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

[fozzie 41]

Many of our international students from the middle east or north africa are technically caucasion but they don't want to tick that box. People don't like to be categorized so simply.

What does it mean to be technically caucasian?

Many from the middle east consider themselves Asian for these purposes and many from northern africa consider themselves african. The definition of Caucasian has been used to denote the "general physical type of some or all of the indigenous populations of Europe, North Africa, West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia" (Wikipedia).

So technically they are caucasian but they prefer to catagorize themselves differently.

[Scott & Lai 12]

I always tick "Other" on those ethnicity questions.

And I don't specify.

I wrote in "human" in the last census.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The definition of Caucasian has been used to denote the "general physical type of some or all of the indigenous populations of Europe, North Africa, West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia" (Wikipedia).

I am familiar with the definition, but in popular American parlance the word is essentially synonymous with 'white'. And I don't know too many South Asians (for example) who could be called white.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The definition of Caucasian has been used to denote the "general physical type of some or all of the indigenous populations of Europe, North Africa, West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia" (Wikipedia).

I am familiar with the definition, but in popular American parlance the word is essentially synonymous with 'white'. And I don't know too many South Asians (for example) who could be called white.

There's also a White (Hispanic) that I thought was weird.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

There's also a White (Hispanic) that I thought was weird.

Lots of Cubans look white enough to 'pass'. They're the white kids with last names like Gomez but who don't speak a lick of Spanish (or do, but deny it) and are as white bread as that white girl Kaitlin who lives next door.

[fozzie 41]

The definition of Caucasian has been used to denote the "general physical type of some or all of the indigenous populations of Europe, North Africa, West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia" (Wikipedia).

I am familiar with the definition, but in popular American parlance the word is essentially synonymous with 'white'. And I don't know too many South Asians (for example) who could be called white.

On many of these forms that ask this question the options are limited and ambiguous. White is not an option, Arab, chinese etc not options either.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The definition of Caucasian has been used to denote the "general physical type of some or all of the indigenous populations of Europe, North Africa, West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia" (Wikipedia).

I am familiar with the definition, but in popular American parlance the word is essentially synonymous with 'white'. And I don't know too many South Asians (for example) who could be called white.

On many of these forms that ask this question the options are limited and ambiguous. White is not an option, Arab, chinese etc not options either.

They should make those questions pictorial.

Which of the following figures do you most resemble?

A. George Washington

B. W. E. B. Du Bois

C. Mahatma Gandhi

D. Mao Tse Tung

E. Osama Bin Laden

F. J-Lo

Edited May 12, 2009 by Randomizer

[stangguy 0]

It doesn't make a great deal of sense though.

1) It doesn't say whether the guy lived/grew up in Africa or was just born there. I don't know about anyone else - but I wouldn't lay claim to a label of origin unless I had lived in the country for a time or if my parents were from there.

2) The phrase "African American" has a different context in this country - and its a label given to people who have never set foot in Africa, or indeed - who might not be from there at all but have no way of tracing their specific origins.

That doesn't take away from the fact that the abuse suffered by the guy is wrong in the extreme - but I think its reasonable to wonder why the guy would be apparently clueless about the contextual meaning of the phrase, and indeed of how sensitive racial issues are. The guy lives in Newark for God's sake!

The implied definition you are giving would mean Obama is not "African-American". But because his father is Kenyan and he is black it is okay to call him "African-American". The guy in this story was born and likely raised in Mozambique making him more African than Obama.

It is completely believable that he was suspended for making the statement that he is a "white, african, american" in a cultural diveristy class. That type of statement would be considered "conduct unbecoming of a student' in many places. The arrogance of some people in the "education" community is asstounding. People are very protective of their predertmined views of race and ethnic identity and won't let it be challenged if they have the ability to do so.

And this type of response isn't rare. White African-American boy not 'black' enough for award Also, there was a similar incident I believe in Colorado where a white african boy won a scholarship for african-americans but it was later revoked when they found out he was white.

[MIDUVIL 34]

In France, people from north africa, are not really considered like white. They are categorised like ''muslim or arab'', and I don't think that they consider themselves like white people.

Generally speaking I think that when people read those questions ''what is your ethnicity?''-maybe they don't understand because in their country it is not the same categorisation than in another country.

I imagine in France, if it was legal to categorize people , it will be something like that:

-white european

-white not european

-metis

-black from africa

-black from caribbean

-black from not french caribbean

-indian ocean

-asia

-north africa

-other

they will skip:

-latino like here

Scott and lai, the next time, I think that I will put ''other- human''

I only expect that nobody will accuse me about being an ET

[Peikko 1,575]

Because of what PD said, essentially, in the US being 'African American' is not a question of origin but of 'assumed identity'. That's the part that was stupid really and probably time we moved away from labels like this anyway. It's like all that voting malarky based on 'cultural identity'. It fosters these ridiculous arguments like the one that runs, illegal immigrants will vote Democrat so the Democrats will pander to them. Duh!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

African American in common usage isn't an accurate or explicit indication of origin - but it is associated exclusively with blacks.

Race issues being a rather sensitive issue in this country (more so in certain parts of this country) than others - its not surprising that things like this cause tensions.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I believe the student confused national/regional origin with ethnicity and race. It could have been either meant as offensive or an honest sense of identity that ties him to the motherland. And no, I am not kidding.

The "problem" with identity markers is that, although people see it fit to identify others (as in people calling me "Latina"); they have issues when folks self-identify. And when these two clash, the ####### hits the fan.

Cool papers available upon request

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I believe the student confused national/regional origin with ethnicity and race. It could have been either meant as offensive or an honest sense of identity that ties him to the motherland. And no, I am not kidding.

The "problem" with identity markers is that, although people see it fit to identify others (as in people calling me "Latina"); they have issues when folks self-identify. And when these two clash, the ####### hits the fan.

Cool papers available upon request

That sounds about right.

[natty bumppo 289]

It is from Joisey ...

GFY, brokeback.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I believe the student confused national/regional origin with ethnicity and race. It could have been either meant as offensive or an honest sense of identity that ties him to the motherland. And no, I am not kidding.

The "problem" with identity markers is that, although people see it fit to identify others (as in people calling me "Latina"); they have issues when folks self-identify. And when these two clash, the ####### hits the fan.

Cool papers available upon request

That sounds about right.

It is. I am THAT good