Florida Man Born White Says He’s Transracial, Considers Himself Filipino, Wants To Be Called Ja Du [Video]
A white man who was born with the given name of Adam says he is transracial and considers himself to be Filipino. As such, the Tampa, Florida man has now chosen to go by the name of Ja Du.
Ja Du spoke to local Tampa media outlet WTSP, saying his new identity is not something he is unfamiliar with since he grew up loving Filipino culture, including its food and various events held.
He told WTSP that whenever he’s around Filipino music and food, he feels like he’s in his “own skin.” He also said that at times he would watch the History Channel for hours, finding that nothing else “intrigued” him more than “things about Filipino culture.”
According to WTSP, Ja Du arrived at a coffee shop to speak to the news media outlet about his new transracial identity driving a purple Tuk Tuk, a vehicle used for public transportation in the Philippines.
He told WTSP he has yet to inform his family about his transracial status because he believes they will laugh at his desire to change his identity.
Ja Du noted he is also “transsexual” and is thinking about changing genders, which he has already discussed with his family, according to WTSP.
The term “transracial” was once used to refer to a couple or an individual of one race that adopted a child of another race, WTSP reports. More recently, the word became associated with someone who identifies with another ethnicity or race after the story of Rachel Dolezal broke two years ago.
Dolezal, who once held a leadership role in the NAACP, made headlines in 2015 when it was discovered she was a white woman who had been representing herself as black, according to CNN.
According to The Washington Post, Dolezal now insists she is a transracial woman in a white body, calling the idea of race “a lie,” and asserting it is simply a social construct in America. She said she stands on the “black side” of that social construction and believes being transracial is who she truly is.
Licensed psychologist Stacey Scheckner spoke to WTSP about the transracial issue, saying she believes that as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, she doesn’t see a problem with it. Nonetheless, Scheckner stated when an individual is making such an extreme change in identity, the person should speak to a professional about such a transition.
Ja Du, born as a white male Floridan, feels "more in his own skin" around Filipino culture, food and music. https://t.co/6IPLk1W1Mq
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) November 13, 2017
Ja Du said he believes all people should be free to pursue happiness in their own way and that is what he’s ultimately trying to do.
[Featured Image Sarocha Wangdee/Shutterstock]
