now has American citzenship.
If someone from Ireland becomes a US citizen they don't become Irish American.
An Irish American is someone who was born in America but whose ancestors came from Ireland.

Sorry, but Charlize isn't African-American. She's a white South African, like me, who now also has American citizenship. Forgive me if I have this wrong but aren't African-Americans people with dark skin who were born in America but who's ancestors come from Africa?

now there is:
Viola Davis
nominated (lead) actress for THE HELP 2012
in the supporting catagory:
Queen Latifah
nominated for CHICAGO 2003
Ruby Dee
nominated for AMERICAN GANSTER 2008
Viola Davis
nominated for DOUBT 2009
Taraji P. Henson
nominated for THE CURIOUS CASE PF BENJAMIN BUTTON 2009
Octavia Spencer
winner for THE HELP 2012

She won for supporting not best actress that was vivien leigh

Everyone is forgetting the great Hattie McDaniel, who was actually the first to win the award.

If she has citizenship then she's South African American. I have had, and do have, many friends from SA (my ex included) and they take offence at being called African. She is also an Afrikaner whose first language is Afrikaans.

Why do blacks always want to make things racial and not REAL?!
You didn't even think before you typed that, lol. Just take a deep breath and write something sensible.
I spent my entire childhood growing up. What a waste.

So if you are from Egypt( a country in Africa) and you are white, you are also NOT a African-American? Your argument FAILS on a technical level and is an insult to those who are from Afric and citizens of America! BTW, your BLACK president Obama is also from Africa and a citizen of the US and is half-white, so he isn't really one of those people you refer on that list and more than Charlize Theron. Yet I dare you to tell Ms. Theron she isn't African-American. Why do blacks always want to make things racial and not REAL?!

Hahaha. Let's be real. Charlize is not African American. I mean, technically she is from Africa, but we ALL know that they mean black African Americans.
African American is the politically correct term for black. Lets be realya'll KNOW she don't need to be on that list.

If she was BLUE, but was still born in Africa, that would make her an African. Then, with her coming to America, she'd be, dare I state it, an African American. Cased closed, folks!!

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