Buzz
Race and ethnicity are inherent traits that people are born with, and there's little to no control over them—they are determined by one's genes. However, some individuals have opted to fabricate their origins, adopting a completely different race or ethnicity. Despite the risk of being unmasked as impostors, these individuals managed to pull off their deceit, with many of them succeeding for at least a short while.
10. Sherry Stanley Jimenez
Since the early 2000s, Sherry Stanley Jimenez from Wilkes County, North Carolina, has exploited her Spanish-speaking skills to deceive people for financial gain. She would offer translation services in court for Spanish-speaking individuals, only to later inform them that they owed her money. On other occasions, she would sell cars to members of the Mexican community, but after receiving payment, the vehicles would never be delivered.
She managed to evade capture for 14 years by posing as a Mexican citizen. Fluent in Spanish and armed with false documents stating her Mexican origin, she crafted new identities and secured various homes and jobs, always staying one step ahead of the authorities.
In March 2014, the law finally caught up with her. Her boyfriend at the time of her arrest had been under the impression that she was a legitimate Mexican citizen and only discovered her criminal past when she was detained. She is presently awaiting trial in North Carolina and is also being sought in Virginia, Florida, and Tennessee.
9. William Montgomery McGovern
Around 1810, as global exploration surged, Tibet decided to seal its borders, turning its capital, Lhasa, into a forbidden city. Surrounded by high walls, reaching the city required crossing the treacherous Himalayan Mountains and venturing deep into the country, making it nearly impossible for Westerners to infiltrate.
One individual determined to enter the forbidden city was William Montgomery McGovern. After earning a divinity degree in Buddhism from a monastery in Kyoto, Japan, he continued his studies at Oxford. In the winter of 1922, he ventured across the Himalayan Mountains with two guides. Once McGovern crossed into Tibet, he used lemon juice to darken his blue eyes and wore goggles to mimic snow blindness. He then stood bare in the freezing cold while one of his guides stained his skin with a mixture of walnut juice and iodine. Finally, he donned the attire of a Tibetan porter and pressed on with his journey, first reaching Shigatse and then Lhasa, becoming one of the first Westerners to visit the city.
During his journey, McGovern contracted dysentery. Upon reaching the city, he revealed his identity and illness to the officials, who helped him. However, a group of monks soon discovered his presence and began throwing rocks at the building where he was staying. McGovern, now in his Tibetan garb, sneaked out and joined the monks in their protest. He later claimed that after being unmasked, he met the Dalai Lama and left Tibet shortly afterward.
McGovern documented his remarkable journey in the book *To Lhasa in Disguise: A Secret Expedition Through Mysterious Tibet*. He would later explore the Amazon and, during World War II, travel to Japan as a reporter while working with the Naval Reserves. At the age of 30, McGovern became a professor at Northwestern University. He passed away in 1964 at the age of 67.
8. Nelson Scott Simpson
The world of professional wrestling has often seen characters based on ethnic stereotypes. Although offensive by today's standards, it was a common practice because it made storylines easier to develop. This brings us to Nelson Scott Simpson, who grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Initially training as a football player, Simpson transitioned to wrestling in 1984 under the persona of Nikita Koloff: The Russian Nightmare. Koloff's backstory claimed he was a recent immigrant from Moscow, and to stay true to character, Simpson refrained from speaking any English for 13 months, communicating only with his 'uncle' and teammate, Ivan Koloff. Interestingly, Ivan wasn't Russian either; he was a Canadian named Oreal Perras.
To fully embody his character and maintain the illusion, Simpson relied heavily on others for everyday tasks. He enlisted Perras to act as his translator, helping him secure an apartment and manage other daily activities. Simpson even went so far as to legally change his name to Nikita Koloff. After 13 months, he would speak in broken English, with a distinct Russian accent. Remarkably, he kept the persona alive for years, even learning to speak Russian and listing his son's birthplace as Lithuania on the birth certificate. Simpson maintained the ruse that he was Russian until his retirement in 1992. It came as a surprise to many when they discovered he was fluent in English. Following his retirement, Simpson found religion, becoming a born-again Christian and founding his own ministry.
7. Vijay Chokal-Ingam
In 1998, when it came time to apply for medical school, Vijay Chokal-Ingam believed his academic record wasn't impressive enough for an Indian-American applicant to gain admission. His grades were above average but not exceptional. To increase his chances, he altered his appearance by shaving his head and trimming his eyelashes. He then applied to 22 different medical schools under the name JoJo Chokal-Ingam (his middle name) and presented himself as African-American. Of the 22 schools, half offered him interviews, and he was eventually accepted at Saint Louis University Medical School, where he spent two years posing as an African-American student. During that time, he says he experienced various stereotypical African-American challenges, such as being harassed by police and falsely accused of shoplifting.
Chokal-Ingam argues that his acceptance into medical school was largely due to affirmative action. Critics, however, point out that there’s no solid comparison to support this claim, as he never applied as an Indian-American.
6. Chico Colon Meridan
In 1914, Chief Two Moon Meridas relocated to Waterbury, Connecticut, where he began selling herbal medicine on the streets. When the 1918 flu epidemic struck the United States, Two Moon gained widespread fame, as reportedly none of his patients died. This bolstered the popularity of his herbal remedy, Bitter Oil, a laxative that was marketed as a cure-all. From this success, he created a range of herbal patents, and his remedies became so popular that he was able to build a factory. The business proved highly profitable, and Two Moon amassed considerable wealth.
Two Moon claimed to be a Pueblo Indian and asserted that his father was a medicine man. He also stated that his formulas were derived from traditional Native American recipes. However, the truth was that Two Moon was not Native American at all. His real name was Chico Colon Meridan. His father, Chico Meridan, was Mexican, and his mother, Mary Tumoon, gave him his Native American-inspired name. It is believed that he started creating the herbal remedies while working as a janitor before selling them on the streets of Philadelphia.
Two Moon sought official recognition as a Native American from the U.S. government but was rejected. He passed away in 1933, continuing to claim until his death that he was of Native American descent. His wife took over the operation of the factory, running it until the 1970s.
5. George Herriman
George Herriman was a highly respected and influential cartoonist, most famous for his comic strip Krazy Kat, which ran from 1913 until 1944. A private individual, Herriman was often seen with a hat and had olive skin. Many of his colleagues were unaware of his true background, with one cartoonist even referring to him as “The Greek.”
Despite appearances, Herriman was not Greek. He was born in New Orleans to parents of mixed race, and his birth certificate marked him as 'colored.' He kept this a secret, likely in an effort to ‘pass’ as a European descent. This practice, where lighter-skinned African Americans tried to live as white, was not unusual at the time, but it reflects the painful reality of individuals hiding their true heritage.
Herriman’s own story stands apart due to the way he portrayed race in his comics. In one early strip, Musical Moses, he featured a black character with exaggerated stereotypical African features. Moses would often dress up in the clothes of different ethnicities, only to be beaten as a result. In another Krazy Kat scene, Krazy dyes his black fur white, and his enemy immediately falls in love with him. These examples are believed to reflect Herriman’s inner conflict as he tried to suppress his own ethnic identity.
Today, Herriman serves as a poignant reminder of the lengths some people had to go to in order to hide their heritage just to make progress in life. Those who were 'passing' lived in constant fear of their true identity being revealed, all for a shot at the American dream. The tragic aspect of Herriman’s story is that instead of being remembered as a celebrated artist of African-American or mixed-race descent, people are left to reflect on the painful secret he kept hidden throughout his career.
4. Gregory Markopoulos
Jamake Highwater was a celebrated Native American author who wrote over 30 books, many of which focused on Native American culture. He also hosted a series of PBS documentaries about Native American history. Highwater claimed to have been born into a Native American family and adopted by the Marks family at the age of seven. He also asserted that he held both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a PhD from the University of Chicago.
The truth, however, was that Jamake Highwater was not Native American. Born Gregory Markopoulos to Greek immigrant parents, he had fabricated his entire identity. Native American groups were aware of his dishonesty and objected to him representing a community to which he didn’t belong, but their voices were ignored, perhaps because others did not want to admit they had been deceived. In 1984, Highwater was exposed by a Washington Post reporter who revealed numerous inconsistencies in his past. For instance, his birth year fluctuated by a decade, and he claimed to hail from five different places: Los Angeles, Canada, South Dakota, France, and Montana. Furthermore, it was discovered that his educational claims were also false.
After his exposure, Highwater continued to present himself as an authority on Native American culture but ceased to assert that he was Native American. Highwater passed away on June 3, 2001.
3. Rachel Dolezal
In the fall of 2014, Rachel Dolezal, a 37-year-old woman, was elected president of the Spokane, Washington, branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Dolezal, who had dark skin and curly hair, held a Master’s in Fine Art from the prestigious historically Black Howard University and taught African-American history at Eastern Washington University. She identified as being of African-American, European, and Native American descent, and frequently spoke about the racism she faced in the predominantly white city of Spokane. When she was sworn in, she posed for a photo with an African-American man, whom she claimed was her father. Upon taking office, Dolezal was praised for revitalizing the chapter and for her strong contributions to the community.
In June 2014, Dolezal’s biological parents, who were white and resided in Montana, came forward to reveal that their daughter had been misleading the public about her racial identity. They presented high school photos of her, showing a pale young woman with blonde hair. According to her parents, Dolezal began identifying as black around a decade earlier, coinciding with their adoption of three African-American children and one from Haiti. Dolezal’s adopted siblings also mentioned that her appearance had progressively changed over the years.
After the truth came to light, Dolezal initially tried to deflect questions about her race. When asked about the African-American man in the photo with her, she initially stated he was her father but later clarified that he was simply a family friend who served as a father figure. Additionally, it was uncovered that while attending Howard University, Dolezal had filed a lawsuit against the institution for discrimination, claiming she was denied a teaching assistant position because of her race. During the case, she also alleged that her artwork had been removed from an exhibit due to her being white. However, she ultimately lost the lawsuit.
The controversy led to Dolezal’s resignation from her NAACP position, though she vowed to persist in her advocacy for human rights.
2. Archibald Belaney
In 1931, Grey Owl, a man claiming to be an Apache Indian living in Canada, published his renowned book, The Men of the Last Frontier. In it, he narrated that he was born near the Rio Grande to a Scottish father and an Apache mother. The memoir chronicled his experiences living in the wild and discussed at length the importance of nature conservation. The book propelled him to fame, making him the first conservation celebrity. He traveled through Canada, the United States, and England, and even had the honor of meeting the royal family. Grey Owl passed away at the age of 49 on April 13, 1938.
Only after his death did the truth come out: Grey Owl wasn’t Native American at all. In fact, his real identity was Archibald Belaney, and he was born in Kent, England, in 1888. He had moved to Canada at the age of 17, married an Iroquois woman, but left her to serve in World War I. After being injured, he returned to England before ultimately finding his way back to Canada. There, he lived with various indigenous tribes and spent many years in the wilderness. Despite fabricating his origins, Grey Owl is still celebrated for his pioneering work in conservation and environmentalism.
1. John Roland Redd
Korla Pandit was a musician active in the 1950s, best known for his show, Musical Adventures with Korla Pandit, where he performed on a Hammond 3B organ and grand piano. On his program, Pandit never spoke a word, instead captivating viewers with his intense gaze while wearing an elaborate, bejeweled turban. Over the course of his career, Pandit released 14 albums, recorded over 900 episodes, and became a pioneer of the exotica musical genre. During the 1950s, he was one of the most well-known individuals of Indian descent in the United States.
Pandit’s backstory was filled with intrigue. He claimed to have been born in New Delhi to a French mother and an Indian father who was a close confidant of Mahatma Gandhi. He moved to the United States at the age of 12 and later attended the University of Chicago. When he did speak, Pandit had an accent and often referenced Indian culture, even going as far as comparing himself to Gandhi, expressing his desire for his music to have a universal impact on people from all walks of life.
Korla Pandit passed away from pneumonia in 1998. Two years later, Los Angeles magazine exposed a startling truth: Pandit was not Indian at all. His real name was John Roland Redd, and he had been born in St. Louis, Missouri. Moreover, his ethnicity was African-American, not Indian. Despite this revelation, his reputation remained largely untouched; in fact, it sparked a renewed interest in his work, even after his death.
