Teresa Heinz Kerry: 'I'm an African American'

Newsmax ^ | 2/24/03 | Newsmax

[paltz]

Teresa Heinz Kerry: 'I'm an African American'

First lady-wannabe Teresa Heinz Kerry sometimes describes herself as an "African American," even though she grew up amidst segregated privilege in colonial Mozambique.

"My roots are African," she told a reporter in 1995. "The birds I remember, the fruits I ate, the trees I climbed, they're African."

Throughout the 1990s, Heinz Kerry referred to herself as "African American," the Baltimore Sun revealed on Tuesday. And when her use of the term set off a firestorm of controversy in 1993, she defended the claim.

"African-hyphen-American belongs to blacks," Heinz Kerry's spokesman told reporters, insisting that it was proper for his boss to call herself African American as long as no hyphen was used or intended.

The one-time Republican's depiction of herself as African rankles some who knew Heinz Kerry in the days when her father ran a medical clinic in Mozambique.

Some say the wealthy "African American" has snubbed blacks in her homeland, because she has done next to nothing with her vast Heinz Foods fortune to improve living conditions there.

"We are proud she is a daughter of the land," Neo Simbine, 75, a retired black nurse who worked with Heinz Kerry's father, told the Sun. "But you have to live what you say. If she really loves Mozambique and has lots of money, why doesn't she build us a hospital?"

Heinz Kerry's fortune is equal to nearly a quarter of Mozambique's annual Gross Domestic Product.

But aside from a contribution to her homeland's Save the Children Fund, the woman who repeatedly invokes her Mozambican roots has limited her generosity.

A spokeswoman for the Heinz Foundation said the prospective first lady would give more if she were more confident the money would be managed properly.

[Always Right]

Assuming the theory of evolution is correct we are all decedents of Africa, thus we are all African-Americans.

[workerbee]

In fact, I hope she repeats it....in a black church

Oh, me too. I hope she says it often. All summer long on the campaign trail would be nice.

Again we're to the obvious question -- can you imagine if Kerry were a Repub running for prez while his wife made this claim? Do you think we'd be reading it from Newsmax or on page 1 of the NY Times (for 6 mo. running?)

[mhking]

Though her description is accurate, who will take bets that the Soul Patrol will give her a pass when they'd take anyone else to task?

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[antiRepublicrat]

It's like that African-American kid who was suspended for running for "Distinguished African-American" in his school. He was born and raised in Africa, but he made the mother of all mistakes in the PC world: being white.

[MinuteGal]

I live in Florida, but I'm really an Irish-French-Germanic-Illinoisan-Floridian-American, and don't anybody forget it, by golly!

Leni

[Hon]

"First lady-wannabe Teresa Heinz Kerry sometimes describes herself as an "African American," even though she grew up amidst segregated privilege in colonial Mozambique."

She also was schooled in South Africa.

She may well have lived in bad old South Africa most of the time she was in Africa.

[the invisib1e hand]

"I was born a poor black child..."

Steve Martin, The Jerk.

"I was born a poor black child."

Theresa Kerry, The Jerk's Wife.

[beachn4fun]

I was thinking along the same lines as you, except more like, "why does everyone who doesn't have money think that those that do are suppose to give them some?"

[duckbutt]

I had to be lassoed into a "diversity" indoctrination for work. I declared myself African-American much to the chagrin of the black instructor - - when asked to explain, I said, "sure, my grandmother was an Egyptian Coptic Christian who came to America as a young girl." I was more attached to the "motherland" than she sure was.

I did point out that not all Africans are black - - and you could see the light dawn in her eyes. I think I was a hero to some of the others made to attend this awful course.

Pat

[Agnes Heep]

Some say the wealthy "African American" has snubbed blacks in her homeland, because she has done next to nothing with her vast Heinz Foods fortune to improve living conditions there.

Apart from giving them ketchup to improve the taste of their missionary.

[dfwgator]

And when her use of the term set off a firestorm of controversy in 1993, she defended the claim.

Funny how when she was married to a Republican it "set off a firestorm of controversy," yet now you don't hear anything about it.

[anniegetyourgun]

The blatant media bias is stunning.

[Semper Paratus]

Actually she's not an 'African American'. She's an African.

But so is Ghadaffi.

[sphinx]

The lady seems to be inclined to bait the pigment worshipers and have a little fun with the PC crowd. Good for her.

[ladyjane]

"why does everyone who doesn't have money think that those that do are suppose to give them some?"

Not every one. Democrats and liberals tend to think this way.

[man of Yosemite]

Why not just say she's African, and drop American altogether. If I moved to Germany, would they call me an American German? No, they'd call me an American, and skoff at my claim to be German. Even though I am of German heritage, German's don't consider me German but American. She can keep her claim to Africa, and we can keep her out of our White House.

[tutstar]

Reminds of Clinton's "depends on what your definition of 'is' is" statement.........

Since she doesn't use a hyphen it shouldn't be offensive....LOl

But if you weren't born in a place you shouldn't refer to yourself as being a native of that place. Just ask any Texan they'll tell ya!

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

"'I'm an African American' "

And if she wasn't worth $600 million, Kerry and the rest of the Rats would take her for granted too!

[tutstar]

Reminds of Clinton's "depends on what your definition of 'is' is" statement.........

Since she doesn't use a hyphen it shouldn't be offensive....LOl

But if you weren't born in a place you shouldn't refer to yourself as being a native of that place. Just ask any Texan they'll tell ya!

[AlaskaErik]

A spokeswoman for the Heinz Foundation said the prospective first lady would give more if she were more confident the money would be managed properly.

Too bad the liberals don't have the same philosophy when they're spending wasting the taxpayer's money.