Last year, Raven-Symoné caused quite a stir when she told Oprah Winfrey that, tired of being labeled, she wanted to be called "American" rather than "African-American." The former child star, who is currently dating a woman, also rejected any label for her sexual identity. "I don't need language," she told Winfrey. "I don't need a categorizing statement for it. [...] I don't want to be labeled gay. I want to be labeled a human who loves humans."
In a recent interview with People Magazine, Symoné continues to stand by her stance. "I don't like labels, but everyone needs them to understand what is going on. So, okay, I get it. Give me 'American.' There is nothing wrong with being an American, purely."
"I think that there are a lot of different races that fall under 'American,' so past that you really just are sub-categorizing me over and over again," said Symoné. "I'm not disowning my history in any way. My family has been here for almost 400 years. We're American."
Despite the public backlash, Symoné doesn't seem interested in changing anyone else's opinion of race and identity. "This is me and what I feel about myself. But if you identify as African-American, then you're African-American," she told the magazine. "What right do I have to tell you what you are or what you're not?"
[via People]
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