Is there any truth to what I heard at work today re: Theresa Heinz-Kerry?

[Systematic Chaos]

Somebody I work with (a completely brainwashed consumer of our local newspapers, USA Today and Faux / CNN in the breakroom) was talking to me today and mentioned something to the effect of:

"Did you know that John Kerry is trying to market his wife as an African-American?"

Does anyone here know just :wtf: he's talking about? I skimmed the forums quickly and couldn't find anything, and that can be tough to do sometimes when you don't have the search function.... :(

Can anybody help me here so I can set him straight on this issue, if there even IS an issue? Thanks. :)

[homerthompson]

1. she was born in mozambique

technically, she is african, and she is the one saying this, not john kerry.

[Dookus]

4. Why is it a "technical" definition?

I'm an American because I was born and raised in America. She was born and raised in Africa. Doesn't that make her African?

All this does is point out the short-comings of the term African-American when used to mean "black".

[homerthompson]

17. i said technical b/c i assumed her ancestry is not native african.

imo, ancestry trumps birthplace, since it's always ethnicity dash nation of residence.

[aquart]

22. Really. Does it. Good to know.

So we don't really belong here in America because we didn't migrate over a landbridge? We're not real Americans?

[homerthompson]

30. you're distorting my post

i never said anything of the sort. my post clearly states that there can be a difference between ancestry and nation of residence.

[DemBones DemBones]

27. Too true! The term 'African-American' is not

supposed to make you think of a white person.

[Bandit]

33. She is an American citizen that came from Africa

I would say that makes her an African American wouldn't you. Granted she is not black but I didn't think the term African American was necessarily a term for Black.

[Kahuna]

35. Agree with you on this one. American blacks should not be referred

to as "African-Americans." "African-Americans" are immigrants from Africa.

[Systematic Chaos]

9. Ah, I understand now.

So, my quasi-educated guess as to what might be going on is that maybe there are now media whore talking-heads who are trying to distort this into some kind of appeal to black voters? IMHO, NOBODY needs to "market" Mrs. Kerry, least of all her husband. She seems like quite the amazing person, with more dimensions than Pickles could hope to count to with both hands and a calculator.

At any rate, the whole assertion sounded so totally retarded I just had to ask about it. Thank you for the help. :D

[dogtag]

19. No technicality,

Teresa is literally African-American. So is Charlize Theron. They were born in Africa. Caucasians born in Africa are as African as any black person and if they immigrate to the USA, they are African-Americans. A Jamaican friend of mine takes umbrage at being referred to as African American. She is neither, but Teresa Heinz Kerry is both.

[Kahuna]

36. I'm black and was born in the USA. I'm not an "African-American" because..

I am not an immigrant from Africa.

[benddem]

2. Theresa states she is

an african american cause she was born in Africa and is an American. She is making the point that there are many kinds of African Americans and it doesn't have anything to do with race. JFK is not promoting this. She is just making a point.

[Bridget Burke]

15. Where does she state this?

A link would be helpful. Of course she's African by birth & American by citizenship, but I'd wonder in what context she used the phrase "African-American".

Also: JFK is dead. Long live John Kerry!

[KC21304]

20. She mentioned it in her speech at the convention.

[DieboldMustDie]

21. It seemed a bit tongue in cheek to me.

:shrug:

[lunarboy13]

31. For those of us who believe in the "Out of Africa" theory

In human evolution, we beleive we're ALL African-Americans...

[GainesT1958]

3. Sounds like something from the same folks...

Who pulled the "John McCain fathered two illegitimate black children" crap in the South Carolina primary in 2000!:mad:

Boy, those guys will try ANY kind of smear to win, won't they?:eyes:

B-)

[gratuitous]

5. Well, first of all . . .

The prospective First Lady isn't "marketed." She's a person, not a commodity or a product.

Second, she was born in Mozambique, which, last I checked, was in Africa. Since she now lives in the United States, I would say that calling her "African-American" is technically accurate, though it is not usually applied to persons with her skin tone.

This is, in short, NOT an issue. Certainly not one that is anywhere near as important as pouring $200 billion into the Iraq quagmire, and wasting 1,000 lives.

[PinkTiger]

6. I think this is in reference to an ad playing on radio

This ad is geared to undermine the African American vote by portraying Theresa Heinz Kerry as a woman who would dare to say she is African American. A woman who sounds Black is making remarks about Kerry and Mrs. Kerry.

[TheRovingGourmet]

25. That ad takes the award thus far for the stupidest thing I have

heard this campaign season.

[KC21304]

7. " market his wife " ?

You have heard of Italian-American, Mexican-American, well she was born in Africa so she has the right to call herself an

AFRICAN- AMERICAN

[LibraLabSoldier]

13. I am a Heinz57 American!!

My father is half black, quarter cherokee indian, and quarter Lithuanian. My mother is part french, part spanish, and part gypsy. My wife is part German, part Irish, and part Chzech. So that makes my kids Heinz 57 Americans...or Just plain Americans for short.

The way I see it, the labels are just pretty titles on how to keep us divided.

In the Army, we are all green, lol.

[A_Possum]

8. She speaks Portuguese, too

*gasp*

That's pretty close to speaking French, isn't it?

[DieboldMustDie]

24. She speaks several languages...

probably including French, but it's late and I'm too lazy to look it up. :crazy:

[DemBones DemBones]

28. She speaks Portuguese, French, Spanish,

Italian, and English, based on what she said at the convention. At least, when she gave her greetings in other languages, that's what I heard.

[JI7]

10. she is from Africa, but doesn't claim to be black

she always says she is of portuguese descent. but she WAS born and raised in africa so it's a part of her.

[hlthe2b]

11. She is African by birth & American by residency: I don't get the problem

That does make her African American. Not all Africans are black, after all. I just don't get the ignorance behind this....! For heavens sakes, there are black race Irish. When they immigrate to America, they are Irish Americans, but technically were African in their origins, whether recent or many generations passed. So, we can certainly call someone like that an Irish African American, but if the point is to define race, there will never be an absolute way to do so following this paradigm.

But, the implication that Kerry is somehow trying to curry black American's favor by saying Theresa is African American just shows an incredible (and disheartening) degree of ignorance IMO.

[salvorhardin]

12. Here's a Newsmax story

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/2/24/121520.shtml
talking about the African-American remark.

Personally I think it was a silly thing to say, but technically she *is* an African-American, just as I am an American Indian if you consider that my great-grandfather married an American Indian woman. However, aside from some facial characteristics (high cheekbones and forehead, etc.) I'm as lily-white as the rest of my French-Canadian ancestors. Canuck by culture and color, American Indian (partly) by genetics.

[alittlelark]

26. I will not click on a Newsmax link

But she is much more African American than you are Native American, unless you grew up on a reservation.

These people are appealing to their racist base. Ignore this.

[Lerkfish]

14. I think its another rovian "whisper" campaign like against Mccain, but ...

THK is from Mozambique, I believe, which technically makes her an African-American by definition, but not by common understanding of the label.
I mean, Egypt is in Africa, as well as Morocco....so technically americans from those areas could be considered "African American"...

If nothing else, it highlights how the term is inadequate to describe American Blacks...shrugs...

I have no idea why the repugs think this is an issue. I also seriously doubt THK said anything even close to that.

I edited to add....sorry, I had this reply window open for too long, by the time I hit reply several others had made the exact same or similar points....sorry for the repetition.

[Placebo]

16. She IS African American, BUT...

she calls herself a 'Continental African', which she noted in her campaign speech.

She can legitimately call herself African American though. :)

[Nomad559]

18. Charlize Theron

was also born In Africa, she was born In Benoni, South Africa. :)

http://www.charlizetheron.com/

[LibraLabSoldier]

23. Its nice to see

pics of my soon to be third wife...charlie, I luv ya bebe!

[kerryhawk]

29. what

that makes no damn sense. tell your friend to source it.

[fob]

32. Did YOU know that george bush* pimps his wife to other republicans?

There, now you may quote that back to him. Just remember to preface it with, "Some people are saying..."

[MODemocrat]

34. Just tell him how ignorant he is, period

I was born in Missouri, so I'm a Missourian; however, BUSH calls himself a TEXAN, although he was Not born in Texas.
Heinz Kerry does not portray herself as being a black African American, only that she was born there. Also, it is not John Kerry who says that she is an African American. This is just another piece of crap the fascists have drug up for lack of a constructive agenda.

:crazy: :boring: :boring: :boring: :boring:

[in_cog_ni_to]

37. Just tell him to stop listening to Limpballs and Faux News.

He's rotting his brain! That is nothing more than a KKKRove smear tactic. Teresa is the one who calls herself African-American....BECAUSE SHE IS!