Hyphen

« Likewise, many whites today react hostilely to the use of the term “African American” because it came from within the black community, and as such, stads as a challenge to white linguistic authority. When whites tell black folks, as we often do, that they should “just be Americans,” and “drop the whole hyphen thing,” we’re forgetting that it’s hard to just be an American when you’ve rarely been treated like a full and equal member of the family. More to the point, it isn’t our hyphen to drop. But it’s always hard to explain such matters to those who have taken for granted, because we could, that we had the right to set the parameters of national identity, or to tell other people’s stories as if they were our own. It’s been that way for a while and explains much about the way we misteach history. »

Wise, Tim. White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son. Soft Skull Press, Berkeley, CA. 2011. p.29