Are Afrikaans African?

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My dads is a South African who speaks Afrikaans, he sees himself as African, I'm pretty sure most of them don't see themselves as Dutch. Just because Americans speak English they don't see themselves as British

He may speak Afrikaans, but is he of the SA Afrikaner culure, i.e Dutch ancsestry etc?

True, they wouldn't say the are British. But many do say they are, Cuban, Mexican, Irish, Scottish or where ever their ancsestry lays.

Reply 21

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Original post by bestofyou

yea he is, but I think his answer would be African first Dutch second, the same with most Americans (I'm guessing)

Reply 22

Blueflare

As far as I'm aware they would call themselves Africans because they live in and were born in Africa.
If asked about their ancestry they would tell you whatever was specific to them I guess, though most of them are indeed Dutch or part Dutch.

Reply 23

D.R.E

If you were born somewhere, you're probably considered that 'nationality' or whatever type of collective noun 'African' is. Add to that the fact that the people talked about in the OP have been in Africa for over 200 years... they are African.

Reply 24

rajandkwameali

They live in Africa, they're of Africa, so they're African.

Reply 25

Bleak Lemming

When africans say they're africans it sounds like 'afrikaaans'.. obviously somebody can't spell hence... Afrikaaaans were born

Reply 26

username521600

I met a South African recently and she said she was 'South African'. I then asked if she was 'Afrikaans', and she said yes. Unfortunately she was fairly racist, so I'm not sure if she would have classed herself as 'African' or not.

Reply 27

linux geek

this thread shoud be closed

Its a wind up and very badly attempts to say that if you are white and lived in Africa all your life you cant be african

like saying a coloured person living in the uk all their life is not British

As white person who grow up with a one british and south african parent I am very happy to say im half african and vistit when ever I can

Reply 28

CherryCherryBoomBoom

All white and black people in the USA call themselves American even though their descendents don't originate from there (Native Americans are the original Americans). So in the same way, I suppose it would be standard for Afrikaners to identify as being African.

Reply 29

Mechie

Of course they're African...

I was born in the Scotland, therefore I'm Scottish. If I was born in Nigeria I'd be Nigerian, if I was born in China I'd be Chinese etc.

Obviously...

Original post by linux geek

Thats not what I'm saying at all. It has nothing to do with skin colour. I was talking about the Afrikaners, not white south africans. It was you that brought up the topic of skin colour.

Reply 32

LysFromParis

Original post by davidmarsh01

Of course they're African...

I was born in the Scotland, therefore I'm Scottish. If I was born in Nigeria I'd be Nigerian, if I was born in China I'd be Chinese etc.

Not necessarily... the country you are born is not always related to your nationality. You could be Spanish and born in the UK, a fair number of country implement "blood right" and there is nothing forcing you to claim the nationality of the country you are born in (if the law of this country even allow you to do so under "land right"). For example I think foreigner born in China can't claim Chinese nationality as you need Chinese ancestry to be Chinese.

However, it was not the point of the thread, but your idea was just ridiculous.

Edit : could I know why I was negged for stating the truce ? In a fair number of country nationality does not depend of where you are born ...

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 33

DirtyPrettyThing

Afrikaners are white africans of dutch descent. They are different from white africans of British/Irish descent, who could be considered the brothers of Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders.

Reply 34

Psyk

Original post by davidmarsh01

Of course they're African...

I was born in the Scotland, therefore I'm Scottish. If I was born in Nigeria I'd be Nigerian, if I was born in China I'd be Chinese etc.

But opinions on that differ between countries and cultures. Sure, someone born and raised in Scotland would be accepted as Scottish, no matter what colour they are or where their parents were born. But if you married a British woman, moved to China and had children there, I doubt Chinese society would accept your child as Chinese. Maybe I'm wrong with that specific example (don't really know that much about Chinese society), but there are many countries where it would be like that.

Reply 35

effofex

Original post by bexter:)

Yes they are afrikaans. My step dad is an afrikaan but he still says he is an african. If i remember correctly, because of the racial divide, it is the white people of africa that are called afrikaanes.

No. The Afrikaners are specifically those of Boer descent.

Reply 36

effofex

In answer to the OP's question, they are considered to be Africans by other African nations and they also consider themselves to be Africans.

Reply 37

Dettz

As a South African myself I would say yes they are African. Just because they're white and from dutch ancestry doesn't mean they're not african.

Reply 38

Snagprophet

I think the amount of exposure to the culture must play a part in someone's nationality. Mum was born in Germany, to British parents on a Royal Air Force base and lived there for two years before returning to the UK. She's not German at all. You could argue that a RAF base is British soil but they went out and about to shops etc so there is exposure but not much.

Same story with Dad's girlfriend, except with Cyprus.

On a sub-national level, my uncle has lived in Scotland for virtually most of his life, but was born in England. Ethnically he is 1/2 English 1/2 Scottish but without doing the whole 'half' thing he'd call himself Scottish. I am ethnically 3/4 English 1/4 Scottish, but I wouldn't call myself anything other than English or British because I haven't had as much of a sub-cultural exposure to Scotland as I have with England.

But in South Africa the country is culturally divided. I'm guessing some of the white fellows would try to promote an identity which the blacks could not have in common with him. But if you've lived in a community in Africa for a long duration, such as moving there as a small child, then I guess you are African.

Reply 39

Aphotic Cosmos

Yes, absolutely. Afrikaners are definitely African to me, in the same way that English colonists in the US are Americans. They are exposed to and now increasingly integrated with African cultures and reside primarily in South Africa. No question about it, really.