Photo: Raquel Evita Saraswati's Facebook
A diversity and inclusion professional is getting exposed for reportedly faking her racial identity for over two decades, according to The Intercept. Raquel Evita Saraswati, a 39-year-old Muslim activist, is actually a white woman despite previously claiming she had Latin, South Asian, and Arab heritage.
Saraswati works as the chief equity, inclusion, and culture officer of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Philadelphia-based Quaker group dedicated to fighting "violence, inequality, and oppression. Her role at the organization is now up in the air after her mother, Carole Perone, exposed Saraswati for actually having European ancestry.
“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,” Perone told reporters, adding that Saraswati was born Rachel Elizabeth Seidel.
"I call her Rachel. I don’t know why she’s doing what she’s doing," the mother continued. "I’m as white as the driven snow and so is she.”
Perone also shared photos of Saraswati when she was a child, which reportedly shows the activist having a "significantly lighter" complexion than the "bronzed look" in her recent pictures. She also confirmed her daughter started practicing Islam in high school but has no idea why she's pretending to be a person of color.
According to New York Post, Saraswati revealed to Boston.com in 2004 that she wanted her upcoming wedding to honor her Latin and Arab culture. This means she was faking her race for almost 20 years.
AFSC spokesperson Layne Mullett confirmed to The Intercept they've received "documentation alleging that our Chief Equity, Inclusion, and Culture Officer, Raquel Saraswati, has been misrepresenting her identity.”
"AFSC has given Raquel the opportunity to address the allegations against her, and Raquel stands by her identity. Raquel also assures us that she remains loyal to AFSC’s mission, which we firmly believe," the organization's statement reads. "AFSC does not require any employee to ‘prove’ their heritage as a condition of their employment, or in order to be valued as a member of our team.”
Saraswati called the allegations an "attack" through a series of now-deleted tweets, hinting that there will be "more to come."
“I assure people that as soon as I am capable, I will provide answers to the recent discussion and attack on me. I understand all the reactions you’re having," she wrote, per New York Post. "I am currently taking the time to get to where I can answer in a way that is most helpful and thorough."
Many on social media have called Saraswati the "new Rachel Dolezal," a former NAACP leader who was exposed for pretending to be a Black woman for years.
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