New Jersey student suspended for calling himself white, African, American

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

More details about the lawsuit.

CAMDEN, N.J. (CN) - A white man who was born in Mozambique claims he was harassed, threatened, and suspended from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey because he described himself truthfully, in a course on "Cultural Diversity," as "White, African, American."

Paulo Serodio, 42, says he moved to the United in the 1980s, became a U.S. citizen in the 1990s, and raised his family here. Serodio claims that students and staff members harassed and threatened him after he responded truthfully to a class assignment in which "the students were asked to define themselves and their culture." After defining himself as "White, African, American," Serodio says, he "was harassed by faculty and students who argued that he could not be an African-American because his skin was white in color. The harassment included threats, vandalism to his automobile, disciplinary procedures and suspension from medical school."

The complaint continues: "As a result of the harassment he endured, Mr. Serodio attempted to explain his feelings regarding his self-identification as an African-American by writing an essay calling for tolerance and acceptance of all people by their peers. He sent the essay to the student newspaper for publication. Before it was published, course director Linda Boyd, DO [Dean's Office] unsuccessfully attempted to have the student newspaper editors reject the article. Also before publication, Dean of Student Affairs Thomas Cohen, MD warned Mr. Serodio not to publish the essay or 'his life and career would suffer irreparably'. The essay was published despite the administration's warning. As a result of his essay and comments about his own ethnicity, Mr. Serodio was suspended from the medical school in May 15, 2007, for one year. Re-instatement as a medical student was delayed until June 2008, making it impossible to graduate with less than a two-year loss in Mr. Serodio's schooling and career.

"This lawsuit seeks to recover damages for the humiliation, embarrassment, pain, suffering, academic and economic losses sustained as a result of the wrongful conduct of UMDNJ and its administration."

He demands punitive damages for discrimination, harassment, negligence, hostile environment, and federal and state civil rights violations. He is represented by Gregg Zeff.

I'd be curious to know what was in that essay he wrote.

On the bolded part - I've heard rationales like that before...

Justashooter

Boo Yah

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I highly doubt that he was harassed. They talk about different cultures and races all the time. In one classroom, you'll see an India, Chinese, Black, Latino, person...etc...It's not uncommon to encounter diversity in college or graduate college. Heck, there's more diversity on campus versus in high school.

Something went wrong with this kid. This is what I'm speculating.

What's really weird about this story is that the school in question is a graduate school that specialises in medicine and dentistry courses.

Having your car vandalised and having insulting flyers distributed about you on campus is a bit high school.

Definitely sounds like a fishy story.

Yep. Anyone can file an outrageous lawsuit, but thanks to the internetz, such things become newsworthy before anyone really knows any of the details, or let alone, statements from both sides.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Col. 'Bat' Guano

[Peikko 1,575]

That would be interesting, the essay that is.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

An essay calling for tolerance and acceptance of all people by their peers - I bet good money it was anything but.

[mrsjohnsonscat 7]

Here's the deal. People from other countries always refer to their point of origin as their descriptor, especially first or second generation. You would never hear a person from say China, call themselves Asian-American; they would say Chinese-American; because they know what country they have come from. Asian-American is a short hand created by non asian Americans as a means of racial short-hand; because we can't be bothered to learn about non-white culture and past racial issues.

The same with someone from Africa, which is the largest continent in the world and has literally dozen of countries, scores of nationalities. They would not refer to themselves as African-American, because it has no meaning to them; that is an American term. They know what part of Africa they come from. The white South Africans, I've met, call themselves South African, they don't call themselves African-American; if pressed they would call themselves South African-American, the same as an Irish-American, Mozambique-American or Haitian-American would. The country of nationality always comes first.

Any white African who calls themself African-American, knowing the history of this country concerning Race, is doing so to create a problem or to make a misguided point; African-American is short hand that doesn't apply to them, they know this. African-American is cultural short-hand for people who are decended from the American slave class (regardless of skin color)who no longer know where their exact point of origin is, except in the broadest sense...Africa.

Edited May 13, 2009 by mrsjohnsonscat

[Niels Bohr 72]

At the University level especially in Graduate School, RACE is a matter of irrelevence. They could careless about race. Considering most Med Schools has a minimum GPA admission (typically higher than 3.0) requirements to enroll. And, if they're taking electives in another field...I find that students talk about race all the time, but, they know better to ignore any type of hate because they already know it's untrue since the student body is diverse with everyone majoring in similar fields.

[Scott & Lai 12]

Here's a sample questionnaire for ethnicity:

What if I answer "Half-Elf"?

There's no African American on there, nor is there just an African category. Maybe some questionnaires are poorly written, but I don't see how anyone would be confused as to what each category means.

Why are there so many references to Britain and it's constituency in this Colonel? Did you nick it from some UK site?

Could explain why there is no "African American" option on the questionnaire

Edited May 13, 2009 by Scott & Lai

[msu17 0]

Ok, why was there an assignment in medical school to describe your race. You don't take electives in med school, there isn't time. There usually is a class for ethical issues and societal issues you will face with your patients, but I don't see why any med professor would take the time to read 100 essays from students on their racial background. BUT, med students can be some of the biggest a**holes ever. They love to stir the pot just to hear themselves talk. There are also the students who feel the need to then complain about those students to the dean and make it a huge deal. I'll bet this guy found some way to work it into something in class just to be a jerk. And then all the other students let him get under their skin and took it too far. That is what we do.

[Nikita2Charles 32]

I wouldn't be surprise, of course he's an African american, as a matter of fact our President is a TRUE African America, he actually has African blood, not just by ancestry, or talking of generation back, but mostly the term African-american tend to associate more with black folks with African Ancestry.

Someone can come from Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti, most of the west indies(which is weird by itself since the fella columbus got lost therefore the area got stuck with Indies attachement)

I have a colleague who was born in Zimbabwe he's Indian because the British brought a lot of laborer to Africa from their prospective colonies, He can speak the local African language and so on but He never identify himself as African, mostly as Indian.

It even happens to me one time at my previous company there was this colleague from Eritria African, but he looks really Indian, with indian features, so one time we were talking and I was saying I was the only black in here, he had to remind me really quick, what am I?

My little brother was fascinated one time he was riding this bus, and there was this Gorgeous Blond Hair, Blue Eyes chic that was sitting next to him and she was humming to some of the French, African, and Carriebean songs my brother was listening too, and out of the blue she said it's one of her favorite, when my brother asked her what do you know about Zouk? then she said she's African, she was born and brought up in South Africa, she can speak swailli and several other african languages.

For over centuries the African Continent has been Invaded by so many outside forces, which suck dry the whole continent resources and continue to do so( that's a another story by itself).

It's not surprising to find people with British, French, Portuguese, Italian Background, IT's all the result of the raping of Africa by several colonial powers.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Nikita2Charles

[Heracles 417]

You mean there are white people in Africa? noooo seriously

I thought that the only people who should be identified as "African American" are those who have been separated from the continent for a few hundred years now. 6 or 7 generations that is.

Scratches head. I need to go back to my: "Dummies guide to PC Yank logic".

Ironically I have actually been to South Africa. How many "African Americans" can say that?

Edited May 13, 2009 by Constellation

[jundp 191]

Wow. Did not realize people would find this article so interesting!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Wow. Did not realize people would find this article so interesting!

Right-wingers skip an opportunity to express their outrage? Never happen.

[mrsjohnsonscat 7]

You mean there are white people in Africa? noooo seriously

I thought that the only people who should be identified as "African American" are those who have been separated from the continent for a few hundred years now. 6 or 7 generations that is.

Scratches head. I need to go back to my: "Dummies guide to PC Yank logic".

Ironically I have actually been to South Africa. How many "African Americans" can say that?

interesting you put "African Americans" in quotes. Do you put "Irish Americans" in quotes? Because I know many, many Americans who have been separated from Ireland for several hundred years, who have never been there who don't speak Gaelic, yet no one seems to have a problem with them calling themselves Irish Americans. Hell we even have a parade here in New York, where the streets run green with the Irish and yet no one questions their attempts to tie themeselves to a continent they have been separated from or try to dimish them, with little quotes, as if they don't really exist.

Edited May 13, 2009 by mrsjohnsonscat

[natty bumppo 289]

Wow. Did not realize people would find this article so interesting!

Right-wingers skip an opportunity to express their outrage? Never happen.

why should they ... when the left-wangers have a habit of blazing the trail ?

[sj5 4]

He should say I'm Mozambican-American to avoid unethical bs.