"LaRon James was born in New York City and raised in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem. He is of African American and Dominican descent."

So what? He's still not Dominican.

I have cousins that are half Polish, half Italian, half Puerto Rican, etc..and many of them self-identify as Dominicans when asked. It is their right to do so and I'm pretty sure that none of them would give a damn if someone else thought that they were Dominican or not.

I do not doubt it. In Australia we have people that are 3/4 and 7/8 Caucasian (even with white skin, blues eyes and blonde hair) but call themselves Aborigines, for obvious reasons, and are legally entitles to do so.

I personally believe people should identify themselves by what they do, rather than where their parents or a great-great-grandparent was born.

Incidentally, if you cousins didn't care if people think they are Dominican or not, why would they identify themselves thus? I consider myself Australian because that is where I live most of the time, was brought-up and I support the Australian way of life, not because I was born there, or the ethnicity of my parents.

They are proud to be of Dominican descent and wouldn't care if you or others feel that they are not Dominican or Dominican enough if that is enough of a clarification for you. And I can see why some would claim to be Aboriginies in Australia even if said blood has been much attenuated. There are tangible benefits to be had. That's very distinct from what I'm describing. The only benfit those such as my relatives get from claiming an origin of one of their parents when self-identifying in social circles is simply pride in their ancestry and nothing else. In any event you are not the end-all in determining who is and who is not Dominican so refrain from such practices for they just make you look like a complete buffoon.

exactly. i made the point they were of dominican descent. they are precisely of dominican descent. what they claim was never even mentioned. he created an argument against a point that had never previously existed.


why would anyone do that?

I personally know this guy who was born in Shànghai, China of German Jewish parents, but mostly spent his life in the DR. He briefly lived in the US, long enough to become a naturalized US citizen and at 6 foot tall, blue eyes and blonde hair, with a heavy Dominican accent, goes around calling himself Dominican when asked.

I know of another or somewhat similar case, a French guy, born in France, parents brought him over as an infant and basically never went back. He happens to also calls himself Dominican. He dances a merengue and bachata better then me and would not drink anything other then presidente beer and home ground Dominican rum. Now go figure.

The point is in general you identify with what you feel to be comfortable with and the culture you identify most.