2. Triple Whammy—HIV, Mental Disorders, African Americans
Defining “African American” Today
“Black or African American” is 1 of 5 race categories used by the US Census Bureau (the others being White, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander). These categories “reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country and are not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically. In addition, it is recognized that the categories of the race question include race and national origin or sociocultural groups.” [Census Overview 2010]
This approach to defining race is also supported by the “Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity” established by the White House Office of Management and Budget: “The racial and ethnic categories set forth in the standards should not be interpreted as being primarily biological or genetic in reference. Race and ethnicity may be thought of in terms of social and cultural characteristics as well as ancestry.”[OMB Revisions 1997] Regarding a more specific definition of African American, the Census Bureau further states, “’Black or African American’ refers to a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicated their race(s) as ‘Black, African Am., or Negro’ or reported entries such as African American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian.” [Census Overview 2010]
In practice, however, many organizations and institutions regard “African American” more broadly, reflecting the diversity of cultural and ethnic backgrounds of Americans who consider themselves as African American. Such backgrounds include not only individuals who are the descendants of people who were brought to America as slaves several centuries ago but also descendants of or recent immigrants from the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the offspring of recent African immigrants.
