<p>Not only unethical… in some situations, this could be illegal….</p>
<p>Hispanic is NOT a genetic identity but an ethnic identity. You can't be full-blooded, half-blooded, or whatever of a fraction Hispanic. You either are ethnically or you're not.</p>
<p>You are all now informed. Thanks.</p>
<p>I agree. You can't put Hispanic down. </p>
<p>a) You don't actually know
b) You don't really relate to your Hispanic culture
c) You wouldn't be asking if you knew it for a fact</p>
<p>Personally I hope affirmative action stays and I hope all those people who gripe about it being skewed and unfair shut up. Then again, I DON'T believe in fairness---I know I'm going to get flamed already...</p>
<p>So if I start beating tribal drums, I can put down I'm African American?! LOL</p>
<p>Well if you go to Africa the Black people there aren't African American. But with your question are you implying that African Americans are primitive people?</p>
<p>And African American is a racial identity. Hispanic however is an ethnic identity and definitely not a racial one as members from different races participate in Hispanic culture. For example you've got European White people scattered throughout Latin America. Fidel Castro for example is White. You've also got Black people living in Cuba and in the Caribbean. Asian people have been migrating to Latin America for some time now. In fact Peru I believe had a Japanese president but he was ousted from power after a while.</p>
<p>So Hispanic is an ethnic identity whereas African American is a racial identity. Well it's more of an ethnic and racial identity but only Blacks list themselves as African Americans. For example, White people from South Africa don't come over here and describe themselves as African American although technically they'd be correct.</p>
<p>The OP is obviously not Hispanic.</p>
<p>If I'm white and I'm coming from South Africa, I'm putting down "African-American." And you can't accuse me of dishonesty either. Pwned.</p>
<p>Who got pwned?</p>
<p>Of course you wouldn't be lying and you'd be correct as I stated.</p>
<p>so like, if i was russian, and like my parents were form russia, and like i thought spanish stuff was cool, and like i did a whole bunch of spanish stuff, i could like put down hispanic right?</p>
<p>unfortunately it doesn't work that way :-/</p>
<p>listen, if you look the part, put it down. it isn't going to hurt you, and colleges will not, i repeat, will not try to verify it. the same way they won't verify you're in club A or you are the recipient of award B</p>
<p>warpedklown1335, the definition of African American is:</p>
<p>a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa.</p>
<p>Tiberius, check and mate!</p>
<p>Check the encyclopedia and the dictionary, British are not naturally occuring in South Africa, they moved their butt in a colonized! I really want you to sit here and argue that British are indigenous to South Africa instead of Britain!</p>
<p>There is no b.s.ing whether your ancestors were in a tribe in Africa or sipping tea in Britain!</p>
<p>All of these are to do with ancestery, which you really cannot lie about, face to face.</p>
<p>Now if you check your U.S. Census definition of Hispanic:
All persons whose ancestry hails either from the people of Spain, any of the various peoples of Spanish-speaking Latin America, or the original settlers of the traditionally Spanish-held Southwestern United States. </p>
<p>So though you don't know, if your dad's ancestry hailed from Spain, Latin America, or the Old Spanish Territory (+Mexico) then you could list Hispanic.</p>
<p>A lot of you have misgivings about affirmative action. I suggest, before you attack, look up the Supreme Court case concerning Michigan. If you are near a college, utilize their Lexus Nexis database to look up the case.</p>
<p>According to the case, each student must be looked at on an individual basis. Admissions Counselors can not give "points" students solely on race. Admissions must look at "each", "specific" student. A blanket point system can not be utilzed for people of a certain race. </p>
<p>Admissions Counselors look for a variety of things when "building a class". When looking at diversity it includes: geographic diversity, ethnic diversity, cultural diversity, gender diversity, socio-economic diversity, types of schooling, political standpoints, individual personalities (as evidenced during interviews and essays)etc, etc. Instead of complaining, figure out how to sell yourself. How are you unique? Why are you just not another applicant?</p>
<p>Please take the time to do your research before you make false claims. </p>
<p>Please spend your time preparing for college admissions this fall. Visit schools to express interest. Schedule an interview, so that you can advocate for yourself. Improve your GPA this fall, it is less than stellar. Study your weakest section on the SAT. Write an essay that leaves an impression on the admissions counselor, so that it will be a significant factor in your admissions decision.</p>
<p>I like affirmative action because it helps me...I'm a black guy XD.</p>
<p>Put down hispanic! Let the system help you - the system is flawed...not you. I think there is plenty of evidence on your side. (although the same could be said from the other side)</p>
<p>so like, if i was russian, and like my parents were form russia, and like i thought spanish stuff was cool, and like i did a whole bunch of spanish stuff, i could like put down hispanic right?</p>
<p>If your parents moved to a country with a Spanish culture, assimilated themselves and had you and raised you under such a culture then you'd be able to put yourself off as Hispanic.</p>
<p>Cre8tive1, I'm not going to argue with you on that one now.</p>
<p>It’s pretty sad to see people in here trying to justify a reason for being completely dishonest and insincere……. What is our society coming to… :rolleyes:</p>
<p>This is really a disappointing thread. I have another story to share...one of the young women at our school (daughter of teachers at the school) is only a quarter (at most) Hispanic. Both parents look white and are not Latin in any way culturally. The daugher not only applied to universities as a Latina, but also applied for Hispanic directed scholarships. She is going to a top university on the West Coast and was admitted to other top colleges (she is nothing special in her HS class...very ordinary, in fact). She has also received several scholarships that should have gone to Latinas. She is hardly what admissions should be looking for when they look for diversity.</p>
<p>umm, fyi, a lot of hispanics 'look white' ...</p>
<p>the problem is that you only seem to care about your other race when you're applying for college.</p>
<p>im black fyi: AA has its ups and downs...but I think I got into school by my academics, not race.</p>
<p>I don't think "Raphael" necessarily sounds hispanic.</p>
<p>The vital question here is, i think, how do you see yourself? If you see yourself as white, put white. If you see yourself as Hispanic, put Hispanic. As I've said before on other threads, the line between white and hispanic is often very blurry. If you can't decide, put other.</p>
<p>If colleges think you are saying you're hispanic just to take advantage of AA and if you have no meaningful connection to the culture, I don't think it will help you very much.</p>
<p>as a follow up to my previous comment, if you choose to include Spanish people under Hispanics (for those of you who don't known the meaning of the term 'Spanish', it refers to people from Spain), then you will have quite a lot of white looking hispanics ... since Spanish people are European (mixed with arab in some cases) and are therefore WHITE.</p>