Racial identification gaffe reopens debate on Brazil's university quota system

Alisson dos Santos Rodrigues, an 18-year-old student from the countryside São Paulo town of Cerqueira César, was set to be the first person in his family to study at one of Brazil's prestigious public universities.

After passing a state-wide entrance exam, he was accepted to the medical school of the University of São Paulo (USP), receiving one of the places reserved for black, multiracial, and indigenous applicants as part of Brazil's racial quota system.

But at the end of February, after traveling five hours to São Paulo on what was to be his first day of classes, he found out that his enrollment had been canceled. The university's judging committee ruled that Alisson, who has always self-identified as multiracial, was not in fact black or multiracial.