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Are North Africans African?

Before you call me stupid, I am a 21 year old Moroccan man living in the UK studying Engineering (3rd year - Branched to Aeronautics). I am currently in the process of applying for internships. When I fill data sheets I put "Arab" or "other". Why? Because I am not black. I am light skinned. Lighter than the Asians. I have previously put African which shocked a former colleague. He thought I was a South African.
Yes. My country is in Africa, yes I am north "African". I am currently in a distress over whether to put African or Arabic. Thoughts?

Comments such as "North Africans are Africans its in the name" will be disregarded. Think of it this way. Most Russians, even the models come from Siberia, which is in Asia. You don't call them Asian, you call them Russian. Or European. My argument is shouldn't this apply to north Africans? And why don't we call Russians Asian?

Relevant comments please.
i dont think north africans are black, all this ******** about the different shades of black etc it doesn't make sense your genes are more arabic
Russia is the size of a continent so the variations of ethnicity will be more apparent and it could be argued that it lies in 2 continents.

You are African but not ethnically.
Original post by alnzour
When I fill data sheets I put "Arab" or "other".


But what is the question you are answering? Are they asking for your ethnicity? Your country of origin? Or just your favourite hellhole?

If you are ethnically linked to the aggressive Arab invaders then you should admit it. If they are asking for your continent of birth then it is Africa.

You almost certainly don't even have to answer anyway. I don't. If the answer is not used for recruiting decisions and the answer is irrelevant than I always leave it blank.
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Avatar for eritqxn
eritqxn
You are not African. The idea that North Africans are black arose as a desperate attempt by black academics to culturally validate sub-Saharan Africans by arbitrarily equating "Africa" with "black" in order that black people could take credit for the great civilisations of North Africa. By Black I am referring to west Africans and southern Africans. Eritreans are genetically half black and half Arabic yet African equates to black. The term African is quite vague. Do a DNA test and find out your percentages but North Africans are genetically similar to the Greeks, French and the Arabics.
You are African by nationality but Arab by ethnicity so put Arab if you are asked about race or ethnicity.
Africa isn't 'black'
Africa is very diverse and made up of different races and cultures.
(edited 7 years ago)

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