Mithu Sanyal on 'Transracialism' and Identity

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

As more and more Americans self-identify as multiracial, transgressing categories of race still raise questions. Most prominently in the case of Rachel Dolezal, a former college professor and activist who identified as Black despite being born to white parents. Dolezal's story inspired German author, journalist and cultural critic Mithu Sanyal to write Identitti, a novel about the powerful role of internet culture in discourses of sexuality and race. In today's episode, Sanyal discusses her novel and the current political debates about identity.