Please note that this is my first time ever using this site and I apologize in advance if I'm going about this the wrong way, please don't be too harsh on me.

Growing up I was told that if you move into another country you put your birth place/race before that country's name; German-American.

So to the point:

***When on forums or documents that ask for your race/color/lineage/etc. I see words such as "African-American" just as an example. Does that refer to race or where you were born and then you moved into a new country?***

I could not find this an answer on google, mostly because I didn't know how to word it properly, sorry again if I'm going about this wrongly.