Help with URM on Common APP?

Student Lounge Hispanic Students
1

<p>My mother is half mexican half japanese and my father is full japanese. I myself am japanese and a little bit of mexican. My counselor, former admissions at harvard, says to write both. I am concerned because on my school documents it only says japanese. I can always get paperwork that says im mexican also but as of now, i dont have it. Does it matter if i dont have any legal proof? I can easily show to an interviewer that im mexican also (i speak some spanish, make food at home, know some history, etc). my japanese is excellent, food skills, cultural groups such as JCC (japanese community of ct), youth leader of JCC, etc.</p>

<p>So the question is, will they bother to ask for documentation or proof or anything? i can get it with some advance in time but if i dont, would they kick me out of a school or something or does it matter really to them if i have the proof as long as i have some culture or something?</p>

<p>i just need some advice as to what i should put on the app</p>

2

<p>Take a look at the CA, they ask two questions about identity, first about ethnicity (Hispanic, Y/N) and then mark your race(s). They do it this way because Hispanics can be of any race(s). Please see this discussion of the concepts of race and ethnicity:</p>

<p>[Concepts</a> of Diversity](<a href=“http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/csri/ethnicityhealth/aspects_diversity/concepts/]Concepts”>http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/csri/ethnicityhealth/aspects_diversity/concepts/)</p>

<p>So, if you identify as Hispanic via your mother’s Mexican background (college admissions uses ‘identity’, not a percentage, as the determination of ethnicity and race), you mark yes.</p>

<p>Then, for race, you mark Asian for your father and one side of your mother. What is you mother racially on the other side? Whatever she is, you would mark that.</p>

<p>For HS, many GCs don’t understand that Hispanic is not a race. While not absolutely necessary, you should have them change your records to reflect your full ethnic and racial background.</p>

<p>Did you mark Hispanic when you took the PSAT? Would you qualify for NHRP? There is still time, and since NHRP uses 1/4 Hispanic as their threshold, you could qualify if your score and gpa are high enough.</p>

<p>Other than NA applicants, who must show tribal affiliation, race and ethnicity are not checked. If you are honest about your identity, you will have no problem, adcoms have been doing this long enough to usually be able to recognize those who are sincere vs. those who are trying to stretch the truth to gain an admissions advantage.</p>

<p>p.s. I forgot to say, Japanese and Mexican are Nationalities/country of origin, not ethnicities or races. After you check Hispanic, the CA will have you indicate country of origin; not sure if they do this for race or not.</p>