Tonia Hawkins: I was born in England and now live in America. (Huffpo)

**spaceoddity** · 03-22-2011, 12:52 AM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social..._78116529.html

I feel the same way because I'm in the same situation. I hate when people try to be PC and then assume I'm American, by calling all black people in America "African-American".

**GalaxyGirl2012** · 03-22-2011, 01:20 AM

sorry i think this is a bit stupid and this lady probably needs to venture out a bit in life to have access to some real irritations about life in the US,

of all the things to get her panties in a bunch over..

of course, it's her panties and her bootie this issue is sticking to, but for me it's not a huge deal if i travel other places and get mistaken for whatever their variety of black person is. i dunno

i think it's normal to for people to assume that someone is from the country they live in, especially if they seem to have put down some roots (ie job, housing, etc). getting upset over it is like being a vegetarian and then getting upset because when you hang out in bbq joints people assume you're a meat eater.

**Karibana** · 03-22-2011, 01:46 AM

Yeap, she needs to sit down. I say this as a Canuck who has visited the States more so often then I've visiten my own country. If she comes to Montreal they'll think she's Haitian until she opens her mouth.

**Princess Pamplemousse** · 03-22-2011, 01:50 AM

Ok, so this thread is about a comment on an actual article? Why not link that as well? I was confused as heck when I got to that mini paragraph..like, is this it?

Um, the comment itself seems kind of...silly. I almost don't even know where to start

First, can't nobody read her mind and figure out her nationality. If she wants someone to ASSume that she's a Brit and not an American she needs to start wearing a sign saying so. She's in AMERICA and she is BLACK. Period. If she wants folks to ASSume that she's a black person from England...well, she'd better move back to England.

As for the actual article. That was pretty boring too. The author has a pretty lil fro. And I did learn something about the surname "Washington" (I have always wondered why so many black folks had that name) But....it lost me when she started rambling about white people being discriminated against and non-American blacks hating being mistaken for Americans

Change your name then lol

**Aesys** · 03-22-2011, 01:51 AM

I think the real issue for some foreign born black folk is that they look down on black Americans. So anything related to being a black American is seen as less than. I have heard the same contempt if they are referred to as black. My family hails from Central America and the Caribbean and I have heard my fair share of opinions on black Americans.

I have been mistaken for different nationalities and I never found it to be irritating.

**Princess Pamplemousse** · 03-22-2011, 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by Aesys

I think the real issue for some foreign born black folk is that they look down on black Americans. So anything related to being a black American is seen as less than. I have heard the same contempt if they are referred to as black. My family hails from Central America and the Caribbean and I have heard my fair share of opinions on black Americans.

I have been mistaken for different nationalities and I never found it to be irritating.

Lol I do think this is the sinister undercurrent that runs beneath a lot of the frustration about being mistaken.

**KellyVonn** · 03-22-2011, 02:19 AM

According to people around the world I have been seen in everybody's country! So....what does that say about me and "my" people? Mmmm...perhaps we are a global people and since this is the case we will be mistaken for other parts of the region possibly where that particular person dwells. Granted as soon as I open my mouth you most definitely know I'm from the East in the U.S. I don't see the big deal personally but hey...everyone has "their" pet peeves or things that irritate them. There's a reason for it though. But that's another story...

**bhop13** · 03-22-2011, 02:23 AM

Ummm this is so dumb. You're in America and you're Black...what does she expect folks to think when they first meet her? If I heard her accent then ok but unless she's wearing a sign or telling people "I'm from England" off top then she needs to sit down with this mess.

This is like me getting mad that people assume I'm from TN because I never changed my number from college.

**Oasis** · 03-22-2011, 02:31 AM

i didn't read the article but if she has a British accent why would folks assume she is American?

am i missing something?

lmao @ vegetarians hanging out at BBQ joints.

**Intellexual** · 03-22-2011, 02:31 AM

I don't believe that sort of feeling should be blamed on being Black in America. I'd be figuring a bit of stupidity,as GG noted, or some of what Aesys noted as viable. We've been feeling some type of way about being blacked. Where have you been again? No, you can't get a full exemption for being from another country.