Bush Making Big Return To White House
Annette Insdorf: The Central Park Five Premieres in Cannes
Paulo Serodio was born and raised in Mozambique. He is a naturalized citizen who has been attending medical school here in the United States. According to a lawsuit filed by Serodio, he was subjected to harassment and ultimately suspended unfairly once he began to define himself as a white African American.Filed last week in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, the lawsuit traces a series of events that Serodio maintains led to his 2007 suspension from school, starting with a March 2006 cultural exercise in a clinical skills course taught by Dr. Kathy Ann Duncan, in which each student was asked to define themselves for a discussion on culture and medicine.
After Serodio labeled himself as a white African American, another student said she was offended by his comments and that his white skin prevented him from defining himself as an African American.
According to the lawsuit, Serodio was summoned to Duncan's office where he was instructed "never to define himself as an African American because it was offensive to others and to people of color for him to do so."
"It's crazy," Serodio's attorney, Gregg Zeff, told ABCNews.com. "Because that's what he is."
Serodio, who lives in Newark, N.J., said he never meant to offend anyone and that calling himself African American is meant to be disrespectful to any one else's cultural heritage. Source: ABC News 'White African American' Sues Med School
I do not see the problem with Serodio defining himself as an African American; he even added the "white" racial descriptor for specificity.
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines African American as "an American of African and especially of black African descent."
"There are people of all races who are African," Serodio said, adding that he's never had a problem identifying himself as an African American until that day in Duncan's class.
[Serodio also stated] "I wouldn't wish this to my worst enemy. I'm not exaggerating. This has destroyed my life, my career." Source: ABC News 'White African American' Sues Med School
Like everyone else, Paulo Serodio has the right to call himself whatever he wants. Why is it anyone else's business? Why would anyone else care?
Community Discussion
+ One Woman's Story as a White African American
Comments: (50)
Add a comment
By: Dr MRT on 5/21/2009 3:02PM
This discussion is peculiar to the confusion that exist within the "black" community. It is just this type of discsussion that sets the course for what oppression, suppression and prejudice has done, not just to blacks, but the residual harm it has done to our wider community. In this century, no matter if the argument of black and white never moves, the reality is we are an ethnic world that actually is defined more now by ethnicity, than color in a sense. Notice, when black people call themselves black, they are void of any significant identification of ancestry. Yet, other groups will be fine with their Italian American, Japanese American, Chinese American identification. Why, because it connects them to land, language and an ancestual identity. The reality is not all black people are African American's and not all White people are European Americans. Ancestry is far wide mobile and therefore, the ancestry of persons, particularly younger ones are vastly affected by the lands, language and places they are both born and reside. The student is clearly an African American, but not black. It defines his ethnic identity of origin, but not his ancestry of his parentage or beginnings. ie., parents may have birthed him in Africa, but they may be from Holland or somewhere else in the UK, etc. For our people to find themselves, we must know our ancestry and be clear that there are times where color is not enough, to define who we are!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: roybaker on 5/22/2009 12:04PM
RICK ROSS IS THE POLICE
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Indy on 5/23/2009 3:40PM
I don't really think it is appropriate for any black person in this country to identify him or herself as African American unless they can be sure they are actually decendents of Africans. Most blacks in this country cannot say where they are from. We all just assume we are descendants of slaves and thereby African.
I am a black woman and prefer to be called a person of color. That is how I describe myself. I have cousins who are darker than I am (and I am black coffee dark), but they speak fluent Spanish b/c their father is Dominican, but society considers them African American b/c that is what they look like. Ridiculous. I have plenty latino acquaintances that look like me, but are Latino, not African.
I work in Human Resources and became angry when I saw every black person at work described as African American (there were no other options). I work with two Jamaicans, and both are considered African American.
I have half brothers and sisters with near white skin and gray eyes, but are considered African American (as in Black) and my husband has beige skin, freckles and gray eyes and considers himself African American (as in Black). Personally, Americans are a mixed up group of people who want to pick and choose categories b/c it makes descrimination easier. Forget race and live your lives.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Firefighter on 5/25/2009 1:11PM
Keep it simple people. There is no African Americans, Irish-Americans, Italian Americans, Mexican Americans, etc. If you are born in United States, then you are AMERICAN! ! ! PERIOD!!! And this White African American is dumb. Since he was born in African, he should be labeled as an Afrincan AMERICAN! ! ! That's the problem with the world, everybody wants to put the color label on everything. Now, if we were discussing nationalities, then that is a different story.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Firefighter on 5/25/2009 1:11PM
And as far as suing this fool suing the school, he is just greedy and looking for a free hand out. He's hoping to catch some of the Bush/Cheney adminstration residue that has contaminated our Court system.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Carole Gregory Beaubien on 5/24/2009 5:55PM
This young man may not be aware of the history/herstory of Afro-Americans who were kidnapped to labor as chattel slaves in North America. Perhaps he could read some L. Bennett and Dr. Dubois to understand our situation. He is, not, the same as I am. All of my ancestors were born here, and many labored as chattel slaves
until we suffered under Jim Crow segregation. "White" in this nation has meant
white supremacy. Does the young man want to proclaim himself as a white supremacy thinker? Perhaps not. It is difficult to say from this short article. To conclude, he could also see Spike Lee's film about Minister Malcolm X to understand why people like me resent his careless use of words. Peace - Carole Gregory Beaubien,
Afro-American as Ida B. Wells called us.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Hold up a Minute on 5/25/2009 6:31PM
Yanno, I feel the term "Africian-Americian" is trendy. It became popular some years back, the name has not always been around. I don't refer to myself as that. I am black. Was raised being called black. I am 45 yrs old. I have raised my children as black. I tell you, I don't like it when a white person ASSUMES that I desire to be called an African Amercian. That bugs the heck out of me. Who gives them the right to assume that. Who told them to call me that? I am not from Africa, neither are my parents, or even my grand-parents. Yes Yes Yes i know about the history, not negating that at all. But I am sure in a few more years, black folx will want to be called something else. Just like how the Kente Cloth got popular a fews back, amongst black folx. Many of us didn't even know the significance behind the cloth, just wearing it because it was "Africian". Anyhoo.....bottom line for me. I am a BLACK WOMAN.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: LaShawn on 5/28/2009 9:08AM
I honestly don't think that we should be called "African Americans" if we've never been to Africa. I'd rather stick with being called "black".
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Anon on 6/05/2009 3:13PM
Hey! Im black. I was born in the U.S. & I have an Irish last name. I know I have family in Ireland, England, the Caribbean, and Central America. My parents never told me that they have any family in Africa. So, I never go by African American. I just go by black. If Paulo was born in Africa & he now lives in Amerca. Of course, he is true African American no matter what color he is.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Mary on 6/13/2009 11:03AM
This has really gotten out of hand. now this man is from africa,what is wrong with claiming what you truly are if one were blk claiming to be white they would have only laughed for certain.but to have white skin & claiming to be black is an insult to whites. I have relatives that are creole & look so white that a white woman slapped my aunt over a parking space & did she get the shock of her life.Its so sad in America that this garbage still exist. I SURELY WISH FOR A CHANGE.
Reply to this Comment | Report This