Equiano's Nativity: Negative Birthright, Indigenous Ethic, and Universal Human Rights.

INTERESTING Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Or, Gustavus Vassa the African, The (Book); EQUIANO, Olaudah, b. 1745; SLAVE narratives; UNITED States citizenship; BIRTHRIGHT citizenship (U.S.); HUMAN rights; LEGAL status of enslaved persons; EUROCENTRISM; HISTORY of citizenship; REVOLUTIONARY (Literary period); 19TH century (Literary period)

A literary criticism is presented which discusses the ways in which author and freedman Olaudah Equiano undermines the Eurocentric understanding of birthright in his slave narrative "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano; or, Gustavus Vassa, the African." It demonstrates the lack of citizenship rights enjoyed by slaves in the Americas. The author ties Equiano's questioning of European birthright to debates over Equiano's African nativity as well as his belief in universal human rights.