Am I "Black" or "African American"?

[GMTplus7]

I was born in Ethiopia which is a country in Africa. and so were my parents. we immigrated to the US in 2003 and have since lived here. So for college apps, do I say I’m “african american” or “black”. I don’t really understand which one is the one that indicated you are actually from Africa.

Does it really matter? Aren’t the those distinctions included together on the same box to tick? And why do you have to “say” it after you have indicated it by ticking a box?

You are African-American if you are now a US citizen. You are simply Black if you are not a US citizen.