I am sorry to see US National Team veteran Jimmy Banks has died of cancer at age 54. He was a solid player. Please share your memories of Jimmy in this thread. There is something puzzling about US Soccer's press release on Jimmy's death: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/20...ws-mnt-1990-world-cup-jimmy-banks-passes-away It says: "Banks and teammate Desmond Armstrong became the first two African-American players named to a U.S. World Cup squad when they made the 22-man roster for Italia ’90." What about Joe Gaetjens in 1950? Why does he not count as African-American? Is it because he was from Haiti?
I don't know about that. Nowadays any black person in America is considered African-American, regardless of where that person (or his/her ancestors) come from. Maybe that wasn't the original meaning of the term African-American, but that is how it is colloquially used. If Joe Gaetjens were alive today, he would be considered African-American.
But don't you also have to be American to be African-American? Gaetjens was never a US citizen. He only lived in the US for 3 years while he was studying at Columbia. He later represented Haiti in a World Cup qualifier against Mexico. As a member of the Haitian business and political elite he would never have considered himself black as prejudice against skin color is as prevalent there as it is anywhere else. His great-grandfather was a German emissary and his father made sure he was entitled to German citizenship in the event he had to leave the country in a hurry. Unfortunately he never had the chance to take advantage and disappeared after being led away at gunpoint by the Tontons Macoutes in revenge his brothers' scheme to overthrow Papa Doc Duvalier.
No, I don't think it's dependent on citizenship. If you are living in America, and you are black, then you are African-American.
That is incorrect. My Jamaican friend from down the block gets irritated when he is addressed as an African American. He is Jamaican.
I am not saying that every black person self identifies as African-American. I am saying that every black person in America is considered to be African-American. That's why people are addressing your friend that way. I am not saying it is good or bad. I am just saying that's the way the term African-American is currently being used.
Gaetjens was never a U.S. citizen and thus not "American". If they are not a U.S. citizen, they are not African-Americans. Now folks with African ancestry may be mistakenly labeled that at times due to their race, but citizenship is usually the key (which isn't apparent upon viewing). Otherwise, they would be Haitian, Jamaican, Ghanaian. Just as we don't say Irish living in the U.S. are Irish-American unless they are U.S. citizens. Sad to hear that about Jimmy Banks.. I remember him in the 1990 World Cup.
Well OK, but that puts you in the odd position of arguing that he was American enough to play for the American team, but not American enough to be African-American.
Different rules then. You didn't have to be a citizen to play for a national team. It may be an odd position, but those are the facts.
If you come here on vacation, are you an American while you're here? FIFA rules were lax back then, and trying to compare them to now is silly. We had ineligible players playing for us as late as the 1980s...
Sadly I never saw him play and even more sadly, despite also being from Milwaukee, I don't think I'd ever heard of him until his passing. Very sad to hear it; watched his son play with Madison Forward the other night against the Bavarians SC club his dad played for (played in the same stadium we had our high school playoffs in). Thought it was pretty cool to see his kid play (and dominate an amateur side) and see it streaming from my local stadium while across the country. Never thought that would ever happen! I wonder what career Jimmy would've had if he was coming up now. By all accounts he was a solid player and probably the best player from Wisconsin until Demerit broke through. Cheers to the guys, Jimmy very much included, who paved the way! Would love to hear a first-hand perspective from someone who watched/played with/against him
I believe this makes Banks the second member of our Italia 90 roster to pass away, after David Vanole.
I’ve seen pictures of Gaetjans. He looks a hell of a lot more like Charles Bon than Jozy Altidore. Are we sure he had African blood?