LEON, SAMOA – A Fiji Mermaid was denied federal student aid, and debate over mutant and Islander rights has exploded.
Jason Ratu Choudhry is a mermaid of Fiji descent living in American Samoa. His family swam away from their homeland during the military coup of 2000 with only whatever possessions they could strap to their fins.
Jason had hoped to enroll at college this year, but he is being denied Federal financial student aid. The government is denying Jason’s request since he is technically not a US citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Choudhry believe he is being treated unfairly due to being a Fijian and a mermaid.
“Dozens of times we have applied for citizenship!” says Arthur Choudhry. “But Samoa isn’t a state, so that made things difficult. Then the form asked for race, and there was no box to write in mermaid! Then we were told to go through the Bureau of Mutant Affairs, and they don’t have an office within 800 miles of here!”
Arthur Choudhry has worked with the Coast Guard for eight years and his wife Maria works at the local aquarium. Without financial aid they cannot afford to send Jason or to college. Currently Jason helps bring money into the home by posing for pictures with tourists who pretend to have caught him with a fishing rod.
Mutant and Islander rights groups are up in arms over the issue believing this is indicative of the unfair treatment given to two underrepresented minorities. Debate has begun again in the halls of Washington over what rights should be given to island territories and mutants seeking citizenship. Opponents claim that providing assistance denies the territories cultural identity, and in this economy the last thing the government needs is to hand out more money.
The National Association for the Advancement of Cryptid-People in conjunction with the Mutant Anti-Defamation League is putting together a fund that will allow Jason to go to school in the fall.
Jason hopes to attend NYU or UCal to study Underwater Archeology and French.