Rachel Dolezal's pathological privilege

[Scootaloo]

82. Because race and ethnicity are more like, say, nationality than they are like gender

That is they are group identifiers, rather than individual. You can feel a super-deep connection to, I dunno, mongolia, you can love its culture and people and even learn its language... but unless Mongolia says "Yep, you're a Mongolian" you are not a Mongolian.

Odds are if you live in the United states you know someone who claims to be "part native american" of some sort. Well, does the tribe i question recognize that claim? If not then that person simply is not a part of that people.

Same with Rachel Dolezal.

she can think, feel, and believe she is African-American, if that's what she wants. It's her mind, her conscience, her expression. But, if African-Americans are shooing her off, then the rest of us should probably be accepting their determinations of who is and who isn't.