Ethnicity Question

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey all, </p>

<p>Some may take adoption very personally, but I don't. I was adopted from Moscow, Russia at the age of 1 and when I fill out college surveys, info, etc. they always request my ethnicity. I usually just put White/Caucasian but I'm not exactly "white" (I have darker/tan skin) and I'm from Russia. I am unsure of my actual ethnic background.</p>

<p>I'm just wondering if I would be justified to say that I am Hispanic/Latino (some people swear I am, but of course, no one actually knows). I know that some colleges take ethnicity into account when deciding on whether to accept someone (I'm sure it varies from university to university). </p>

<p>If I could just get some other opinions on this matter I would really grateful. :)</p>

<p>Thanks,
John</p>

<p>EDIT: I've decided to just leave it the way it is, thank you everyone :)</p>

2

<p>John,</p>

<p>My daughter was adopted from China. I think you should put white on the ethnicity question or just leave it blank. But do not hesitate to write about adoption when you do your essays. I know a lot of girls adopted from China who are freshmen in college now or who just got their early-decision results, and for sure their essays helped them in the admissions process. There’s nothing like a fish-out-of-water story, and you have one.</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

3

<p>Wait…are you asking if it’s OK to identify yourself as Hispanic/Latino when you were adopted from Russia, and there’s not a shred of evidence to suggest that you actually are Hispanic?</p>

4

<p>No, you should not say you are Hispanic unless you know you are. They aren’t asking you for your skin color. </p>

<p>ANYONE who isn’t sure of their exact ethnic make up can use your argument and put down any ethnic group if that is the case. My kids aren’t adopted but we don’t know all of the ethnic mixes in their ancestry. Many people, most do not.</p>

5

<p>I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but I guess it is. I will continue to put White then, thank you so much!</p>

6

<p>There really isn’t any evidence suggesting anything. It seems I may have come off the wrong way when I asked that, I’m not trying to “fake” anything, I’m just asking an honest question.</p>

7

<p>If you are from Russia and darker than white, it’s very possible that you are Asian since so much of Russia is in Asia. No advantage to be Asian, au contraire! But really, there’s no way to know. I think I would leave it blank and perhaps use that as a point in your essay.</p>

8

<p>Possibly, I’ll definitely remember to include that in my essay then, thanks! :D</p>

9

<p>Yeah, John, it is a big deal–apparently, a much bigger deal than you were able to realize. So it’s good that you asked.</p>

<p>I think the advice you’ve been given to build an essay around your life story may be the way to go.</p>

<p>Good luck to you.</p>

10

<p>Thank you, I don’t want to sound any more naive than I already do haha</p>

11

<p>Naive isn’t so bad. Everybody’s naive before they learn.</p>

<p>What’s bad is trying to sound as if you know something when you really don’t.</p>

12

<p>I’d like to acknowledge that it can be very hard not to know. John, best of luck to you in the college admissions process!</p>

13

<p>What the…?</p>

<p>Being Hispanic has nothing to do with being a certain skin color, so you would be lying. You’re a prospective college student, and this is news to you? What?</p>

14

<p>I seem to have done both. Well, thank you for enlightening me.</p>