USA TODAY Network also contacted members of Saraswati’s immediate family, who confirmed European heritage but otherwise declined to comment.
Saraswati’s case echoes other prominent examples of public figures accused of misrepresenting their heritage. This includes New York Republican Rep. George Santos’ false claims of being Jewish and a descendant of Holocaust survivors and former Spokane, Washington, NAACP chapter president Rachel Dolezal (now Nkechi Diallo), who claims African American identity.
In previous newspaper articles going back to the mid-2000s, Saraswati was identified as belonging to Arab and Latinx or South Asian heritage.