<p>Hey all,
I have a question regarding ethnicity on a college application. My parents were born in Northern Africa and I was born in America. I am not "black" but i have always identified myself as African American (I am not trying to cheat the system by any means or get an unfair advantage) I just want another opinion about whether or not I have the right to check African American on a college application (obviously URM can help quite a bit.) It would mean a lot if someone could provide me with insight in this matter.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading this.</p>
<p>PS: I put black in quotations because I dont like using that term and do not want to offend anyone by any means.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think it really just refers to people who are ethnically/racially black. Race/ethnicity gets kind of complicated. I think it would be different if you were born in an African country, because then by technical terms you <em>would</em> be an African American, but you were born in America. Your race is not black, and that’s really what they mean by African American. Being URM does help some in college admissions, and I think it is kind of unfair of someone who admissions would consider to be white to try and play the URM card. I’m not trying to be rude to you or anything or say that you can’t identify with being African, but please try to understand what I am saying.</p>
<p>I put African American on my APs and such… college applications do ask how you identify yourself… thanks for the opinions. Ill have to speak to my guidance counselor</p>
<p>I’m certainly not an expert, but the US Census Bureau defines North Africans as white. African American doesn’t necessarily mean everyone from the continent of Africa apparently. But again, this is just what I’ve concluded from a little bit of research.</p>
<p>technically you could say yes because you are of african ancestry, but ‘african american’ does really apply only to sub-saharan africa, so unless you feel strongly about being african american in your sense, it’s kind of cheating the system since in the way they’re asking it, they would expect you to put down white.</p>
<p>OP- are you dark-skinned? or like are your parents “white”?</p>
<p>African American refers to the AAs that you see in popular culture (like celebrities like Will Smith, just giving an example), the ones whose families descended from African but are not immediately from Africa. so you’re African, because although you were born here, you’re a direct descendant of a “real” African.
African Americans and Africans have slightly different DNA separating the two, kind of like the different subsets of “hispanic”. </p>
<p>plus they cant ask you if youre actually aa when you go to a college interview. they would have a lawsuit on their hands if they gave you any crap for doing it.</p>
<p>Apparently many blacks actually prefer “black” over “African American” since not all are of African descent. So it’s ironic that colleges are listing that race as “African American” and in turn causing unnecessary confusion. </p>
<p>You should probably just put “white” is you want to be 100% honest, since adcoms will undoubtedly associate “African American” as being dark-skinned, and should they for whatever reason meet you beforehand, you don’t want them to think you were being deceitful.</p>
<p>I am not white… im like really tan. My parents were born on the southern border of egypt (northern border of Sudan.) I have family from all over africa… I definetely consider myself african american even though im not black… I’m just worried that I might get rejected from everywhere if they see an ID picture or something and think that I am lying…</p>
<p>The Common APP Reads:
please indicate how you identify
yourself. (Check all that apply.) </p>
<hr>
<p>�� Black or African American (including Africa and Caribbean) </p>
<hr>
<p>hmmm how i identify myself? ohhh and including africa… it doesnt say including southern or sub-saharan africa. Im honestly not trying to cheat I’ve just always said im african american… :(</p>
<p>Egypt is in the middle-east. You are middle-eastern (hence, “tan,” and not “black”). You know when they say “African-American,” they mean black (very dark-skinned). “White,” on the other hand, specifically says it includes middle-easterners (as it does; they’re considered Caucasians). Don’t be deceitful. While you may be from (northern) Africa (the middle east), you are white.</p>
<p>^ CPU is correct.
That is an option, (or at least it should be)</p>
<p>I’m just throwing forth an issue that I have noticed, it goes along (slightly) with the OP’s issue.</p>
<p>I am African, born in Africa, moved to the US when I was like one years old.</p>
<p>I am an American citizen, I got to be one when I was like seven.</p>
<p>Therefore I am African American.</p>
<p>Would you call an African a black (politically speaking)? I don’t think so. Therefore i’m not black, but i’m African, but i’m an African American because of my citizenship status, but ethnically I am not, therefore I am not black.
Does that makes sense? I had an issue with somebody about this, and they did not understand it…</p>