75% Caucasion, 25% Hispanic -- What race am I?

Student Lounge Hispanic Students
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<p>Title says it all. Most of my family hails from Europe, but one of my grandparents was born in Mexico, making me a quarter Hispanic. Does this mean that I should fill out college apps as simply "White," or "White" and "Hispanic/Latino?" Would doing the latter give me some sort of edge in the admissions process, since the statistics for colleges on the CollegeBoard website specifically classify white as "White/Non-Hispanic?" Would it be wrong to call myself both "White" and "Hispanic/Latino" when I am mostly white? I really have no idea what one does in this sort of situation and I would appreciate some help.</p>

<p>Edit: I am aware that there is a topic on race and admissions in general already in use, but I doubt that such a specific question has been answered there. Sorry if I am wrong. ;)</p>

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<p>On the Common Application, choosing “Yes” to the question about whether you are Hispanic and then choosing “White” as your race would be a good idea. I am in a similar situation and intend to go that route.</p>

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<p>You can check both White and Hispanic, and let the schools you apply to decide.</p>

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<p>^ On the Common Application (and most well-designed applications from non-participating schools), Hispanic is separate from the race category.</p>

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<p>My god silverturtle now you’re hispanic too? this is just too much your chances are probably well over 80% for top schools</p>

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<p>Go with Hispanic. It gives you much more chance of getting accepted, as you will be considered a minority. Why lose the opportunity and a privilege?</p>

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<p>Are you identified as Hispanic in your school records and did you check Hispanic on the PSAT/SAT? Colleges are well aware some will try to find a loophole and discrepencies don’t make them happy. They are looking for Hispanics students, raised in Hispanic cultures, to bring diversity from their communities.</p>

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<p>^No, but as you were posting I discovered the Hispanic forum and found that I had been eligible to classify myself as Hispanic on the PSAT, though I hadn’t known that at the time.</p>

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<p>@Redroses</p>

<p>I don’t think the “Hispanic” status for standardized exams like the SAT/ACT or for college admission process is for diversity. It’s more related to socioeconomic status, like a minority policy. Hispanics tend to be poor and less educated than other races, so the educational system in general wants to provide more opportunity to those people.</p>

<p>The OP doesn’t particularly sound underprivileged, but if one has Hispanic blood, one is Hispanic.</p>

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<p>Hispanic is an ethnicity, and Hispanics can be any race. You can be a white Hispanic. I think that for the National Hispanic Scholarship, you must be 1/4 Hispanic, so on your apps, you could indicate that you’re white and Hispanic. I have several friends who are white and Hispanic including some who are 100% Hispanic and have naturally blond or red hair and blue or hazel eyes.</p>

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<p>One is seen by colleges as Hispanic if one comes from a Hispanic culture. Not checking Hispanic on tests (because the OP didn’t realize at the time he was Hispanic) and suddenly becomming Hispanic for a college application is something colleges see a lot.</p>

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<p>Let me get this straight: </p>

<p>I am eligible to classify myself Hispanic on the common app, which could benefit my chance of admission.</p>

<p>But, I also was unaware of my eligibility for the NHRP, and thus colleges might wonder why my results are inconsistent. (Are they even going to know this? I thought race/ethnicity questions were not supposed to be released to other sources?)</p>

<p>Does this mean if I choose to go the “Hispanic route” I’ll be taking a risk that could either aid my chances or question my honesty? Or do I simply have to be upfront about my inconsistent answers? If I would be taking a risk, then I’d like to know whether or not I’m even Hispanic enough to hypothetically give me an edge in the admissions process, because otherwise it would seem prudent not to bother taking such a risk at all.</p>

<p>If it helps at all, my last name comes from the Mexican quarter of my family.</p>

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<p>probably not worth the risk. i wouldnt do it- and i don’t think they care if your 1/4 mexican.</p>

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<p>I don’t mean to steal the thread, but: If I’m 50% Hispanic and a little less than 50% White and have been identifying as Hispanic my entire life, can I only put Hispanic on my apps? Note: my last name is a common Mexican last name, so there wouldn’t be any questions there</p>

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<p>SOC: Hispanic and race are seperate on common apps, so you basically have to mark something for your race.</p>

<p>To the OP: It depends… if being having Hispanic blood has affected you culturally and it’s a big part of your parent who’s Hispanic’s culture, I’d say mark it. However, if you are disassociated and know nothing of it I’d say no.</p>

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<p>What is the mexican grandparent’s ancestry? Was he/she the son/daughter of immigrants from Ireland or Poland? Or does he/she hail from spain or portugal? Do you consider yourself Hispanic? Do you eat lots of mexican food at your grandparents house?</p>

<p>If that grandparent eventually comes from Spain or portugal then yes that would be hispanic. </p>

<p>But if he/she comes from Poland or other non-hispanic country then I don’t think you can claim hispanic heritage.</p>

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<p>Is there a box to check for “opportunist”?</p>

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<p>You’re obviously WHITE! You’re only Hispanic if you or your parents were born in Latin American countries. </p>

<p>That’s low, trying to find any way to be a minority for college admissions purposes. Your grandfather doesn’t count. If most of your family is from Europe, then you’re white.</p>

<p>I’m 100% black. Everyone in my family has been black since the dawn of man. That’s considered a minority.</p>

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<p>^Wrong. How can you say “grandfather doesn’t count”? </p>

<p>OP, if your biological grandfather is Hispanic, than you too can be considered Hispanic.</p>

<p>The same would apply if one’s biological grandfather was African/American, Asian, or Native American. The biological grandchild can claim the same race as the biological grandparent.</p>

<p>“You’re only Hispanic if you or your parents were born in Latin American countries.”
^Wrong.</p>

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<p>For the purposes of legal documents, he’s not Hispanic. He’s just plain white.</p>

<p>I’m not wrong. It’s only one person (his grandfather) that he mentioned was Hispanic. If his parents and most of his ancestors aren’t from Latin American countries, then he can’t claim the title.</p>

<p>For example, I know someone whose whole family line is in Argentina. He lives and breathes the Argentinian culture. He eats the food. He even lived in Argentina and Brazil, Latin American countries. One thing is that he was born in New Zealand during a vacation. However, he can claim the status of being Hispanic because, for one thing, most of his family (notably his parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and great-great grandparents were born and spent their whole lives in South America), he’s experienced firsthand the culture by speaking the language, eating the food, and living all the life of a Hispanic (the good and the bad—he doesn’t claim his heritage when it most suits him, like for admissions purposes…ahem ahem), and he even looks like a Hispanic, basically. </p>

<p>He’s Hispanic, so on college applications, he can put a check next to Hispanic. He’s certainly not going to say that he’s a Pacific Islander only because he was born there on a vacation, because he has Hispanic parents and Hispanic roots.</p>

<p>No one has to eat the food or speak the native language to be a certain nationality. But most of your family does have to come from the aforementioned country.</p>

<p>How was your grandfather born in a Latin American country. Be more specific. Was he just born their during a vacation or something? Is he the only one? Or is the entire side of his family Hispanic?</p>

<p>Because from what you’ve told me, most of your family is white (most of them came from Europe). So, you’re white.</p>

<p>And how could you not know your own ethnicity? How is this even a question? Is this complicated or something? Just go to your parents…if they’re white, then you’re white.</p>