<p>Yes, I would. Not exclusively, of course, just I don’t exclusively claim Hispanic heritage. But I would claim it, after learning about it and assimilating into it the way I have with Mexican culture. As for my German heritage, yes, I do care about it as much as my Hispanic heritage, though I haven’t known as long and don’t speak the language. It is a part of who I am, but more importantly, I connect with it on an almost spiritual level. One thing that is very important to me is honoring my ancestors, and I would do that regardless of what my race and ethnicity were. </p>
<p>@Hunt, I was homeless in the past, not any longer. That was the result of my own stupidity and has little bearing on my current situation other than that it explains why I’m 25 and haven’t gone to college. I am a thorough, detail-oriented person. If you ask a question, I will answer it with the context necessary to understand the “what,” as well as “how” and “why.” But think me a ■■■■■ if you wish. </p>
<p>OP, you might try googling Congressional bills related to ethnicity for more information. Hispanic is, for the time being, an ethnic category. By the time of the next US census, it’s likely to be a racial one.</p>
<p>You are 1/6th Mexican, then you qualify as Hispanic on the that checklist for college apps. I know many who do so with impunity with less. And no hint of the culture at all. My good friend was 1/4 and bore the name as it came down the paternal pike (and she did not change her maiden name) and so her son was 1/8 with a traditionally Anglo name, no connection to any Latino culture at all, but yes, he was URM Hispanic for college purposes and no big deal. Not the only one either. </p>
<p>You’re 25? How do you support yourself? Do you have a job? You said your previous family was abusive. Did you report that and move to another one? How do you cook Mexican food listen to Mexican music if you’re homeless?</p>
<p>And how come you’re only concerned with the Mexican line? Why not put Hispanic German Irish Apache whatever else all on there? Just because you like one culture doesn’t make you that. Maybe I’m 1/9000000 African and I really like black culture. Doesn’t make me any less Asian than I am now, and regardless of how I feel about it or how it might affect my chances at college, I will put Asian American because that’s who I am. </p>
<p>I’m sorry but I find it hard to believe this story. You’re an abused adopted homeless 25 year old trying to identify with Mexican culture when you’re not Mexican. Seems like the perfect set up to ■■■■■ people.</p>
<p>Putting aside whether OP is legit or not, what do colleges do when they get an application from Bridget O’Malley that says she’s Hispanic, without anything else explaining it? Do they just accept it without question?</p>
<p>@austinmshauri, how can it be a racial category? There are brown Hispanics, black Hispanics, white Hispanics, Asian Hispanics, and mixed Hispanics. It isn’t a race. lol. </p>
<p>@kei04086, I have a job. I never reported the abuse. I moved out at 17 and lived with a few friends, reconnected with my biological mom when I was 18 or 19. And I’ve specified above that I am no longer homeless, and that I am not ignoring my Germanic heritage. Reading is a useful ability. Learn it. </p>
<p>I find it aggravating that IF all of this is true and we take your word for it, you have all these problems in your life and you’re worried about getting URM status for college admissions. If you truly believe you’re Hispanic, you wouldn’t need the assurances of random strangers on a n internet forum. Even if your story is true, it sounds like you’re trying to get an unfair advantage in admissions. The reason colleges may take URM as a hook is because those groups tend to come from impoverished backgrounds. Clearly if you’re a homeless foster child with no money you have had disadvantages. Then Hispanic or not shouldn’t even matter. If you weren’t looking to get an advantage you wouldn’t have made this thread because why would you care. But since you did, I feel you know yourself this is unfair and you’re trying to get people to agree with you to get it off your conscience.</p>
<p>@Hunt, without question? I don’t know. But who’s to say that Bridget O’Malley isn’t fluent in Spanish and working as a volunteer for a Latina charity? Who’s to say she didn’t grow up in Latin America, or in a Latino community? Who’s to say she’s not racially indigenous and adopted into an Irish house? These are also important questions.</p>
<p>@kei04086, being Hispanic doesn’t make one a racial minority. I am fairly certain that white Hispanics receive little or no benefit, especially when compared to Hispanics with greater degrees of indigenous blood or who are members of another racial minority. So there’s no question of benefit as far as I understand it. </p>
<p>Who cares what the other issue are? The OP is asking a direct question. He is 1/6 Mexican and yes, he can check that box on the app. What’s the big deal about that? And yes, the schools generally do accept it without question, unless some flags are raised, and if they are, they may choose to investigate and if fraud is found, the consequences are severe and not worth it. </p>
<p>Hunt, my friend’s son has a name that would work well with Bridget O’Malley. Yes, he put down Hispanic, as he is 1/8th so. He also has red hair and freckles on very fair skin coloring. So what? And he got a scholarship from a pot reserved for URMs at that school. So what? </p>
<p>His heritage meant NOTHING to him or to his mother, my friend. Purely a box he could check that gave him some admissions advantage and access to some funds earmarked for those who could check that box. Doesn’t have to mean anything. I’d do the same with my kids if we had any Latino in us that I could pin point. Those schools that have stipulations may make them, so one should check when it’s beyond the 1/16th point to be safe, or I would, anyways, but that’s just me. </p>
<p>The only group that sometimes gets scrutiny is Native American (Indian) as some school and definitely some awards will require some tribal registry proof, so one had better have that in hand or check that out before checking that box when one has no connection at all to the tribes and only a small trace to that line. </p>
<p>Tell it to the US Census Bureau. I doubt they’ll care what you think about changes they’re in the midst of making or that you’ll be able to influence them, but you’re certainly welcome to try.</p>
<p>Why does it matter? Because everyone knows URMs get an advantage in admissions. Doesn’t matter if colleges deny it, data clearly shows average stats for blacks/Hispanics/NAs are significantly lower than that of Asians or even whites. I’m fine with that because I understand people from those backgrounds are often disadvantaged and I fully support colleges adding diversity while supporting education for the disadvantaged. What I’m not fine with is people using that factor in order to gain an unfair edge in admissions. I’m Asian American which means I’m statistically less likely to get into colleges than other racial or ethnic groups. Why can’t I put black if I listen to rap music and live in Harlem? Why can’t I put Hispanic if I’m fluent in Spanish and eat lots of Mexican food? If everyone tried to game to system like that the people that truly need help that truly will benefit from affirmative action don’t get it and it loses credibility as a legitimate benefactor for the disadvantaged.</p>
<p>Your interest in the culture, your appearance, your name has nothing to do with it. You can check the box if you s please, as you are 1/16th Hispanic in that you have a great great grandparent who was Mexican or enough pieces of other ancestors to come up with that. Most schools don’t care anyways. What kind of schools are on your list? I can tell you flat out that given the 3000 or so college and I’m not even counting CCs, trade schools, etc, most could not care less if you are Hispanic or not At some of the you might not even be URM. Where this can matter the most is at the most selective schools and for certain monies. For some such funds, you may be asked to provide some lineage proof, though I’ve never heard of that for anything other than American Indian. </p>
<p>Can I claim African American since studies have shown modern humans seem to have originated from Africa? 1/4th maybe you could argue blood but 1/16th? Really?</p>
<p>You want to claim it and take the risk you get called out and have to argue it publically, possibly making the viral Youtube and other social medial sites, go on ahead, Kei. </p>
<p>I’ve just done a family tree back to my great grandparents which would be my kids’ great great, and yes, if there were an AA or Hispanic find, I’d put it down. Have the proof right here in my hands. Wouldn’t do it on a rumor or assumption. My father’s family was considered black Irish which come from the Moors in Spain, so yes, I could do an argument on that one on a general basis, but that isn’t going to hold water. But if instead of Bridget O"Malley as my Great grandmother, I found a Fernando Acosta, yeah, I’d certainly have no problem in checking the Hispanic box. With certain scholarship funds, I would ask if there had to be a certain %, just to avoid potential problems but for just admissions office, ptttch, I would not care.</p>
<p>So you’d be fine with taking advantage of a system implemented to help disadvantage young people find higher education by using the drop of Hispanic blood to get your kids into college? It wouldn’t for a second get on your conscience? This is why so many people are against affirmative action. People take unfair advantage of an otherwise beneficiary system to “cheat” their way into college.</p>
<p>Fascinating thread. In doing some research for my D for DAR scholarships, confirmed that her great, great grandmother, Caroline Lopez, and her great, great, great grandmother, Juana Baya, were from Minorca, an island off of Spain. My D and I joked about her checking the Hispanic box, but my D is as Anglo as they come.</p>
<p>kei, the inevitability of your response is another reason why I suspected this of being a ■■■■■ post. It seems almost designed to elicit this response.</p>
<p>In my opinion, there are real practical problems if figuring out how to deal with Hispanic/Latino as a URM category. It is just so different from other URM statuses. Some Latinos have been subject to terrible discrimination, others not so much. Some provide a lot of diversity, some very little. Do colleges actually weigh all this, or do they just check the box themselves so they can indicate a good diversity stat? I don’t know.</p>
<p>I’ve done some work involving the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and it is fascinating how some tribes define this …e.g. 1/4 but some could be MUCH more shallow than that-- almost a family rumor. In a recent supreme court opinion about Baby Veronica the high court said “[t]his case is about a little girl (Baby Girl) who is classified as an Indian because she is 1.2% (3/256) Cherokee.” But also her dad was an enrolled member. Under the blood quantum standard it seems like most of us who’s family has been in the US for > 150 years would qualify. </p>