<p>I'm working hard to apply as a transfer student. My question is a concern of honesty.</p>
<p>My grandfather is from the Canary Islands, and the woman he married, my grandmother, is Hispanic. They met in Italy.</p>
<p>My grandparents on the other side come from a bunch of ethnic groups, but consider themselves Italian.</p>
<p>When I get to the ethnicity portion on my applications, I'm wondering what I should put. Would it be honest to put Hispanic even though I don't speak Spanish (I'm not first generation)? Can I check the mixed or other group and put Italian/Hispanic? Should I possibly put mixed African/Hispanic/Italian since the Canary Islands are off the coast of Africa?</p>
<p>Please I'd rather not make this into an opinion discussion over whether affirmative action is justified or not.</p>
<p>Would it be honest for me to mark down any of these in the ethnicity fields even though I'm not first generation, and if so, which ones should I check given my situation (I never filled out the ethnicity portion for my current school)?</p>
<p>The fact that you have misgivings about putting it down probably says something. BUT...in your case, I don't think it's much of a stretch at all. African is iffy, but Hispanic should be fine. :)</p>
<p>It's not that I have misgivings, I just like to maintain honesty. I don't want to use something unless I deserve to rightfully use it.</p>
<p>Plus, I don't speak Spanish, and I'm not the tannest person around; I just want to make sure people won't be like "Oh, you don't speak Spanish! You can't list Hispanic as your ethnicity!" =P</p>
<p>I agree.. the point of that question is: what ethnicity do you identify the most with? If you don't speak spanish, if you aren't immersed somewhat in the culture of the hispanic side of your family, if you don't really feel "Latina", I think the honest thing to do is not to mark that down. But I can understand if you still want to.</p>
<p>you'llsee...--
If you ask a question, it means you aren't sure of the answer; but it's okay, I expected the sarcastic undertones.</p>
<p>amb3r--
Yeah, it's something I'm going to sit and really think about. My family definitely experienced hardship when they came over to this country, and they tried as hard as they could to assimilate, hence they stopped speaking Spanish (though my Italian side did not stop speaking Italian). My last name is Hispanic. Lately I've become more and more immersed in the culture because due to a divorce and another long story, I'm now close with relatives whom I wasn't close with before.</p>
<p>seclusion--
Thanks! Do you think I should check both caucasian and hispanic, or go in the other field and write Hispanic/Italian?</p>
<p>So I guess I've got some thinking to do. Feel free to contribute if you've any more opinions on the matter, or if perhaps you went through a similar experience!</p>
<p>Why not to do it:
It depends on what you were marking before. I think it would look bad if you all of a sudden changed. PLUS! marking that you are a URM will not really help you all that much... Basically what I am saying is that it's not really worth it since, if you're really unlucky, you may face consequences, like expulsion, as a result of checking "Hispanic." </p>
<p>In my opinion your case sounds legit:
1.) You actually ARE part Hispanic. (I bet you are Hispanic enough to apply for Hispanic scholarships. I knew a kid who was like 1/8th Native American and got a Native American scholarship.)
2.) Your last name is Hispanic.</p>
<p>After thinking about it awhile longer, I decided that I would rather not get an extra boost just from my ethnicity, and that I would feel much better about myself if I got in without it, so I'm just going to indicate white on my application.</p>