<p>As I'm looking at colleges, I'm noticing that being part of an URM really helps. For me, I have a non-custodial Cuban father, so I could claim to be Hispanic if I wanted to. </p>
<p>But I've never claimed that before now. I was raised by my American mother, and for all intents and purposes have no connection with the Latino community, other than some chromosomes from a Latin American country. Also, probably a big issue is that my father isn't listed on my birth certificate, so there really isn't any proof of Hispanic heritage. </p>
<p>Is is practical and worthwhile for me to claim being Hispanic? Will the fact that I've always been listed a racially white (I know Hispanic isn't a race, but I've noticed a lot of other people aren't.) Will colleges really investigate this further, of take my word on it.</p>
<p>Practical. Yes. Worthwhile. No. I think you should embrace your heritage in ways other than accepting preferences intended for disadvantaged Latinos.</p>
<p>This can be a tough issue and I don't think there are any wrong answers as long as you are truthful. I know kids of Hispanic ethnicity who don't speak a word of Spanish, have blonde hair and blue eyes and a Polish last name. They qualify as Hispanic because of a grandparent, and as long as that fits the definition of being an URM, they aren't deceiving anyone. There are specific countries which meet the "Hispanic" definition, I'm not sure if Cuba is one of them. I also don't know to what lengths colleges go to confirm heritage.</p>
<p>It's your choice. You don't owe it to anyone to claim either heritage. If you claimed Hispanic, you'd be doing no wrong, and you'd be following rules. Perhaps it would be buying into an unfair system, but get real, people of all ethnicities have been benefitting from unfair advantages for centuries, it's how you get ahead in life (I'm not advocating slavery, that's not what I mean). If you claimed Caucasian, that would be acceptable too. Don't make it into a greater moral issue.</p>