I am of Portuguese descent, living in California where Portuguese does count as Hispanic because many of us are recent immigrants and even look Latino, but does the rule differ with different states? This is complicated because my mother identifies as Hispanic, but my father identifies as White. I am especially wondering about states that don’t have a notable Portuguese population, such as Texas (Qualify for in-state tuition), Tennessee (Vanderbilt), North Carolina and other states in the Southeastern area. Please let me know if you have any info on this area. Thanks!
For college purposes, the National Hispanic Recognition program has a detailed list of qualifying countries. Portugal is NOT included. So I’d say you are not Hispanic. Race is not the issue. You can be white and Hispanic. https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/scholarships-and-recognition/national-hispanic-recognition-program
@uskoolfish This actually is not the problem, I know I count as Hispanic in the college apps in California and Massachusetts, but my question is if it is a state by state policy
What is the federal definition of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity?
A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
You can mark any ethnicity you want in college apps, as long as you identify with that ethnic background. For some schools it can be a hook (URM) but unless you have the academic qualifications to go along with the URM status, it will not be that huge of a boost for selective schools.
BTW, California public universities (Cal States/UC’s) banned affirmative action so being Hispanic will not make a difference at these schools for admission purposes.
@Gumbymom Keep in mind Massachusetts has the affirmative action, and also, Liberal Arts schools such as Claremont McKenna and Pitzer and other privates such as USC and Stanford use it as well
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I’m not understanding the question. Is your question asking if “hispanic” is defined by the state? Well, if it is, the federal definition as noted above may supersede any state definition. If your question is concerning the role being hispanic plays in admissions, then it depends upon the college what bump, if any, they give, unless otherwise prohibited by law.
Oh, what does Latino look like, pray tell?
The reason I’m bringing up the National Hispanic Recognition Program is because it is run by College Board. My daughter was a Scholar and needed to show her school proof of her ancestors in order to get the award. (Her father’s birth certificate shows his mother was born in Argentina.) Many schools will use this same criteria if they are awarding scholarships that specify Hispanic and are tied to that award.
OP, I too am from California, work in college admissions and am Hispanic. You are wrong-you cannot claim you are Hispanic because Portuguese does not qualify. The question is usually asked “are you Hispanic?” and “if yes, what is the counry of orgin?” with a listing of various countries such as Mexico, Columbia etc. Portugal is never listed. The collegeboard definition is the one usually used by universities which requires 25% Hispanic and certain countries listed. Moreover some colleges, organizations and scholarships ask you for specific information as to why you identifiy yourself as Hispanic and how you related to your culture and what activities you do to support your Hispanic community. (see HSF scholarship application for examples). Being Hispanic in college admissions is not simply a “check the box” scenario.
Also as others have mentioned, California public universities and colleges do not take race into consideration due to the passage years ago of Proposition 209.
@itsv @uskoolfish @skieurope Sorry but I don’t believe you all are understand the question. Portugal is considered hispanic and cannot be contested as it is apart of the hispaniola peninsula but my question was is the national affirmative action law different? Thank you
“U.S. Department of Labor also allows people to self-designate as a Hispanic, if they are Portuguese, and it cannot be contested” found my answer looking online thanks for the help
You misunderstand that quote- from a heritage organization, not the govt definition…You can self-designate but the adcoms may not accept that you’re Hispanic/a minority in the higher ed system, if you’re Portuguese.
And it won’t matter to UCs, won’t shift their view of your application.
DOL still refers to “A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.” Generally, Spanish speaking nations.
None of this hinges on “looking Latino.” That’s silly.
And not all colleges require 25%. That’s generally the expectation for the Hispanic Recognition Program, which is different. But that doesn’t change that Portugal is not Spain and Portuguese is not Spanish. And how adcoms will view what you check off. Always vet your sources. Try to look at how the OMB/DOL and Census actually state it.
No difference in CA or MA.
OP-you are missing the point and confusing Department of Labor standards with college admission standards for whether Portuguese can be considered Hispanic for admission purposes. Just because Dept. of Labor says you can self-designate as a Hispanic if you are Portuguese does not mean it applies in college admissions. I have a lot of experience in this area with colleges and scholarships. It does not.
Rather the majority of colleges and organizations who award scholarships and opportunities (e.g. Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, diversity fly-ins) to Hispanics use the definition used by College Board in the National Hispanic Recognition Program. This definition is :
"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."
Your ancestors are not from a country listed since Portugual is not on the list. Trust me I have helped a lot of students fill out college and scholarship application and they all ask for country of orgin for your ancestors and they will give you a list. Portugal is not listed. Moreover there is not any variable from state to state in terns of the definition, e.g. California considers me Hispanic but Georgia does not- it is a federal, nation-wide definition.
I have URM students at Pitzer, Stanford, Duke, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt and I know the admissions staff. You will not be considered Hispanic because your ancestors are from Portugal.
The college I work for follows the DOL, not the HRP, which is more restrictive. In fact, in admissions, even absolute Hispanic (eg, Central American,) is still viewed in the student’s context.
Portuguese is Portuguese. This may change, in the next Census.
Notice, itsv’s quote doesn’t include Brazil, either.
Actually, I believe that you do not understand your own question. Please please show us all where the “hispaniola peninsula” is on the map.
Regardless, you can certainly self-identify with anything you wish. Whether a college (or any other organization) concurs with you is a totally different question.
What the OP is saying is that it is illogical that European Spain and Portuguese speaking Brazil are listed in the definition and Portugal is not. Unfortunately “Hispanic” is an American political construct and as such does not need to follow geographic logic, or the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) which encompasses almost all of the “Hispanic” counties.
The OP meant to say “Iberian Peninsula” which includes Portugal, Spain, a little of France, Gibraltar and Andorra.
Just as odd as some other exceptions.
And Brazil is only included in the Hispanic Recognition Program, which is separate. The NHRP also requires 1/4 lineage, which other govt definitions do not.
Bottom line is how adcoms will treat this, not how honor societies set their criteria or how heritage groups want to be treated. Right now, it is what it is, nothing more.
No, Hispaniola is the island in the Caribbean Island they live on, didn’t mean to type peninsula. Sorry for the confusion, we are ethnically from Portugal but we immigrated to America from there is what I meant to say
And if you don’t identify as Hispanic that’s another reason to say no.