Asking questions re race and history without being seen as racist

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Really not sure how to phrase this question better - so please accept apologies in advance if I am being insensitive or worse.

I am very much wanting to know how to ask questions without causing offence - so please report if inappropriate.

My particular question relates to the USA.

I have been watching quite a few documentaries (think Netflix etc...) and I love them for the insight they give into the USA way of life, cities, culture etc..

However I always feel confused by the following things:

How do African Americans reconcile their own history with being "American" now - why do people have USA flags in their yards or appear so patriotic etc

Why are many African Americans so religious (given the above)?

@AlmostaMamma WTAF!! Reported

You are directly quoting a question I asked, yes. I still didn’t call your question racist.
Everything about this post stinks - the disingenuous tone, the claims of having read authors you clearly haven’t read, the new account/name change. I will ‘back off’. I know race busting when I see it.

You'll find loads of African-American women to ask on Lipstick Alley forum, although whether they'll bite is another question and they don't have to.

They've had an influx of women from mumsnet within the last 2 years (some have made trouble but members there can take care of themselves) and I know I'm partly to blame for that. I just think it's a cool site with its ups and downs as any other.

Unfortunately OP many people post on here with a racist agenda disguised with faux curiosity. Not saying you are one of those, but that is why people are weary.

A LOT of Black Americans don’t know which country their family actually originates from. It’s not the same as the majority of Black British people who know what country they’re from back home even if they don’t have family to go and visit etc.

I remember meeting one of my friend’s partner who lived in America for the first time. I met his family too and asked where they were from. They responded saying they’re American. I thought it was weird but left it. Later on my friend was saying that it’s not like in the UK where the black people there know where they’re from. They don’t know their history (for whatever reason) so they strongly believe that they’re American and that’s it. My friend and I knew that they 100% had to be Ghanaian! It was just insane that they didn’t know themselves.

In terms of religion, I think of it similar to many countries in Africa. If you visit Nigeria, Congo, Ghana and many other places. There’s practically a church at the end of every road and on every corner. Religion was manipulated to slaves and they were led to believe that they were the chosen ones to be slaves and that it was God’s destiny for them etc. Now religion has stuck with a lot of black people. Quite a lot of black people in America AND Africa are religious because it’s all we’ve really known going back to slavery days.

Obviously I’ve generalised quite a lot in this post. I’m sure there’s black people in America who do know what country their family originally came from and black people who aren’t religious. However this has been my experience

Or they’re just from America.

If I asked someone where they’re from I wouldn’t expect them to answer about their ancestors. Do you think a lot of white Americans say they’re from England, if they themselves and many of their previous generations were born in America?

@PinkFrogss you’re clearly not black otherwise you would know exactly what I’m talking about.

Within the BLACK community, we often ask each other where we’re from. We all know what that question means and we all answer it with no issue. For most of us, either our parents or grandparents are from another country that isn’t the country in which we live in. So I’m not talking about ancestors, am I? I’m simply talking about direct family members.

You’re talking about white Americans as if the OP’s question was about them? My post also wasn’t about them so not sure why you’ve thrown that in.

Many, MANY Black Americans simply don’t know where they come from and that’s just a fact. All you have to do is speak with a few Black Americans to know that their parents don’t even know where their parents were born hence they just say that they’re American!

I’m not going to go back and forth with you as I’m simply a black woman speaking about my own experience. I just came to answer the OP’s question, that’s all

So in quite a few newer countries like the USA and Singapore (just go with me for now) there's lots of emphasis on being part of the new nation. It's to unify the melting pot of immigrants. So for example they say a pledge to their country every morning at school, they focus on national symbols such as the flag. It's very different to how we approach it in the UK.

For religion I would suggest that actually being involved in religion may have led to the slave population having better lives for example learning to read, access to other people in society other than their owners and from a couple of films I've seen actually facilitated a network to help them escape. I'm not saying Hollywood is accurate but you can see insight.

Ahh I see, I thought you were one of those “yes but where are you really from” white people that can’t possibly believe a black person could be from England/whatever predominantly white country. Unfortunately encountered one too many of them and made an assumption.

Apologies

My theory of why the Americans have flags everywhere and on their homes and are a pretty patriotic group of people ( and it’s just my theory) is that the US is a young country relatively speaking and certainly compared to Europe/ Asia etc. Therefore to create a cohesive country it requires constant reinforcement (with show of flags and suchlike) in a way that say England or Scotland doesn’t ( as “countries” that have existed over 1000 years and therefore deeper roots.
The US is also described as a nation of immigrants and that is true in a way that Scotland ( for example historically) isn’t and so open patriotism ( like displaying flags on homes) is a way of uniting all the people in the US that is not as necessary for social cohesion in say Scotland or England or similarly old countries.

Going back at least 2 generations, most Black Americans (younger than 50) know where they're from - America. They can tell you where their parents and grandparents were born and raised.

Beyond that is probably where the slave history begins and their ancestors could have been from anywhere in Africa (often West Africa going by ancetry results) or so.

I'd say the It's similar to White Americans and others (but probably not as many) except that the reason for not knowing isn't because their ancestors were slaves.

How about something like this OP? A free open online 1st year university class from Yale looking into African American culture and history - it’s the first course of the list.
oyc.yale.edu/courses

• It’s not weird that an American tells you they’re American. Nor is it weird or ‘just insane’ that a descendant of enslaved people doesn’t know where said people came from.
• They weren’t 100% anything. Ghanaian or anything else. Due to the nature of slavery, it’s simply not possible.
• Quite a lot of black people in America AND Africa are religious because it’s all we’ve really known going back to slavery days. People in the overwhelming majority of Africa weren’t slaves, so however religion was sold to enslaved peoples, that isn’t the reason it has a hold in Africa.

And I say all this as a full Naija girl.

Haha no😂 but thank you for challenging me anyway!

We’ll agree to disagree:)

Oh and my friend’s husband and his family really were Ghanaian. They found this out at a later date as they decided to look at their family tree

A very strange question to ask on Mumsnet, whilst it has an international participation it is UK centred. You maybe need to source better books and resources than the one that you have watched or read.

Christian missionaries were in Africa in 1490 - well before the British colonisation of America.

www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/8chapter3.shtml

Churches are the one place black people can gather without interference. Anyone where else you would be dispersed. Yes, it makes sense that religion ends up being a big thing

Patriotism is drummed into us from a young age in America. I remember being trooped out every morning at school in all kinds of weather to put my hand on my heart and pledge allegiance to the flag.

Many, MANY Black Americans simply don’t know where they come from and that’s just a fact.

Many African Americans, probably most, in the area of the US where I live, are descended from enslaved people who were brought to the US or to the colonies in the eighteenth century. That is the main reason they might not know their country of origin. It's a long time to trace backward and often there are few written records. DNA testing is possible now, but that has its limits.

Churches are the one place black people can gather without interference. Anyone where else you would be dispersed. Yes, it makes sense that religion ends up being a big thing.

This is a very important point that still resonates in these times. Many African American churches have an event every election cycle called "souls to the polls."

After the main church service, chartered or church buses pull up to the church and congregants board the buses to go to an early voting site. One clear sign of attempts to suppress the Black vote is officials trying to limit early voting, especially Sunday voting.

Thank you all for considered responses and resources to look at.
Apologies if the question seemed "strange" - no offence was intended.