<p>I was wondering if it is advisable to mark the "American Indian or Alaska Native (including all Original Peoples of the Americas)" box on Common App. As a Peruvian, I have strong indigenous roots and do associate in terms of food, music, and other cultural traits. In addition, the many of my physical features and names on my mother's side have obvious Incan roots. I did mark the box when I submitted my application for Early Action (without checking that I was enrolled, of course), but I was wondering if it would be advisable to keep the box checked, as it is part of my racial identity, but I am unsure of whether my lack of concrete "proof" could lead admissions officers towards finding my racial identification misleading and potentially harmful to my application. </p>
<p>This question has been asked before, so you can use the Search function for ‘native american’ and find some past threads for discussion.</p>
<p>Here’s my take:</p>
<p>Yes, since Original Peoples of the Americas is included under the AI/AN category, if you have indigenous roots, you can rightfully check that box. I think that Adcoms know enough about racial and ethnic diversity that they understand that outside of No. Am, most tribes do not keep records and have legal status. </p>
<p>I agree that if this is part of your racial identity, then you should mark this designation. However, since the AI/AN category is designed to mainly identify members of No. Am. tribes who are extremely underrepresented in colleges, I would not expect that this designation would have a large impact on your admissions.</p>