Can a white guy be an African American?

That is sad. people need to get over themselves and realize that they don't "own" labels or categories or what have you. The world is round and didn't start with the united states. He has every right to identify however he chooses, based on his experiences (not anybody elses) and I see nothing offensive about it. When we learn and see that there ARE white Africans just as there are generations of pearly white West Indians from Jamaicans to Trinidadians. What exactly is the problem, care or fascination when this country knows there are Black Italians? foolishness. utter foolishness.

Um...the dude was born and raised in Africa, then emmigrated to America? That would definitely be an "African American". I guess a better question is, when a Black person from America goes to Africa, would Africans consider us African Americans or just plain Americans?

Alton, you just hit the nail on the head. That's the issue with ridiculous labels. It's simple as this. Anyone born in the US is American. Anyone born outside of the US then gains citizenship here is a -American. Everything else senselessly muddies the water. By that definition this man IS African-American and the vast majority of blacks in this country are simply American.

If he or she was born in Africa and of white parents, he or she would be more African American than those of us who are black and born here, which is why labels just don't cut it anymore.

Thats why I personnaly refer to myself as NUBIAN,because any white born ni Africa that omes to America is African American.NUBIAN IS more descriptive of decendants of the Kingdom Nubia.

What is wrong with people? If he wants to call himself an African American so be it. He is entitled to label himself however he chooses. The fact that he was born in Africa and migrated to America does in fact make him an African American. I am black, part of my ancestry is African but I have never been there and do consider myself African American. This guy has more connection with Africa than I do, more power to him. Those who get offended by this need to get a grip!

Don't reporters do any research anymore? Let's get something clear. THIS MAN IS NOT BEING SUSPENDED FOR CALLING HIMSELF AFRICAN-AMERICAN. He is being suspended for comments he made on classroom discussion boards and other correspondence. This article does not mention this crucial fact and does not report what he wrote that got him into trouble. The article is deliberately misleading readers so that they will be outraged over something THAT DID NOT EVEN HAPPEN, and most commenters on this thread are falling for it. It sounds like the reporters just ripped this story off from another news source (probably abcnews), which buries this fact in a single line, and did not read the whole article so they are only reporting part of the story. What happened to journalistic integrity and getting the WHOLE story?

African-American is an ethnicity for descendents of American slaves...No one who immigrates from Africa (black or white) is African American..They would be Nigerian-American, Kenyan-American, etc.

DiMi, If the report is incorrect and not the whole truth, then please enlighten us all as to what was the whole truth. AA, Do you know all the African countries, most Americans don't, therefore the easiest would be to say I am from Africa, anyone interested may then ask which part of Africa, if it made such a difference.

The term african american was given to us by America...therefore here in America,blacks or that other horrible "n" word was replaced by the term african american. This gentleman cant come to this country and change a meaning ,infact most white people in South Africa are of german decent. I am offended that he came to this country and attempted to change something. Why cant people who migrate here...abide by our rules... its crazy,if he was warned and still bucked authority,he got what he asked for...period. I know he had to abide by rules in his country. Same principle for the good old USA.

AA you are correct. This foreing born White man cannot be African American--I don't care where he is from. The term "African American" refers to an ethnic group composed of American born descendants of African slaves. It does not designate a nationality, like Canadian, British or French--it designates a group by race, culture and a common history. So the answer is NO. Just because he was born in Africa and now has American citizenship, he is not African American. He is a person born in Africa now living in America (calling him an African is debatable too). If he is too stupid to understand that difference, then he has no business in dental school anyway. The fact that he called himself a "White African American", not "African American" indicates to me that he does know there is a difference (he's not Black!), but he is just trying to be "too cute by half" and make an argument for reinstatement to school.

Can a White guy be Black? I'm going to have to tread lightly on this "Hot Topic" because all I'm getting is "Comment Pending." Let me see...Yes! A White Guy can be Black if he first learns to respect and love our women and culture. Next, he must have some sort of natural rythm, enjoy playing cards at picnics, and of course love Oprah. Next, he must be able to deliver the goods to the Sista he is dating and never speak of such things publicly. Finally, he must always carry his "Get out of the Ghetto Free Card" or we may never see him again. A White guy can be Black, but it's hard. I'm not a racist, I'm a realist. Now welcome to my world...Can a Black man pull off being White? Peep dat? I'm back!

@AA and Cmoney, Um, yes... if someone was from Africa and became a naturalized American, "African-American" is a correct term. The guy is "Mozambiquan-American" as well as "African-American". Just like I'm of Chinese ancestry so I am "Chinese-American" as well as "Asian-American".

My friend Mr. Chen was born and raised in Mozambique, and immigrated to US 30 years ago. He does not speak any Chinese, but he speaks Portuguese (the official language of Mozambique) and English (the official language of US). He and his wife go back to visit their families in Africa every year. (How many Blacks here do that?) We all call him African-American, and he accepts it.

Monica, your analysis is flawed. For one thing, Africa is not a country. China and Mozambique are. China, like Japan, have very racially heterogenuous populations. Therefore, to describe someone as Chinese or Japanese could refer to that person's ethnicity and/or their nationality. For example, a person calling himself Chinese American could have been born in China and immigrated to the US or have been born in the US of Chinese parents. Describing someone as African does not define their nationality or necessarily their ethnicity (most Algerians could not be described as Black, but they are African). IN THIS COUNTRY "African-American" does not refer to White people and certainly not to White people born outside the United States. It is an American ethnic subgroup of the African diaspora composed of the American born descendants of African slaves. Most can trace their ancestry to the American South and East Coast and further back to West Africa. We are mostly Christian. We speak English. We have our own universities and corporate institutions. We are completely intertwined with the history of the United States--the good, bad and the ugly. Haitians, Jamaicans, Dominicans, Mozambiquans, Cubans, etc. no matter how Black and beautiful they may be--are not African-American. A White descendant of the colonizers of Mozambique does not share my culture or ethnicity. I don't understand why that is so difficult for people to undrstand. How would you like it if someone said there was no difference between the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese?

African American is also a political label. So, if this Mozambican born white guy ran away from Mozambique because of Samora Machel in 1975, he is very likely to be one big racist. So, he does not deserve to be called African American. And most likely he is doing this to insult black people in America...

Would be good to get the whole story. One thing most white people who leave Africa to EU or Oz or America want to wash themselves of is Africa. This one is odd.

The United States Department of Immigration, now known as the Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Agency defined the term African=American as a person (Any)(Black/White), born in Africa. That has been the legal definition since the the late 1800's. The U.S. Census Bureau followed suit in 1870-80. When they immigrate and are given naturalized U.S. citizenship they are also given a new birth certificate that designates them as African-American, thus they have a legal as well as ethnative right to call themself African-American. Afrimericans, i.e., Black people born in the U.S. were fooled into thinking because they were/are Black skinned that they are automatically African which is somewhat stupid on it's face because Australia was also an all Black nation prior to European invasion of it. Furthermore for one to be African one would, or should know more about the place other than what the read in the paper or see on TV, or get from hand me down gossip that has little to no academic, or social validity. The average Afrimerican has never been and will never go to Africa. Does not know what tribe they may ascend from(It should be noted hundreds if not thousands of tribes were completely wiped out, thus who they were is no longer known), they can't give any geographical detail of Africa they may have had ascendant relation to. The Afrimerican race was sold a false idea based on the idea and wishful belonging to Africa in a way that time and generations of assimilation has removed them from. It's unfortunate most Afrimericans don't even stop to use common sense in this matter.

AFRIMERICAN: But who does it really matter to? How one defines themselves as anything. No identity label I know of is not-fluid or definitionally or historically accurate. Names and labels really often serve varied purposes, some historic but mostly semantic, romantic, political purposes. And I think this at some point served political reasons. I mean it's not different to being Black. Or African. What does Africa mean? There is no way we could ever get historically or definitionally accurate about these labels.

It's like calling oneself a christ's follower. I mean Jesus died a long time ago. That's if he was even there. But there you have it, millions are more than happy with the label.

This article is extremely one sided. As a student at New Jersey Medical School and a former classmate of Paulo Serodio, I witnessed the numerous incidents that culminated in Paulo’s suspension. The disciplinary action was widely supported by the student body because of Paulo’s overt racism and blatant disregard for the viewpoints and feelings of others. The suspension had nothing to do with Paulo identifying himself as an African American, but rather was based on repeated, offensive comments he made in public forums of the NJMS community.Paolo published an article in the NJMS Plexus (school newpaper) belittling the significance of African American history and slavery. In addition, he wrote that most blacks had no right calling themselves African Americans, as they have never been to Africa, and posited that only people like himself were worthy of the label African-American. Fellow students were understandably incensed at being told how to identify themselves, and numerous rebuttals followed. Furthermore, he went on to make racist and sexist jokes in scribe notes (notes taken for the entire class during lectures) as well as emails, further belittling black culture. As a means of responding to his critics, one memorable public email referred to the course director as “Ms. Piggy” and referenced a “lynch mob” being after him. The obvious parallel to public lynchings of blacks in times past did not go unnoticed.

I co-sign C-money People dont understand that ethnic African Americans have a 400 year old culture in the United States. We also INVENTED the term African-American (jeese jackson to be exact). "Asian-American" is not a govt defined racial or ethnic group..Your RACIAL group is Asian, you have several different ethnic groups under that (Japanese, Chinese, Indian, etc.)...Black is our RACIAL group..African American is one of many ethnicies under the black race. The more I think about it the more racist its becoming..You cant just act like the past 200 years of American history never happened. Ethnic African Americans have European last names and a non-immigrant backgroud.We invented practically all American music.How is this NOT a unique ethnic group!

White people born in African countries should never,ever be classified as true Africans. They are merely persons of European descent who were born on the African continent. It makes no differance how many generations they have been in their respective African countries they will never be considered truly African. They can only be known as a Portugese-Mozambiquean or an English-Zimbabwean,ect. In the U.S. only Black people can be correctly referred to as an African-American because we are all descended from the indigenous peoples of the Motherland.

V Jain, I thought as much.

Since I believe the identity of African America is political to me, many more African Americans must then begin feeling and acting more like Africans in that political sense. African Americans must start supporting African causes to establish peace and stability in the continent. Start looking after your "mother".

It is embarrasing to me to meet big groups of young white Americans in places like Lesotho or Botswana who go to villages to work on agricultural projects and teach literacy and other skills to African rural women AND in those groups there are hadrly any young black Americans

Otherwise the whole political purpose of such a label is meaningless. And in fact it creates resentment among many Africans. American Blacks who identify as African Americans are in much better positions to contribute positively to the welfare of Africa. The label should not be used only for window dressing in those "60 minute poetry slams" but should be used for active participation and real political engagement. Then most of the noise about the term not being appropriately appropriated will die out.

Your home is where your accent is. And one has to ACT being an African American. For goodness sake pick a country out of 52, do some research, find a political cause to engage in and which will keep you rooted politically. There are a million of them.

And of course there will be negative comments discouraging you and practical challenges, but it should not matter, if one is serious enough about being African American.

My question is what did he call himself when he was in Africa.A native person or a white man.

hello, why is it that people can not stop refering to a person by the color of his skin ( Black and White)It should always be Americans and African Americans I have my thoughts about why but I will wait and see

jim brown, i think it's because we belong to the animal kingdom. maybe in a few hundred years time. we will not be able to refer to skin colour. but i suspect we may still find other physical traits to use to discriminate ourselves. say colour of eyes. that's what animals do and it's that basic.

You're all human beings with bright red blood;Worldlanders.

Thank you DiMi and V Jain for redirecting this discussion on ethnicity. Paulo Serodio's lawyers have their work cut out for them. We should be able to "label" ourselves but often cannot. Students in Portland, Oregon, who are of mixed ethnicity, do not have the option of marking a box mixed ethnicity. "White" father and a "black" mother? You do not have the choice of marking white, you will be marked as black. If you refuse to mark the box a secretary will mark it for you, and mixed ancestry does not get marked white. Most of Russia is in the "continent" of Asia, so will you be Asian American or Russian European American? If you are an Alaskan "Indian", you can't register as Native American, Alaskan Native is your label. Pacific Islander? Japan is/are islands in the Pacific. An indigenous/native from Guatemala?, and you don't speak Spanish? You will be labelled Hispanic American AND will probably be labeled "white" even though you are much darker than many "blacks". And if we are going to use colors, what happened to brown, red, and yellow? What is/are the "colors" for the "middle eastern" peoples? Latinos? Are we still "honoring" the conquests of the Romans, the "Romanz languages", especially to differentiate groups from the Caribbean and Brazil? A friend from the Philippines found pride in being forced to register as OTHER! So as just an "other", perhaps we can now debate being aliens and non-aliens, illegal or otherwise. Why not simplify the whole thing and use "us" and "them"?

THANKS V JAIN! I knew this story didn't make much sense. You added the missing details.

ed cookman.

ha ha ha, you have the missing link...

It's sad the main stream media still insists on promoting the use of label on a group of people here in America which often times does not accurately apply. People like Charlize Theron, Dr. Christiaan Barnard (the distinguished hear surgeon, John Michael Coetzee (winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize in Literature), Danny K (the comedian) Rory Sabatini (PGA Golfer) and others would be more appropriately labeled “African Americans” then most Black people here in American who have never set foot on the continent of Africa nor were born there. Most Black people in America today are a cultural mix. The media's continued use to "mislabel" such people incorrectly is somewhat racist to state that all Black people are African American. I am not. In fact, even our current President who’s father is from Africa is not because his mother is white which at best would make him a White/Black American as he was born not in Africa but America. In our quest to be politically correct we have become blind. To categorized a group of people as “African American” based on the color of their skin is racist (as your label is based on what you perceive to be their race.) Regardless of the "urgings" of Mr. Jesse Jackson, just because a person has black skin does not make him or her an African American. Just ask any South American, Dominican, Cuban, Haitian, Jamaican, Columbian or Dominican person. In fact, if our historical records are correct that man originated in Mesopotamia, (which is in Africa) then we all are "Africans” and all Americans are “African Americans.” Sounds pretty stupid doesn’t it? So does the use of the term “African American.” We are Americans. Period.

Im confused though, did they have a problem with him adding the "African" cuz he was white? or the "American" cuz he wasnt born here?? Either way you spin it, it is retarded, if he was born in Africa he is African, if he is now a citizen he is American..hense the title "AFRICAN-AMERICAN" I want to know who complained and harassed him cuz I damn sure dont want their dumbasses as a doctor when they graduate

I feel strongly that there are many details regarding Paulo's expulsion have been intentionally or unintentionally left out of this report. Moreover ,Paulo by its very definition is an African American. He is not black. I view myself as black. In particular I'm half guichee/gullah through my mom(maternal St Simon Island, Brunsick Georgia) and Black Southern/Creole/ West Indian through my dad. Black to me is more encompassing to my identity nonetheless the term is sometimes interchangeable and it doesn't bother me. My goal is equality and progression. Still as someone who has received his degree in History writing on this very topic I understand that there exist a rift between African reality and Black American conscientiousness. Both are blinded to the needs of the other and both are futures are invested in one another. Many Africans have negative views of black Americans as well as West Indians...etc, and vice versa. Children of the diaspora, all 300 million of us outside Africa have an obligation to ourselves and each other to begin the dialogue and the healing. We were sold into slavery in many cases by our own brothers and sisters.Fact. It has happened, it is finished. Where do we go from here? Using this point as introduction into Black Identity one should began to understand the complexities of Blackness for the purposes of this comment I'm limiting my discussion or focus to the US. We have bigger fish to fry than Paulo nonetheless if we tell story lets give the full picture.

The crux of the problem is that "African-American" is an ill-conceived term which should be dropped from common use because it is misunderstood and misused. The term "African American" itself is descriptive of someone’s ethnicity (i.e. descendants of sub-Saharan Africans who were brought to America as slaves and developed their own unique culture) but is more commonly used to refer to race (i.e. people with Negroid craniofacial anatomy of any ethnicity.) Unfortunately, the ethnic term African American has been substituted for the race descriptor “Black” in our culture. It is like describing a temperature with a word that describes a color. Some things that are hot are red but not everything that is red is hot. This is why it causes so much controversy. I will add a few facts to the discussion. Jesse Jackson was not the first person to use the term African American. It has been used since the 19th century and Abraham Lincoln is thought to have been one of the first to use the term. Some of the bloggers feel the term should be limited to descendants of Black slaves. Then what do we call someone like Barack Obama who is obviously part Black but whose ancestors were not brought here as slaves. Is he an African-African American? I have a good friend from Africa who has dark skin but has Caucasoid craniofacial features because his ancestors came from India. His family has been in Africa longer than any Black families have been in America. He has more right to call himself African than any of us have to call ourselves American. He now lives in the U.S. He would not consider himself Black but he certainly has claim to be an African American. Some of you will no doubt object, but his skin is black. However, he is a Caucasian and does not look like a sub-Saharan African. Therein lies the problem with this term. We now have a Black President. Let’s move forward and remember that we are all AMERICANS. United we stand, divided we fall.

Anybody with common sense knows that this guy cant be African american.The reason why Black americans are ethnically called African American is because we cant pinpoint specifically what African country we come from because of slavery ,but we do know that we come from moslty west and central Africa. The term shows that we are Americans who of African descent i.e African American.This white guy who was born in mozambique can directly pinpoint his country of birth which makes him a mozanbiquen american,just like a person who is from irelan but is now an American citizen is irish american.The only reason individuals like him are trying to label themselves African American instead of mozambiquen American is because he's trying to benefit from things like Afirmative action for admission to colleges and other programs geared towards Black Americans. He wants to benefit from the suffering that our ancestors went through to give us better opportunities in America. We can't sit back and allow people who's ancestors enslaved us to all of a sudden try to manipulate and use the term African american to benefit themselves when they truly know that they are not the descendants of slaves but they are the descendants of the slave master.

y'all niggaz are crazy