Muslim activist denies lying about race as her mum says she's 'white as snow'
A queer, Muslim activist who lost her job for misrepresenting her race last month and faced a slew of criticism online has responded, denying that she had lied about her background by pointing her finger at DNA tests and a "note" from her dermatologist - while her mother has gone public to say that her daughter is "white as snow."
Raquel Saraswati, the former chief equity, inclusion, and culture officer of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in Philadelphia had to step down after her colleagues released a letter that challenged the narrative that Saraswati built for herself.
To add further insult to egregious injury, her mother, Carol Perone boastfully told the Intercept, “I’m as white as the driven snow and so is she.”
Saraswati was born Rachel Elizabeth Seidel, and for years, presented herself as a woman of colour whose ethnicity included Latina, South Asian, and Arab heritage. Having to acknowledge that was untrue, Saraswati turned to DNA testing from "popular platforms" she says, ultimately proving that she was supposedly "40 percent North African."
Raquel Saraswati was an activist that got caught lying about her race, but still denies doing so (Getty Images for Family Equality Council)The former activist also sought a dermatologist's opinion, which she posted in response to the allegations. Dr Jayne Bird of Philadelphia wrote: "Raquel has been my regular patient since 2018. As a dermatologist, I classify her skin type as Fitzpatrick Skin Type 4, meaning she has a light brown/olive skin colour. Natural skin colour is determined by genetics, and skin type often represents a blend of ethnicities."
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"The basis of that genetic testing revealed that Raquel is of mixed heritage. Her DNA includes North African (close to 40%), West Asian, Greek and South Italian (these two are grouped as one category representing approximately 6% of Raquel's DNA) and low amounts (<5%) of Nigerian and other ethnicities. Based on this genetic testing and my observations of Raquel as a patient, it is clearly established that she is skin type 4 and skin of colour," continued the dermatologist, who was informed of Rachel's DNA testing.
Her mother though, says they are of British, German, and Italian descent. “I’m German and British, and her father was Calabrese Italian. She’s chosen to live a lie, and I find that very, very sad. I don’t know why she’s doing what she’s doing.” Perone says her daughter converted to Islam in high school, but at some point decided to pretend that she had also grown up a minority, which doesn't align with how she was raised.
Still, Saraswati is choosing to continue as she had in the past - pretending. “We are each the experts on our own lives. Anonymous, troubled, or unscrupulous individuals are not,” Saraswati said in her news release. “Sadly, this extends to some biological and non-biological family members, including my own mother.”
According to experts, the "proof" given by Saraswati is deeply troubling. “We know from the study of genetics and evolutionary biology that there is tremendous variation of skin tone within most racial groups, and there is overlap,” said Wendy Roth, a sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in how genetic ancestry testing influences racial and ethnic identity. “There are a lot of people who are socially considered white who have light brown or olive skin.”
The issue of white women ending up pretending to be part of marginalized groups is not new, neither in the US or the UK, as people like Rachel Dolezal, Jessica Krug of George Washington University, and even George Santos, who was elected to office in Long Island pretending to be lots of things he wasn't.
Saraswati's mother says that her daughter is 'living a lie' and that the family is of European decent (Raquel Saraswati/Twitter)When activists work as a member of a particular group, their opinions and experiences are taken as serious, first-person information - and when it turns out they've been lying, it's particularly manipulative, considering marginalized groups are already facing a tough battle. It also takes good jobs, like Saraswati's, away from more deserving candidates who do have that lived experience. And, once again, goes back to the historical precedent when people of colour's accomplishments are yet again "appropriated."
“People are deeply hurt and damaged by her lies, because a lot of people saw themselves reflected in her being that visible with the identities she claimed to have,” said Abdul-Aliy Muhammad, a former friend of Saraswati’s, and Philly-based writer and organizer. “Overwhelmingly, people are asking themselves, did she construct these identities on her own, or was she planted for purposes of infiltrating space? How did this happen?”
Particularly, in Saraswati's case, the anonymous letter posted on Medium that The Intercept has confirmed is from AFSC members (and has since been scrubbed), they noted that "after 9/11 she appeared in conservative and Islamophobic spaces, including right-wing TV shows, where she was presented as a “moderate” Muslim critical of Islamic extremism."
“People are concerned,” a member of AFSC’s leadership told The Intercept, requesting anonymity to avoid retaliation. “There’s a fear that she could be an agent, because she started her career right-wing. She was a token Muslim voice in that milieu. She never publicly apologized.”
“Imagine the trauma of people who confided in her, trusted her, and shared sensitive information about their work and about their lives, thinking that she’s a fellow person of color,” the AFSC leader said, referring to Saraswati. “And now all of a sudden, it’s a white woman with a right-wing history. It’s scary.”
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