User:Elefuntboy

Greetings! Please don't edit this page, but feel free to leave comments on my talk page. Cheers!

Hi, I'm a contributor here at wikipedia. I'm originally from Los Angeles, California, but I am a doctoral student in history at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign after having finished my masters degree in European history at U.C. San Diego. I spent 6 months in 2004 studying abroad at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, where I worked on my undergraduate majors in history and religious studies. My user name is an old one that I've had for years, but its most recent significance lies in the fact that Pietermaritzburg's name in isiZulu, the language of its original inhabitants, is Umgungundlovu, meaning "Place of the Elephant." I am a Christian of American Baptist extraction, and proud to identify myself as a straight ally to the LGBT community. On a random note, I am 'secretly' addicted to comics, particularly X-Men, and I am quite a fan of the character Storm.

Family and Culture
My family background is extremely random, as well. I am a multiracial American, my mother is White, with ancestry from Ireland and Germany. My father is African-American, lending me the genetic heritage to be able to grow the often massive afro that makes me readily stand out on campus. On an even more interesting note, my mother's brothers both married Asian American women, and my cousins are hapa, mixed with white and Japanese ancestry. I grew up in an Asian-American Baptist church and even thought I was Asian-American until I was about 12. I feel much more culturally comfortable with Asian-Americans than most other cultural groups, as a result. I speak English, Spanish, some isiZulu and American Sign Language. I've postponed for now my attempt to learn Dutch and eventually Afrikaans in my research, although I will return to it, I'm sure. I may not be a linguist like some of my friends (most notably Kirk), but language still holds quite a bit of interest for me. =)

Articles and what not
My current roommate, Kirk, is also a bit addicted to wikipedia, and he and I have fun perusing and editing articles. I've recently written the article on Phineas Banning, the founder of the Port of Los Angeles. I've also re-tooled the UCSD page recently. Let me know if you've read either and suggest some changes.

The Future??
I hope to one day become a history professor, focusing on nineteenth century British colonialism and its impact on constructing the identities of gender, race, and sexuality in various colonies, including Natal (South Africa), India, Belize, and Australia. Besides, how awesome would it be to spend your life writing about things that interest you and in turn teaching others?

Articles I've written:

 * Phineas Banning
 * Harbor City
 * Los Angeles Harbor College
 * Vernita Green
 * Elle Driver
 * Eleanor Roosevelt College
 * Sixth College
 * John Muir College
 * Roger Revelle College
 * Earl Warren College
 * Thurgood Marshall College
 * Monet St. Croix
 * O Casamento de Romeu e Julieta
 * Spanish wiki for Kwanzaa

Articles I've expanded or edited

 * UCSD
 * Korean Bell of Friendship
 * Triton
 * South Bay
 * Wilmington, California
 * Vivica A. Fox
 * Kill Bill
 * History of Scandinavia
 * Racism in the United States
 * Pietermaritzburg
 * Mahatma Gandhi
 * KwaZulu-Natal
 * University of KwaZulu-Natal
 * House of M
 * Mallow (Nintendo)
 * Pete Townshend
 * Shaka
 * Hellion
 * San Pedro, California
 * Niki de Saint Phalle
 * Martin Luther King
 * Calvin Rankin
 * Mariko Yashida
 * Kwanzaa

Images I've added
es:Usuario:Elefantechico fr:Utilisateur:ÉléphantGarçon