African American

18:22 Oct 12, 2012
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / Localization
English term or phrase: African American
I'm localizing a survey for Australia and I'm not sure what to put for African American to refer to all blacks in Australia who are not indigenous Australians (aborigines). In the UK version they used "mixed" but I'm not sure that applies for Australia. Can I say "Black African" or "Black African or African American?" Can I just say "black?" (The first category is "white.") I don't want to be offensive to anyone.


Thanks for your feedback, this is urgent!

Diana
dianash
United States
Local time: 08:48


SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +6African Australian
Anna Herbst
3black african australians
Stephanie Ezrol
4 -2Afro-American
Ellen Kraus
Summary of reference entries provided
Australian Ethnicities
Nathan Takase

Discussion entries: 14





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -2
african american
Afro-American


Explanation:
cscanada.net/index.php/sll/article/view/2272 - Among them, the Afro-Americans' culture has drawn many scholars' attentation,but one of their culture'fountainhead ---- songs has drawn little attention.

Ellen Kraus
Austria
Local time: 16:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Yvonne Gallagher: AfriCAN-Americans not Afro but anyway, not correct here.
2 hrs

disagree  Arabic & More: Totally inappropriate for the context.
11 hrs

neutral  airmailrpl: Though you answered the asker's apparent query - it was not fourmulated correctly
17 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
african american
black african australians


Explanation:
The following is from an Australian government website so it should you an appropriate example of the way the language is used:

Australia’s migration policies: African dimensions

Background paper for African Australians: A review of human rights and social inclusion issues

During the 1960s black African students began to arrive in small numbers in Australia and helped build coalitions against apartheid and the white regime in Rhodesia (which became the independent nation of Zimbabwe in 1980).
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/africanaus/papers/africanaus_paper_j...


Stephanie Ezrol
United States
Local time: 11:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
african american
African Australian


Explanation:
Another option would be Australian of African descent.

Black and white are not terms that are used to describe ethnic groups in Australia, and both should be avoided in any official survey as they could easily be seen as offensive. White brings the thought to the long abandoned White Australia Policy, whereas Black Australia would refer to the indigenous population and thus has nothing to do with ethnic Africans in Australia.

In order to properly localise a survey to fit an Australian context, any reference to skin colour will have to be removed.

Cheers from an Australian/Swedish Australian/Australian of Northern European descent...

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Note added at 10 hrs (2012-10-13 04:59:35 GMT)
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Another reference: http://www.hreoc.gov.au/africanaus/index.html



    Reference: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/1249.0main+fe...
Anna Herbst
Australia
Local time: 02:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Teresa Reinhardt: excellent refs & explanation!
2 hrs
  -> Thanks for the kind words, Teresa!

agree  Yvonne Gallagher: yep, this makes far more sense
5 hrs
  -> Thanks!

agree  PoveyTrans (X)
5 hrs
  -> Thanks Simon.

agree  Phong Le
3 days 4 hrs
  -> Thanks Phong.

agree  Sanchia Holder
4 days
  -> Thanks Sanchia.

agree  Andrea Hermanová
2793 days
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Reference comments


1 hr peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: Australian Ethnicities

Reference information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Australian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Australia#Ethni...

You should note that an African Australian could very well be white.

Nathan Takase
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: yes, an important point
2 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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