Exploring Discursive Challenges between African Americans and African-born U.S. Immigrants from the Standpoint of African Americans

Although African-born U.S. immigrants and African Americans share some aspects of physical appearance, communication in the U.S. cultural context is fraught with myriad discursive tensions. Framed through standpoint theory, this study takes a qualitative, interpretive approach to explore discursive tensions occurring between African Americans and African-born immigrants from narrative interview data. Differences in racial consciousness and their impact on communication are presented, and the idea of a homogenous racial social location is challenged. Data analysis revealed several communicative oppositions related to varying levels of racial consciousness about being Black and/or African in the U.S. Three main themes emerged: (a) cultural differences, (b) I am/You are not Black enough, and (c) mutual stereotyping/pejorative media constructions.