<p>The problem you’re having–and it’s the same one others have had–is that it’s difficult to accept that “African-American” is a defined term that does not include everything that it could potentially include.
By the way, in what way are you an American? Are you a naturalized citizen?</p>
<p>I agree with McPucks1357, in Post #18. I’m going to hazard a guess here and assume that your great-grandparents were from a European country who immigrated to South Africa. So rather than “African” being your ethnic heritage, as it is for people whose ancestors have lived in Africa forever, your heritage is European. The African connection is a minor detour, for purposes of identifying your heritage.</p>
<p>“African American,” for purposes of college admission is a term of art that refers primarily to racial identify. Certainly, “African American” could mean othet thing in other contexts and in those other contexts, OP could perhaps correctly identify himself as African American. It is equally clear that for college admissions he is not African American.</p>
<p>If OP is proud of being both African and American, he is free to so advise the admissions committee, but he should do so in a manner that does not deliberately or unintentionally misrepresent his backgroung - - check the box AND add, parenthetically, that you are of White South African descent. To do otherwise is to permit (if not affirmatively encourage) the committee to believe OP is something or someone he is not.</p>
<p>that’s a good idea, or other it.</p>
<p>This whole debate is silly. The term African American was not created by the U.S. government. It is a creation of U.S. citizens, led by Civil Rights worker (I refuse to call him a “leader”) Jesse Jackson. It was intended to be a more descriptive term for “black Americans.” Because most black Americans are descendents of slaves, tracing the exact country of origin on the African continent is difficult if not impossible. White Americans could accurately describe themselves - if they so choose - as Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Polish Americans, etc., but blacks could not. So Jackson et al adopted the term “African” Americans, with the emphasis on the continent, for the aforementioned reasons. The term was quickly adopted by government entities and the media in an effort to be politically correct, i.e., not **** off Jesse. The term was never intended to stand for a white person who comes from a country on the African continent. </p>
<p>Personally, I hate the term African American. It’s phony. Black is sufficiently descriptive, if you must describe. Thank you very much.</p>
<p>But do you agree that the OP is African and American?</p>
<p>he should check white, bc that is his race. since coming from south africa is such a big part of life, the colleges will know it if he mentions it in his essays, which he should. his background will be interesting to them. A white person who lived in Africa will have about the same appeal as being a black person in america. But they might consider it dishonest if he checks black bc those boxes are designed to identify race, not nationality.</p>
<p>A white person in Africa is not the same thing as a black person in America. White people dominated South Africa when they arrived. Being white in South Africa is the same as being white in the U.S.</p>
<p>The South Africans are white because of the European ancestry there. You’re from Africa, but your “bloodline” is not from Africa. If you’re white from South Africa, given South African politics over the last hundred years or so, there’s probably not any “black blood” in your body, you’re almost certainly 90-100% European. Given that, YOU decide when the decision is not made for you (i.e., when the box is for African American, not black/African American).</p>
<p>I would like to give a special thanks to applicannot, collegebound, Plainsman, and follishpleasue. I definitely intend to write about my heritage on the essay, but I will not check the African American/Black box. I will either select the other (possible write in) or white. Thanks again.</p>
<p>LOL…so did you ever end up calling Harvard, Yale, and Stanford?</p>
<p>african american is a classification used for people of african ancestry whose ancestors or similarly-coloured predecessors in this country have faced significant discrimination because of the colour of their skin. you do not alas qualify.</p>
<p>we say african-american merely as a politically correct moniker. as a south african, you should certainly have an understanding that you are not black, should have an understanding of the issues black people have faced because of the colour of their skin, and that you should not try to exploit this history.</p>
<p>Agree with Plainsman disagree with IBfootballer,
IMHO, I don’t like the definition for African-American. Not all blacks who reside in the US have ancestors who were slaves: I’m for one am one of them, my parents are from Cameroon West Africa. And IBfootballer, I don’t think the OP was 'exploiting 'the history of blacks in the US, he was asking a very reasonable question that anyone would have asked.</p>
<p>If the box says black, don’t check it. If the box says african american, check it. You are from africa. I know plenty of people from the carribean who do not check african american and who hate being called african american.</p>
<p>I pretty much do what maxellis suggested.</p>
<p>I’m in the same boat as SProctor. I’m a dual citizen of South Africa/US and I’m fluent in Afrikaans. </p>
<p>Colleges object to people misrepresenting themselves. With my blonde hair and blue eyes, I know I’m not what they’re looking for when they say ‘African-American’. However, I usually leave race blank, if I can. I think culture is more important than pigmentation, and that race is basically a social construct and shouldn’t work in my favour or against it. </p>
<p>I did mark African-American on my PSATs. You wouldn’t believe all of the brochures and summer program offers I received.</p>
<p>"I don’t think the OP was 'exploiting 'the history of blacks in the US, he was asking a very reasonable question that anyone would have asked. "</p>
<p>Maybe OP was’t intending to “exploit” anyone or anything, but since everyone knows being urm is a hook and likewise everyone knows that at least one purpose of the question is to identify urm students, a White student’s attempt to try and legitimately check the African-American box is disingenuous.</p>
<hr>
<p>“I think culture is more important than pigmentation, and that race is basically a social construct and shouldn’t work in my favour or against it.”</p>
<p>Of course race is less important to members of the racially dominant/majority/normative group!! And while race may be a social construct, so is culture; in fact, what is a civilized society if not a collection of agreed-upon social constructs and social contracts?</p>
<p>This is one unfortunate consequence of political correctness. The term African-American isn’t properly descriptive of what it really denotes. It seems to be saying “Americans who come from Africa”, but it really means “Americans who are black”. I believe that an ethnic group, or any group, has the right to be called whatever they prefer. However, I think that another term, such as the now-outdated “Afro-American”, might capture the spirit of being a black American better.</p>
<p>I would not suggest that we use such terms as Negro, which have obviously taken on a racist connotation, but Afro-American still seems like a viable term to me. Is it? Or does it in fact have racist connotations that I’m not aware of? And is the term “black Americans” acceptable? Please educate me.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, but one of the LAST people who should get benefits from being an “African American” is a white South African. If I were an adcom, and saw that a white South African was identifying himself as an “African American,” that application would be on its way to the circular file without further ado.</p>
<p>LOL^^^ I’m guessing you’re saying this b/c of the blatant racism in South Africa, and apartheid acts of the past (I don’t think it’s as bad now, is it?). I understand your point.</p>
<p>No, it’s not as bad now, certainly, but the main reason we have preferences for African-Americans is the history of oppression of blacks in this country…to give that preference to the scion of oppressors from South Africa (even if he himself is not an oppressor) would be really absurd.</p>