Folks have been writing in on the Czar’s distaste for the term “African-American.” And for pretty much the same reason: it diminishes who Americans are. N or S writes in:

The difficulties inherent in the term “African American” were brought home to me by an article I read several years ago about a US delegation to Liberia. It was plain from the writing that the newspaper had a strictly adhered to style manual. What was not clear, when they referred to someone’s race, was whether they were talking about a black Liberian or a black American. Both were referred to as African American. I never could figure out if one individual was an American who had moved back to Liberia, a Liberian who was style manualed out of his heritage, or some other black African. Technically, I suppose he could have been a white American whose family emigrated from Africa to the US but as soon as you wander in that directions heads begin to explode.

Indeed, RC adds to this with this equally awkward anecdote:

As pointed out, “African-American” is a problematic term, because it isn’t precise, but another problem people usually don’t think of is that it ALSO includes white people from Africa, like the guy I know who emigrated from South Africa to the US and then became an American citizen. Sometimes he calls himself African-American just to mess with people.

The Czar risks repeating himself, but you don’t get to be a 700-year-old tyrant without taking a few risks. Or repeating yourself.

One of the easiest clues that a term is a PC-term from the 1980s is that the result produces more awkward and messy results than it could ever hope to prevent. The entire political correctness riot of the late 80s and early 90s was a perfect study in the law of unintended consequeneces. And as a term, African-American is a crystal example of the danger in labels by committtee. Thanks for writing in, everyone!

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.