Okay, so I’m 1/5 Spanish (a pretty big amount relatively), but I’m mainly Caucasian, so I’ve always identified as white… I know that being Hispanic is considered a minority however and will greatly increase chances of getting admitted into a university, plus Its not as if I’m 1/56th hispanic, Im 1/5… my question basically is 1. Is Spanish considered Hispanic, 2. Do college admissions allow one to put down multiple ethnicities, and if so should I put Hispanic down or will I get in trouble. I would never want to “appropriate” or take advantage of the benefits of being a minority without having to suffer, so I have mixed feelings on whether or not I should put myself down as partially Hispanic… what do people recommend?
Spanish is considered hispanic and (hispanics) can be of any race.
This is a complex question. Honestly, no one else can decide your ethics for you. I just find it so sad that a thing like race that none of us have any control over, can give us an advantage or disadvantage. It can make people love or hate us, without ever knowing us.
For college purposes, most people seem to follow the National Hispanic Recognition Program rules.
Hispanic = at least one grandparent born in the one of the countries on their list as follows:
NHRP’s Definition of Hispanic/Latino
To be eligible, you must be at least one-quarter Hispanic/Latino. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnic category, not a racial category, so you can be of any race.
You must have ancestors from at least one of these countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, or Venezuela.
Not so complex, Yalie 2011. If OP has an Hispanic heritage, s/he gets to check the box. Nothing unethical about that.
How is someone 1/5 Hispanic?
^^ I agree, the 20% math isn’t working out too well for me either.
I’m not so sure “born in” is the most common interpretation of what it means to be 1/4 Hispanic. I know plenty of Latino families here in CA where the grandparents were all born in the US, but the children identify as full Hispanic.
In my son’s case, his Hispanic ancestors go back to Alta California when that area was still part of Mexico, and before that, to Spain. S’s great aunts and grandmother identify as full Hispanic despite being born in the US.
Sorry for the confusion over the 1/5 thing, a while back my mother took a test (like an actual DNA test) to determine her genetics (ethnicity-wise) because we have a lot of different ethnicities in my family, and she was 40% (approx.) or Spanish/Portuguese origin. So, that would make me about 20% or 1/5 Spanish.
Going back to @MLM 's post #1, Spanish is considered Hispanic; Portuguese, generally, is not.
This depends upon the college. Unless blocked by law, colleges are free to determine what is a URM and also to determine what bump, if any, it gets in the admissions process.
Personally, I don’t see how someone who identifies as white but finds out he has hispanic blood through a DNA test would check the hispanic box in good conscience. If you found out you have some AA blood, would you now consider yourself black? But that’s just me. 
I typically vote yes on these types of questions but given the details provided, I’m a no vote here. Those DNA tests are just estimates, you don’t know if its Spanish or Portuguese. You don’t have any cultural connection at all or even know which ancestor contributed to that DNA profile. You’re just trying to game the system. Besides, the benefits of checking off that box are not as great as you perceive. Let it go.
I’m fairly sure that most of the questions of Hispanic or not are questions of Hispanic ethnicity, and specify that it has nothing to do with race. As an ethnicity, Hispanic means more that the family and ancestry have a background in a spanish-speaking culture, not necessarily that your blood is literally from the Iberian peninsula (which, as mentioned above, could include Portugal, which doesn’t count as Hispanic).
Scientists who compared the skulls and DNA of human remains from around the world say their results point to modern humans (Homo sapiens) having a single origin in Africa. Feel free to check that box.
This is a ~17-year-old high school student, @“Yalie 2011”. You’re an adult. Is that the way you speak to the students who come to your consulting business for advise? She’s received a lot of opinions. What she does with the advice is up to her.
Personally I would not feel comfortable putting myself down as Hispanic based on a DNA test when I feel no tie to that culture. But it is your application and your decision.
Brazil is considered Hispanic, but Portugal is not. Does that make any sense? In any case it is a self-identification label, and fairly arbitrary.
@austinmshauri What business? I just don’t get these alternative facts.
As far as OP is concerned, I’m not scolding him. My sarcasam is towards society and role of racism. In my opinion, anyone can check any or all boxes, it’s all stupid to me. OP is just a kid baffled by all of this, why would one blame him?
I feel like a large part of being Hispanic is not necessarily race itself, but it is identifying with the culture and language. For this reason I would not feel comfortable checking Hispanic if I had not previously identified as so, and given the “loose interpretation” of DNA tests and the possibility that it can be wrong.
OP, are you aware that your high school records won’t indicate that you are hispanic. Your GC won’t indicate that either. If my husband were to get an Ancestry DNA kit, he might turn out to be AA because his grandmother and grandfather grew up in Georgia.
Trying to “game” the system will probably backfire on you.
@“Yalie 2011” I’m referring to the college consulting business that you said you’ve started. Making it nonprofit doesn’t make it less of a business. How you talk to children matters. If you go into a field that requires you to spend time talking to teenagers, it’s important to remember that.
It isn’t helpful to OP to suggest checking the AA box because we’re all “out of Africa.” Whatever s/he checks after consulting with family is up to them. I, personally, wouldn’t check a box based on a DNA test. If OP does, I don’t know how a conflict between what’s reported on the app and what’s in the school records would be viewed. What are your thoughts on that? Would a college notice? Would they care enough to call the GC for clarification?