<p>Although on the CommonApp Middle Easterners are required to select white as their race, does it help if you put middle eastern(do they consider us a URM?) in the description space below the ethnicity/race section?</p>
<p>Also another question: If i am North African (Egypt) and i do not want to put myself as "White" , can i pick African(Black) and put the country Egypt in the description? I dont believe this is cheating the system, as i consider myself more African than white, even though officially im "white" on my green card?</p>
<p>URM consideration applies only to US citizens or permanent residents who are African-American, Hispanic American, or Native American and it does not apply to any cassification that could be called “middle eastern.” Being from Egypt would not make you African-American as the term is understood in the US and you should not designate yourself as such.</p>
<p>You can certainly be from Egypt and be African American. There are many black Egyptians from the southern part of Egypt (formerly Nubia) as you well know. Middle Easterners are presumed to be white - but if you are not white, you are welcome to say so. It’s just ignorance to presume that everyone is white just because they come from a certain geographic location. It’s like saying everyone in the US is white because the majority are.</p>
<p>He is “officially white” on his green card. He is WHITE. He is not Black, he is not African American. </p>
<p>For him to say that he’s not white would be dishonest. It doesn’t matter that he feels more African than American. There are many WHITE Africans as well. “Feeling African” does not make someone “black.” :rolleyes:</p>
<p>You know, you don’t have to list a race if you don’t want to. I’m guessing that fewer than 10% of Americans honestly think of Middle Easterners as white.</p>
<p>“For him to say that he’s not white would be dishonest.”</p>
<p>Why? Racially, he may indeed be black. As I said, there are many blacks Egyptians. To be forced to claim you are white when your skin color is black (and you are already deeply discriminated against in Egypt as a result) is just adding insult to injury. We aren’t talking here about European immigrants to Africa, who have since immigrated elsewhere. We are talking about the indigenous population of Egypt which is indeed black. The fairer skinned Arabic population arrived much later and has dominated the culture and political landscape for a long time - but that still doesn’t make Egyptians uniformly white. What the US census bureau has to say about it really isn’t relevant here.</p>
<p>Boomboxboom, no admissions officer in the country is going to argue with someone who claims he or she is black. Can you imagine the uproar if someone were asked to prove it? How insulting to be told you don’t look ‘black enough!’</p>
<p>However, as is clear by the OP’s questioning, s/he is NOT black and/or an indigenous Egyptian, so that point is moot.</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad outlined the qualifications for such quite clearly above. And as mom2collegekids stated, “‘Feeling African’ does not make someone ‘black’”. If the OP is white s/he needs to indicate such or decline to answer otherwise s/he is being incredibly dishonest.</p>
<p>There’s a big difference between “African” and “black”. OP can mark that he identifies with or originates from North Africa, but when it comes to race he needs to mark white.</p>
<p>OP does not make it clear from his or her question whether he or she is black or white. OP merely states what is on the green card - if Egyptians are automatically being listed as ‘white’ there is no reason why OP has to give up his or her identity if OP identifies as black.</p>
<p>Yes, he does. He says that his Green Card says he’s white. If he were a Black Egyptian then his green card would NOT say White.</p>
<p>even though officially im “white” on my green card</p>
<p>It is highly unlikely that Egyptians are automatically listed as “white” on green cards. Surely correct race is listed on green cards…whether White, Asian, Black or whatever.</p>
<p>Race isn’t quite so black-and-white. The average Nigerian is darker than the average Egyptian, who is darker than the average Italian, who is darker than the average Swiss, who is darker (marginally) than the average Swede. While our society has drawn (very rough) boundaries of who is considered “white,” they are pretty arbitrary. If the OP doesn’t consider himself white and there is no objective way to show that he is wrong, is he really?</p>
<p>Actually the government automatically put white on the green card when we told them we were from Egypt. Like obviously if we were very dark skinned they owuld have put african but since we are more of a caramel , they put white. I doubt my parents had any say .</p>
<p>No, absolutely no hook being Middle Eastern.
(being a middle eastern myself…i understand the anger when you click the “white” button…but, sadly…it does say North African in the parentheses, so you sort of have to…)</p>
<p>Egypt is in MIDDLE EAST not in AFRICA ! I hope you guys do not study in one of the UC schools. If you are, I will not go to any UC schools. Look at the World Map please !</p>