White dental student suspended after calling himself African American
By Wendy
@jerzgirl (9291)
United States
May 13, 2009 8:19pm CST
Yeah - that's right. And, it's a school in New Jersey, too. Not only that, but the kid was BORN in Africa (definitely part of what makes one African, don't you think?) and is a US citizen (something that legally qualifies him to be an American, do you not agree?)
Well, it seems some of his fellow students and not a few of the college staff and faculty told him he could not identify himself this way. People put up posters around campus making fun of him, he was verbally harassed, assaulted and his car vandalized. Yet, HE was suspended for "conduct unbecoming a student"!?!!?! WTF????
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/new_jersey/44721602.html?cmpid=15585797
I know that racial identities are sensitive to many, but like it or not, Africa is not all Black, even if they are the majority. So, why does being African American HAVE to mean Black? Even Jamaicans don't want to be so identified. They will say they are Jamaican, not African American, because of where they were born - not where their ancestors came from. So, why is it so wrong for a White kid to so identify. Shouldn't he be proud to be from Africa even as he is proud to be an American citizen? How do you feel about his suing on the basis of discrimination?
Is it just me? Or is this something that has gone too far and needs to be reigned in? Isn't this what some of this PC identifying can bring on? And, I'm not knocking legitimate PC issues.
Which brings on another questions that is kind of sidebar related.....if it's not OK for Hispanics to fly the flags of their countries of origin (and I don't mean after disrespecting ours), why is it OK to drive through a neighbor of predominately Irish or Italian descent and see only Irish or Italian flags flying? At least the Hispanics were BORN in the country of that flag. These other groups have been here multiple generations, yet they don't fly the US flag - only their ancestral country flag. So, has this racial/cultural identity idea possibly gone too far?
(Just so you understand - I do NOT want to see the loss of culture! Every culture is special and transmits history on to the next generation. I just want to see the elimination of divisiveness. No one group OWNS a national or continental heritage.)[b][/b]
5 people like this
12 responses
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
14 May 09
Charlize Theron is a proud Africana and she's white, but i presume people haven't checked their Geography lessons lately or they wouldn't have made an issue of this..
Same issue of children born of one black and one white parent..they are expected to say they are black even if they are like Peggy Lipton's daughters..
2 people like this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
25 May 09
Hi RoseKitty! So good to see you back on Mylot.
I've noticed that before, too. Seems that people
want to classify others by the color of their skin;
pigeon hole them into a nice little category.
Or, they expect the person to classify themselves
by the color of their skin.
It's preschool all over again.
However, a person wants to be identified is fine with me.
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
14 May 09
Well blow me down woman, where HAVE you been. Some of us were ready to send out the Mounties! SOOOOOOO good to see you! You've been so missed I had to bake a batch of brownies myself! Yech!
@peetred (272)
• United States
14 May 09
Believe it or not I deal with this ignorance often. People think that just b/c my son is dark skinned that his father is african-american; As if all dark skinned people come from Africa and all light skinned people come from everywhere else. First of all my son is American. Second of all, my son's father was born in Cuba. So that would make his father cuban-american. So technically, if you go by the rules they set for "african-americans" today, my son would be a "cuban-american". My son is mulatto and it only takes a 3 year old to tell you that he's not black, he's BROWN!
I think it all comes from an ignorance of culture. Some people want everything to be black or white, and it's not.
@iriscot (1289)
• United States
14 May 09
There are a lot of cruel persons in this world and such harassement is just one case. It's a shame, but it starts in the lower grades, particularly about the clothing that some wear because their parents can't afford to dress their children like the so called "upper class".
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
14 May 09
Blacks in England consider themselves British. As is only right as they were born there. When they visit America they identify themselves as British. If this kid was born in Africa he has every right to call himself African American.
If I want to identify myself as Irish American no one is going to make a fuss.
I think he needs to sue. Just on the basis of suspending him over the issue. Let's see if the ACLU does something worthwhile for a change.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
14 May 09
I think that you are going to get a lot of flak from this post but I know that you can handle it. He should not have been suspended because of the ignorance demonstrated by the people at his school.
You are so right about Jamaicans. The motto here is "Out of many, one people." And that obviously means that out of many races we are one people. They do not consider themselves to be African American or African Jamaica at all. They are Jamicans. Having said that there are some Rastafarians who would like to 'go back to Africa' and no one is stopping them.
With regard to flag raising. I always admire the USA citizens for displaying their country's flag. If they want to display another flag then it should be LOWER than the USA flag and should not be the only flag flying! Yes, keep your culture, nothing wrong with that but respect the flag of the country that yoiu are a part of. BLessings
1 person likes this
@BishounenNerd (373)
• United States
14 May 09
He is right. He is African American. I would say it's because our culture is brainwashed into thinking that a person who is black is automatically African American, when they could be Jamaican. In the same sense, people automatically assume people who are white are automatically "Caucasian", whatever that's supposed to mean... So then this guy comes along and says, "I'm African American". Somehow, everyone is panicking because this guy broke their idea of what is considered normal. It's like this story I heard:
These guys are living in a cave, and they've been there for all their life. One day, one guy walks outside of the cave, and he finds grass and sky and all this other stuff. So he goes back to the cave to tell them about what he saw, but everyone thinks he's crazy, because they've never seen it, so they criticize him for it.
What's happening in the dental college is exactly like what happened in that story. What irks me the most about this, though, is that it's coming from a COLLEGE! Aren't professors and students supposed to be... You know... Smarter than that?
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
14 May 09
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe what we know as Jamaicans were originally slaves from Africa. Still, as I said in my post being from that country they have every right to call themselves Jamaican.
@BishounenNerd (373)
• United States
14 May 09
Well, he was from Africa, so he should not have gotten in trouble for it. I mean, if they really had that much of a problem saying he was African American, then they should at least figured out if he was lying instead of just assuming he was... Besides, people put too much importance in skin color, anyway. It's just melanin.
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
14 May 09
I think he probably has a good case there. I don't understand WHY people don't want to just consider themselves "Americans" they were born here, their parents were born here. Heck, their ancestors were offered a chance to return to Africa to a place called Liberia and they chose not to return. Why? because they knew that this place had a better chance of their becoming something more than they would be in Africa.
if these - so called "African-Americans" want to be "African" so badly, they should go back!
@BishounenNerd (373)
• United States
14 May 09
I think you're missing the point... They call themselves African American because they live in America, but they are of African descent. That's what makes them African. In the same sense, I could be called "Italian American"!
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
14 May 09
No, I'm not missing the POINT!
The POINT is they live in AMERICA, the U.S.A., not Canada, NOT Mexico - would they still call themselves African Americans in Canada? NO, maybe African-Canadians, but... I doubt it.
So, Frigging WHAT? My ancestors came from Germany, Ireland, England, Scotland - but what SHOULD I CALL MYSELF??? a German/Irish/English/Scot-American? No, I call myself an AMERICAN! I consider myself a citizen of the United States. Now, I have as much right to call myself an American as a citizen of Brazil or Cuba does, but we don't seem to have a designation for U.S. citizens, we presume to call ourselves something as inclusive as "Americans."
If they want to call themselves "AFRICANS" they can go back to that poor continant with all their racial strive, their hatreds for each other, their diseases, their AIDS epidemic. If they want to be "AMERICANS" then they should become color blind - but I don't see that happening. Why are light colored members considered better and more beautiful than their darker cousins in their communities? They are the worst about crime on each other, I lived in a black neighborhood for 4 years and the black on black crime was much worse than the black on white crime. Heck, the burglers PRACTICED on their NEIGHBORS before they got promoted to the white neighborhood! So, who do you think got robbed more? The neighbors!
They NEED to stop blaming everything on COLOR and get down to living right, stop sleeping around having babies they can't take care of, stop victumizing their neighbors and start being good citizens.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
14 May 09
if he's from there,he should be able to call himself that if he wants to.
you'd be amazed how many people don't know there's a diverse population over there.
you'd think at least ONE person on the staff would know though.
yea,he should sue them.they're being ignorant and terrorizing him.
ten to one suing won't make the problem any better for him though..
@marcialoyd (1173)
• United States
14 May 09
That is so sad. If he was born in Africa and he is an American then yes he is definitely an african american reguardless of the color of his skin. I hope he wins his suit. I don't see anything wrong with people flying their own countries flag in america but they should fly an american flag right next to it. There is nothing wrong with remembering their heritage and where they are from. Now in cases i've seen where they fly their own flag and then fly the american flag upside down next to their own countries flag on American soil. It is then that I have a problem.
@lyzabelle (1668)
• Philippines
14 May 09
This is not right. Of course this world is getting crazier
everyday. If only people will be more understanding,more kind
and more loving, we can definitely live a peaceful world. But
as the saying goes...we don't act and talk the same...means only
one thing, differences will prevail. Sad but true.
@tundeemma (894)
• South Africa
14 May 09
this is a real nasty situation, why would a student be harrassed because he called himself a black american, what if he called himself a caucasian will he be punished like this, it is time this racial discrimination is put to an end or should we wait till Obama is assassinated before we voice out? it is bsolutely unacceptable
@mama_bear (1118)
• Canada
24 May 09
wow i cannot actually believe that. i personally as a black person think that he is well within his rights to call himself african american as he is an african + american hybrid. how dare those close minded people. this is what happens when you come up with non racial difinitive phrases. im my opinion being a child of africa, it is either you're black or white or mixed race. but in this age of being politically correct along comes african american, where is there a petition so that i can sign up to end this foolishness towards this student. they should leave him alone. in my opinion a lot of people who have issues with racial labels are themselves mildly racist or seperatist, hence the chip on their shoulder. end the madness people, seriously where can i sign up?
