Affirmative Action Ethics

Applying to College
1

<p>There has been a huge ethical question which has been weighing down upon me for quite some time. I realize that I look like a selfish sleezebag for even bringing this up.</p>

<p>I never met my father before, he was an anon sperm donor. My mother is white, and I usually identify myself as white. However, I am often mistaken for being Puerto Rican (my last name is also vaugely hispanic, 'raphael') There is a decent chance that my father was hispanic, but I will never know. However, I have no cultural identification with being hispanic in any way, shape or form. My big question is; can/should I put down latino on my application?</p>

<p>In my mind, the Affitmative Action system is flawed. I have a half-black friend who lives in a richer neighborhood, has a much bigger house, has been to private school while I have gone to public school all my life, and has had the best of test prep. Why should an individual, who has had a superior upbringing and education due to fancy private schools and prep programs, have a better chance than me for getting into a school, based soley on him belonging to a 'traditionally disadvantaged minority'? </p>

<p>If I put down Latino, I realize I'm just going with the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentallity, but at this point I don't even know.....</p>

2

<p>Why should preparation or status have anything to do with anything? If you had the drive, but lacked the opportunity that should count for something.</p>

3

<p>"I have no cultural identification with being hispanic in any way, shape or form. My big question is; can/should I put down latino on my application?"</p>

<p>-You tell us? Should you be a liar or tell the truth.... hmm....</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
Why should preparation or status have anything to do with anything? If you had the drive, but lacked the opportunity that should count for something.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That's exactly my point. A college would still identify my rich half-black friend as black, and he would have a better chance to get into a college than a poorer white kid who had a greater drive and managed to match his grades and achievements. </p>

<p>
[quote]
You tell us? Should you be a liar or tell the truth.... hmm....

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That's the thing, I'm not sure if it is technically a lie or not. There are many whitified minorities who have no cultural identification whatsoever, and yet in the eyes of the college they are still 'disadvantaged minority'.</p>

5

<p>As many many have answered this question many times before, the key is how is the question asked?
Does it only ask for your heritage? Or does it ask who you most identify with? That is a large distinction for you. And by the way, Raphael is not "vaguely" hispanic sounding. It is hispanic sounding.</p>

6

<p>i would lol, saying your hispanic can only help you.</p>

7

<p>"There are many whitified minorities who have no cultural identification whatsoever"</p>

<p>-This is both rude and ignorant.</p>

8

<p>People on this board need to stop picking at affirmative action, on the SAT, and other things you can't control. I'm tired of the same question always being asked am I indian if my last name is "Runswithchickens" and live near a tribe, or stupid questions like that.</p>

<p>not to pick on the OP since he's new but seriously your opinions aren't going to change much, and marking down a certain race probably isn't going to help that much unless some other factors are good. Chances are that if you think that you're good enough to be admitted into a certain college without the need of lowering yourself to make up lies than don't do it.</p>

9

<p>they usually tell you the ethnicity of sperm donors, even if they are anonymous.</p>

10

<p>No, you can't put down you are Hispanic unless you know that you are. Putting down "Hispanic" for the reason that you mentioned could cause you to get rejected because the colleges would have major doubts about your ethics and/or judgment.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that the colleges may check with your GC about your racial identification and would be very suspicious about a student who had self-identified as "white, nonHispanic" up until applying for college.</p>

<p>"Gee, I look Hispanic, and I don't know who my father is, so I decided to claim "Hispanic" as my ethnic group" would be viewed by colleges and others as the words of a liar or musings by a person who's not very bright. Don't put yourself in that situation.</p>

11

<p><a href="http://www.behindthename.com/php/search.php?terms=raphael&nmd=n&gender=both&operator=or%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.behindthename.com/php/search.php?terms=raphael&nmd=n&gender=both&operator=or&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I don't understand how Raphael 'sounds Hispanic' to you by the way.</p>

<p>I swear, people on this board just don't know the difference between ethnicity, race, and national identity.</p>

<p>How are you mistaken for being Puerto Rican?</p>

12

<p>Pick it, be Hispanic. Take advantage of the system, it has done little for you, so it can help you.</p>

13

<p>AA is already extremely flawed and very retarded. Are you genetically Hispanic or arent' you? Who knows, maybe you are maybe you aren't. The funny thing is, if your biological father miraculously called you right now and told you he is a full-blooded hispanic, then your good to go. Or, he might call you and tell you he's 100% white. Then your college admissions chances will not be as good. The funny thing? The hilarious part of this? Either way, YOU ARE STILL THE EXACT SAME PERSON. Yet why would colleges favor one IDENTICAL you over another? Oh yeah, cause AA is b.s. and anyone who defends it has an IQ of two or is a minority themselves. Your situation demonstrates the complete idiocy of AA and angry minorites who defend it.</p>

<p>But let me play affirmative action's (devil's) advocate for a second here. If your name and appearance are somewhat hispanic, then what's preventing society from hopelessly opressing you because of your race? I mean, looking hispanic, there is no way you were afforded the same opportunities as your fully white-looking classmates or white students from other parts of the country. Society has you in shackles, and, if you looked more white, you probably would have been able to take more AP classes or gotten 200 more pts on the SAT. So I say go for it.</p>

<p>But let me return from playing AA (lucifer's) advocate. I basically see two reasons why you should put down hispanic:
1. It's too your advantage (duh)
2. On a moral basis, it would be good to take advantage of flawed system if to do nothing else but inspire rage amongst AA supporters or simply magnify the system's innate idiocy (secretly, of course).</p>

<p>The only reason not to put down hispanic is because of the possibility of you not being able to prove your Hispanic or the discovery of your shaky background. If you think you can do it though, go for it. My friend says his grandma was half-hispanic, making him 1/8 hispanic (don't even think that counts) and he put down as race: full hispanic!!! and got into his first choice very selective school. I don't think the college called the FBI on him nor even bothered to interrogate his grandma... they simply don't have the time or resources.</p>

<p>Hey Hispanic or white, it doesn't matter. You're still the same person. Yet since the laughable AA policies of universities will help you in, you might as well take it. I mean after all, if you look hispanic, you will be adding diversity to the universities! Whatever that means, hehe...</p>

<p>If you consider yourself hispanic, then when you put down you consider yourself hispanic, you're not lying. It's like writing down on your essay that you consider yourself ambitious. Are you really? Perhaps, perhaps not, no one really cares. Putting that you are 100% white can be likely false. I mean you have no proof that you are any more than half white at all! Use the gay system against its ranting, raving, drooling, half-brained supporters. Have a good laugh once you get into Harvard also.</p>

14

<p>test 123 ddd</p>

15

<p>the poster said his last name was raphael; not his first- the link you provided revealed origins of first names.
It was common practice for Christians centuries ago, to take new last names from the Bible. With Spanish colonization nearly all over the world back then, Christianity was spread around- sometimes by force, but that's another issue. Anyway, Spanish and their "colonies" commonly took on these names. Thats why they are associated with Hispanic, it was a very definite part of the culture then, and still is today.</p>

16

<p>On the other hand, my son has a friend who is half korean/half white. She is commonly mistaken for being Puerto Rican. I absolutely detest the ideas of AA, but even so I think that in your situation it would be extremely dishonest. BTW, being from a single household should help you just as much.</p>

17

<p>I think that this would be extremely dishonest of you and if you are sure enough of your stats then you shouldn't need it.</p>

18

<p>AA is already extremely flawed and very retarded. Are you genetically Hispanic or arent' you? Who knows, maybe you are maybe you aren't. The funny thing is, if your biological father miraculously called you right now and told you he is a full-blooded hispanic, then your good to go. Or, he might call you and tell you he's 100% white. Then your college admissions chances will not be as good. The funny thing? The hilarious part of this? Either way, YOU ARE STILL THE EXACT SAME PERSON. Yet why would colleges favor one IDENTICAL you over another? Oh yeah, cause AA is b.s. and anyone who defends it has an IQ of two or is a minority themselves. Your situation demonstrates the complete idiocy of AA and angry minorites who defend it.</p>

<p>But let me play affirmative action's (devil's) advocate for a second here. If your name and appearance are somewhat hispanic, then what's preventing society from hopelessly opressing you because of your race? I mean, looking hispanic, there is no way you were afforded the same opportunities as your fully white-looking classmates or white students from other parts of the country. Society has you in shackles, and, if you looked more white, you probably would have been able to take more AP classes or gotten 200 more pts on the SAT. So I say go for it.</p>

<p>But let me return from playing AA (lucifer's) advocate. I basically see two reasons why you should put down hispanic:
1. It's too your advantage (duh)
2. On a moral basis, it would be good to take advantage of flawed system if to do nothing else but inspire rage amongst AA supporters or simply magnify the system's innate idiocy (secretly, of course).</p>

<p>The only reason not to put down hispanic is because of the possibility of you not being able to prove your Hispanic or the discovery of your shaky background. If you think you can do it though, go for it. My friend says his grandma was half-hispanic, making him 1/8 hispanic (don't even think that counts) and he put down as race: full hispanic!!! and got into his first choice very selective school. I don't think the college called the FBI on him nor even bothered to interrogate his grandma... they simply don't have the time or resources.</p>

<p>Hey Hispanic or white, it doesn't matter. You're still the same person. Yet since the laughable AA policies of universities will help you in, you might as well take it. I mean after all, if you look hispanic, you will be adding diversity to the universities! Whatever that means, hehe...</p>

<p>If you consider yourself hispanic, then when you put down you consider yourself hispanic, you're not lying. It's like writing down on your essay that you consider yourself ambitious. Are you really? Perhaps, perhaps not, no one really cares. Putting that you are 100% white can be likely false. I mean you have no proof that you are any more than half white at all! Use the gay system against its ranting, raving, drooling, half-brained supporters. Have a good laugh once you get into Harvard also.</p>

19

<p>put down hispanic. After all, you're half and I remember the question on the common app asks what ethnicity are you. You are technically not lying. Work the system!!!</p>

20

<p>The way I see it is that you have been raised with the mentality that you're white, so checking the hispanic box would be unethical. Just my two cents.</p>