On the Africa is a Country blog of Sean Jacobs rarely fails with interesting stories of Africa from a US media perspective.
Today he posted one of -
“… A former New Jersey Medical School student, who described his ethnic background as “white, African-American,” is suing the school claiming that he had been racially discriminated against, according to the Associated Press. Paulo Serodio, a student at The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, is Caucasian but told fellow classmates and school employees that since he was born in Mozambique, he identifies himself as “white, African-American.”
At first his peers recommended that he stop but, soon after, he said he discovered fliers hung up around campus, mocking him. Plus, he was assaulted and his car was vandalized.”
What Kameraad Mhambi finds particularly interesting is that the “African American” magazine – Essence – that covered the story, lead with – Race: White Man Calls Himself African-American instead of focusing on the assault. I mean, whites can’t be African can they?!
Safe to say that Essence magazine has not heard of one Hendrik Biebouw.
Related deployments:
8 responses so far ↓
1 afrikola
// May 22, 2009 at 3:59 am
and then came something called, Europeans only. After which many Afrikaners got challenged on their belief in Africa,many European Africans left and now reside in Europe calling themselves African Europeans.During Biebouw’s time the party was still in full swing no wonder he did not want to go back to cold,moral Gatkant!
2 Kameraad Mhambi
// May 22, 2009 at 4:40 am
Hi afrikola, interested to know what would you call yourself?
How is Switzerland and why are you living in cold moral Gatkant?
3 afrikola
// May 22, 2009 at 9:04 am
Hoi Mhambi,I would like to refrain from putting myself into a little box,and yes I’m born in South Africa,and yes I have European roots.Yes,Apartheidiland is allright from what I can see from my perch here, just across the border.They just having a hard time hiding all the evidence of their dealings with the Apartheid regime.But lets get back to the grist of it,Biebouw did not make that statement,because he suddenly identified with a continent and it’s people.Firstly he most probably had not moved within 100km from the Castle and relations with the locals mostly did not go beyond a bit of whoopie.So that statement stemmed more from religious reasons and independance that has persisted within the Volk.Yes,whites can certainly be Africans,but needs to start seeing Africans as their equals.For what could be the meaning of calling yourself an Afrikaner and your language Afrikaans and not identify with a continent and its peoples! Oh yes and Gatkant is just a tongue in the cheek referance to Holland.
4 afrikola
// May 22, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Preevyet Kameraad,a Proleterian Internationalist,Apartheidiland is still promoting Bourgeois Nationalism and trying to keep everything under cover from their workings with Faschist regimes and dictators.Aluta Continua! Gatkant does not refer to Europe,but is a tongue in the cheek referance to Holland.But to get back to the grist ,Biedouw’s utterance was expressed in Dutch at a time that Afrikaans was already spoken by people called Afrikaners that were not white. As far as history was concerned he was drunk and eventually deported to Batavia,got shipwrecked and washed ashore in Australia.For an excellent series of a more balanced view of what happened at the Cape,go and have a look at Afrikaans Hip Hop on Kagablog.Great History lesson.
5 afrikola
// May 22, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Just an afterthought,hope you enjoyed your time in Portugal.
6 Po
// May 22, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I remember reading about this story on Thoughtleader, and I blindly reacted in thinking is racism towards African Americans not actually being entrenched by such blatant qualifiers in their identities?
But what unleashed was a spate of furious African Americans who said that we have no understanding how hard they fought racism to win the name “American”, and how proud they are of their African roots.
To them a white person claiming that title is an insult because they see the name “African American” as a symbol of their freedom and pride of their African roots. It resembles their fight against slavery, and the trauma of their forced removal from Africa, something a white person has no right to claim. Of course a recent African immigrant cannot claim it either!
I understood their argument. I also understand why black Africans do not want us whities to call ourselves African.
But I just wish we could all stop being so obsessed with qualifiers and definitions and just be.
7 afrikola
// May 23, 2009 at 3:20 am
Yes Po,tyour last line says it all!
8 MusicBox
// Jun 8, 2009 at 7:06 am
Interesting. But what sign on novelties of the news?
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