Egyptian immigrant fights for black classification

[Horus]

Black or white? Egyptian immigrant fights for black classification

From Correspondent Joan MacFarlane

DETROIT (CNN) -- An Egyptian immigrant is suing the U.S. government because they've told him he's white when his entire life he's been black.

   

Mostafa Hefny was born in Egypt and has always been proud of his Egyptian culture and his African ancestry. But when Hefny immigrated to America, the U.S. government told him he was no longer a black man.
"I was not told by Immigration that I was white until I passed the exam for citizenship and then I was told I am now white," he explains.
Hefny initially laughed when told of his new racial classification, but he's no longer chuckling. He recently filed suit against the U.S. government to get his race classification changed back from white to black.
"It hurts me. It definitely hurts me," Hefny says. "It hurts me because I am unable to reconcile my reality as a black person."
In addition to the emotional hurt, Hefny says that when the government changed his race, they also changed his social status.
"Definitely, I would've had more opportunity for advancement and even for hiring had I been considered black," he says. "I was prevented from applying and requesting positions and other benefits for minority person because I knew I was legally white."

Origin determines race

   


One of the problems with the naturalization process, in Hefny's opinion, is that race is classified by geographic location and not ancestry. That's part of the immigration process his lawsuit hopes to change.
The lawsuit targets Directive Number 15 of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. The directive defines black as a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. A white person is defined as having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa or the Middle East.
"In the late '60s and early '70s, they found that different agencies were using different definitions for the same categories of people, and they thought it was important to have comprehensibility across federal agencies," explains Sally Katzen of the OMB.
The OMB is hoping to change the way they define races by revamping the troublesome directive.
"The principle we thought very important is self-identification," Katzen says. "I think that it is almost beyond dispute that an individual should identify himself or herself rather than have someone else do it."
Although it seems the government agrees with Hefny in principle, it refuses to respond publicly to his lawsuit. He expects that response later this year.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/US/9707/16/racial.suit/index.html

[will]

Hefny initially laughed when told of his new racial classification, but he's no longer chuckling. He recently filed suit against the U.S. government to get his race classification changed back from white to black.
"It hurts me. It definitely hurts me," Hefny says. "It hurts me because I am unable to reconcile my reality as a black person."
In addition to the emotional hurt, Hefny says that when the government changed his race, they also changed his social status.
"Definitely, I would've had more opportunity for advancement and even for hiring had I been considered black," he says. "I was prevented from applying and requesting positions and other benefits for minority person because I knew I was legally white."

Should we PRAISE or CONDEMN this EGYPTIAN?

i could be wrong... but it seems to me this article points out lots of the HYPOCRACY in the feelings of solidarity between the MUSLIMS and the AFRICANS... As a rule, we who claim AFRICAN heritage, are a peaceful, loving people, and we are too generous to, and accepting of other people... Usually, while we are being nice to them, they are looking to stab us in the back, and then to muscle in on us in an effort to wrestle from us that which is truly ours.... We've already lost too much of our land, lives and resources to these type people...

Notice, this chap accepted that WHITE classification without questioned and admitted that he even initially laughed about it... He thought it was FUNNY... He did not stop amusing himselkf about it, UNTIL he discovered that being WHITE prevented him from acquiring those things that were meant for those of us that were classified as BLACK or AFRICAN...

He complains that it hurt him (personally) in a financial way, and this is what caused him to file his LAWSUIT... He wanted opportunities from both groups... He wanted what we were RIGHTFULLY entitled to....

He was okay being a dark-skinned Mulim of AFRICAN descent, who is now being classified as WHITE until he was denied additional opportunities.... He will continue being okay with it as long as he is re-classified enough to collect more of the goodies that were destined for us....

i don't think he really wants to be BLACK, he just wants to muscle in on our territory one more time.... i think we should not applaud this type of person, because his law suit does not help any of us at all.... If he's successful, he only take away more of what we have.... BUT considering the HISTORY of NORTHERN AFRICA... Isn't this what they have always done... LQQK at the SUDAN.. Is this not the same thing? Just a different location....

Or, am i just reading this all WRONG??

Peace..

will...

[siger]

have a care when you judge a man's spiritual bearing....

I'm not saying the muslim has my kinship, but all the devils i know (personally) are called Peter, George and the like.

[will]

WOW...

Is it fair to judge one by his name only & not his actions???

i find that very strange as most names were not (personally) chosen... But were given to the individual by others....

i'll continue to use my way, until you prove to me, how infallible ur method is..............

And thanks for the advise...