<p>Okay, so unofficially (because I don't belong to a tribe) I'm not sure if I can identify myself as a Native American. I am 1/4 Native American. Um.. would it be bad to list this as my ethnicity on an application? Do I have to have a tribal membership to back it up?</p>
<p>It goes up to 1/16. I think you will need some type of papers to verify this though.</p>
<p>For most colleges, you do need to have tribal affiliation and be registered with the tribe.</p>
<p>You probably need to be an enrolled member of a tribe.</p>
<p>A lot of colleges want the tribal affiliation or it doeesn't hold the same weight. I'm 1/8 Native American but as I'm not enrolled in a tribe I don't think it would have helped me.</p>
<p>I thought you had to be a member of a tribe and at least 1/8 Native American.</p>
<p>What about Hispanic? Can I just put Hispanic if I said my grandparents came from Spain? I don't think they can really prove me wrong or anything, or else that's discrimination! Plus I read the definition of Hispanic, and I'm pretty sure that it means anyone whose ancestry hails either from the people of Spain, any of the various peoples of Spanish-speaking Latin America.</p>
<p>Last time I checked, Hispanic, as in the URM variety, means of Latin or Central American descent, not of European descent...but I could be mistaken.</p>
<p>But, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Southern Brazil are overwhelming of European decent and not mestizo. I dont see how Hispanic can just count as mestizo; in Spain & South America they dont really count mestizos as true Hispanics </p>
<p>It is tricky because they interlap. For example, the Michigan application gives you 5 options if you are a US citizen. They are:</p>
<p>1) African American/Black (not of Hispanic origin)
2) Asian/Pacific Islander (including the Indian Subcontinent)
3) Native American/Alaskan (name tribal affiliation)
and this is where it gets tricky
4) Caucasian/White (not of Hispanic origin, but having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa or the Middle East)
5) Hispanic/Latino (Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race)</p>
<p>This is so contradictory. Spain is part of Europe, so if your descent is from Spain, then you qualify as Caucasian. However, you can technically qualify as being of the "Spanish Culture" and that means you can also be considered Hispanic or Latino. However, in the spirit intended, you do not qualify as hispanic or latino. You are clearly caucasian if your entire ancestry is from Spain.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information!</p>
<p>But it says "Spanish culture or origin" - wouldn't I count as origin? Most applications just say Hispanic and don't really give a definition. Anyway how would anyone even prove that they are of Hispanic origin? Most people never had any documents when they came to the U.S. a hundred years ago...</p>
<p>trans, </p>
<p>unless you are legitimately spanish (i.e. speak spanish at home/celebrate spanish culture) you're white. By your argument someone from the philipines could check off hispanic.</p>
<p>when they say hispanic/latino - they are refering to hispania and latin america...i.e. central america. thats why people from spain are spanish and people from central america are hispanic/latino. so if you're puerto rican or cuban or mexican or any other country in that area, it counts.</p>
<p>Don't cheat the system. its not really fair to everyone else.</p>
<p>Alexandre:</p>
<p>These are the Federal government's definition's issued by OMB. There is a false assumption that this infomation is used for determining admissions. It is used primarily, although I can't speak for all colleges, for internal instituional purposes and to respond to Federal government requests.</p>
<p>
[quote]
unless you are legitimately spanish (i.e. speak spanish at home/celebrate spanish culture) you're white. By your argument someone from the philipines could check off hispanic.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Speaking Spanish and celebrating Spanish culture does not equal Spanish. Spanish blood is what counts (to true Spaniards at least). Half of all White Americans are of German origin yet they dont speak German and maybe celebrate some German culture but they are still German. Ive looked up the definition of Hispanic and it can be of any race (according to the USA). People of the Philippines do not have any Spanish blood in them or speak Spanish or even celebrate Spanish culture. I don't see how by my definition they would be Spanish.</p>
<p>
[quote]
when they say hispanic/latino - they are refering to hispania and latin america...i.e. central america. thats why people from spain are spanish and people from central america are hispanic/latino
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Not true at all; Hispanic means you are related to the Spanish or Portuguese people. Look it up - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic</a></p>
<p>Latinos refer to Latin Americans (any country in America that speaks a Latin language).</p>
<p>
[quote]
Don't cheat the system. its not really fair to everyone else.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm not cheating the system if the system is already cheated to begin with. We all know if I put White I'll receive no benefit, it will actually hurt me.</p>
<p>Transvaal: excellent post</p>
<p>On most of those race questions, they say "How would you describe yourself". so if I think i'm tan enough to be "black" then i'm not lying, right?</p>
<p>Also, what can they do if you're admitted but they figure out that you put the wrong race? Technically, they shouldn't be able to revoke your admission, since it "didn't affect admissions decisions", right?</p>
<p>trans, if you want to check it, fine do it. no one is going to verify it. you know though that because your grandfather or great grandfather or whoever happened to be born is spain doesn't make you a minority. The true nature of the hispanic latino check is for people from central/south america. You arn't that.</p>
<p>notice how in the article is says - </p>
<p>"In the United States, some people consider "Hispanic" to be too general as a label, while others consider it offensive, often preferring to use the term "Latino", which is viewed as a self-chosen label. The preference of "Latino" over "Hispanic" is partly because it more clearly indicates that those it is referring to are the people from Latin America (including Brazil) and not Spain." </p>
<p>Being as you're not latino - I think you are breaking the spirit of the system. Also, checking white doesn't put you at a disadvantage and neither does not checking anything.</p>
<p>But like I said, do what you want - you'll have to live with it.</p>
<p>College applications and FAFSA don't ask if your Latino, they ask if you are Hispanic! :p </p>
<p>I have a friend from Bolivia (who happens to be a White of Spanish decent). He has alright average grades, he put he was Hispanic and got all federal aid and into all the colleges he picked. Crazy isnt it?</p>
<p>The system is ridiculous. True Americans should all put that they are "native Americans" because they are natives to the land. Most of them have been here for hundreds of years. That should fix the system. :p</p>
<p>"People in the Philippines do not have any Spanish blood in them."</p>
<p>Ah, you need to re-take World History 101. There's a reason they tend to have names like Martinez and Fernandez, and it's not because they are big baseball fans.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Ah, you need to re-take World History 101. There's a reason they tend to have names like Martinez and Fernandez, and it's not because they are big baseball fans.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Enlighten me on how having a Spanish surname makes you Spanish? I have an English name yet I have no relation at all to England. Does this make me English?</p>
<p>Transvaal, all we are saying is that you should be careful, particularly if your name and appearence are European.</p>