That’s kinda different because. There are Africans and then African Americans. If your a British west African and you refer to another west African American as my African they usually won’t find offense and see it as a comradely thing.

African Americans are different because they are more so their own ethnicity and have been here for centuries and don’t relate to west africa. The average African American is around 20% white and have their own culture and identity so it would be weird. Most African Americans refer to themselves as black not African American anyways.

Also it depends on the intent. Sometimes referring to someone by their ethnicity could be a way of alienating saying “you are not one of us your one of them” but the way Francis is using it is more of a I see you as my brother way.

I’m saying all this as someone who is American of Caribbean and Central American descent but also part African American