NYTimes: Race Question on Apps Perplexes Multiracial Students

Applying to College
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<p>MITChris, to clarify, it’s almost been half a decade since I was a high school senior finalizing my list; writing my essays; asking for recommendations; and indicating that yes, I would like to submit my application.</p>

<p>I am a native-born American of Chinese descent. I applied to three public universities and a private LAC, and I was admitted to all four, two of which were “selective.” I did not apply to any private elite research universities because I did a financial aid calculation and concluded that even if I were admitted and had my full need met, my parents would still have had to pay a substantial amount. I chose Georgia Tech, and my degree cost less than what my parents would’ve paid for a year at a private elite research university.</p>

<p>So racial preferences did not “hurt” me. I do not have “sour grapes,” I am not “bitter,” and I didn’t have a “sense of entitlement,” phrases that are often thrown at people who do not support racial preferences. To be fair, I did have my share of disappointments in the process, but those all revolved around competing for prestige scholarships at the four schools. Do I think I didn’t get the “best” scholarships because of my ethnicity? No, I think I didn’t get them because the other applicants were better. My scores weren’t the highest, I could barely claim any “leadership” roles, and my athletics was (below) average. I liked my essays, but hey–I wrote them after all, so I’m not impartial, and it’s very possible that others had more interesting stories to tell.</p>

<p>Why, then, do I oppose racial preferences? I believe in treating everyone without regard to his racial classification. Moreover, I have never been convinced at the various arguments used to justify the policy. I feel that most of them could be handled as well, if not better, through socioeconomic preferences.</p>

<p>As for checking the box, you’re the adcom; if you’re here unequivocally saying that it’s “wrong,” well, then I guess multiracial high school seniors reading this should heed your words. I’m not an adcom, so what I think doesn’t matter, but I don’t feel that Clearbrooke did anything wrong. She didn’t lie about her background; she is black. She just didn’t tell you that she’s also Asian.</p>

<p>But I noticed that you have not, to date, said that it’s acceptable to DECLINE to self-identify. What are your thoughts on that?</p>

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<p>Ethnicity and socio economic background usually go hand in hand (unfortunately). Not saying that a white person can’t be living in poverty while a black person makes a six figure salary. </p>

<p>I don’t know recent numbers, but in the early-mid 20th century, 40% of the black population was living in poverty, versus 10% of the white population. And whites still make on average more money than minorities. I can only assume that these numbers are relatively the same or higher. </p>

<p>There’s a higher chance that a minority applicant will have lived in a single parent household with siblings (like myself) than a white or Asian applicant (but that is no ones “fault”)</p>

<p>I don’t believe that ethnicity should be a make-or-break factor, but I know that the LARGE majority of students would NOT want to go to a school that is not ethnically diverse. And that is one of the reasons why I am not applying to an HBCU. </p>

<p>People (normally whites and Asians) complain that minorities get an advantage over them in the admissions process. Yet colleges are still on average comprised of 10% or lower minorities.</p>

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<p>^In 2009, 25.8 percent of blacks and 25.3 percent of Hispanics were poor, compared to 9.4 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 12.5 percent of Asians.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.npc.umich.edu/poverty/[/url]”>http://www.npc.umich.edu/poverty/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>The under 18 statistic seems more telling from the above reference since these are the students.</p>

<p>Children Under 18 Living in Poverty, 2008
Category
Number (in thousands)
Percent</p>

<p>All children under 18
15, 451
20.7</p>

<p>White only, non-Hispanic
4, 850
11.9</p>

<p>Black
4,480
35.4</p>

<p>Hispanic
5,610
33.1</p>

<p>Asian
531
13.3</p>

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<p>The last few posts have described problems of POVERTY. If you believe poverty is responsible for underutilizing human capital (i.e. “diamonds in the rough”), then you ought to be supporting socioeconomic preferences, not racial preferences.</p>

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<p>Where do you think questbridge matches come from? How do you know a large percentage is not minorities?</p>

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<p>Perhaps this is being cynical, but isn’t almost everyone applying to a highly selective school with a holistic admissions process trying to “game the system” (obviously not always effectively or successfully)? You see the questions posted on these forums all the time like “Does AP X look better than AP Y for admissions to school Z?”. Given the perceived importance of race and ethnicity in university admissions, it should be no surprise that people want to “game the system” there as well as in other aspects. The general assumption is that marking “Asian” confers a disadvantage in most highly selective university admissions compared to the same application not marked as “Asian” – even if it is not true, the universities have not explained it well enough to convince people of that.</p>

<p>The other thing to consider is that there are probably many people who have ancestry of some other race or ethnicity than they may be assumed to be at first glance. For example, in the US, people of mixed African and other ancestry are usually viewed as “black” or “African American” if they show any features of African ancestry, even if they obviously have non-African ancestry as well. But other examples of mixed ancestry might not be visible at first glance ([example</a> 1](<a href=“National Geographic Magazine”>National Geographic Magazine), [example</a> 2](<a href=“National Geographic Magazine”>National Geographic Magazine), and the [story](<a href=“National Geographic Magazine”>National Geographic Magazine)</a>).</p>

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<p>It’s not about “ancestry.”</p>

<p>My great great grandfather was dully native American. Ergo I’m mixed with native American. </p>

<p>But I won’t check that on my application, even if I looked native American. </p>

<p>If I was raised with NA customs and values and culture (and not African American culture) then I would put it.
But I wasn’t. </p>

<p>Choosing a class to take to look good for a school is not the same thing as lying about who you are.</p>

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<p>^ Couldn’t have said it better myself.</p>

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<p>What happens if a large percentage of Asians decide to leave it blank? Would colleges start treating all blanks as Asians?</p>

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<p>See there’s a problem here. People shouldn’t have decide what race they are BECAUSE IT SHOULDNT MATTER!!! Any system in which this is the case is racism.</p>

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<p>What about those adopted as infants from China or Korea who are raised in non-Asian families in the US?</p>

<p>By ancestry and outward appearance, they are “Asian”, but their values and culture may well be based on whatever non-Asian American culture that they were raised in. What box should they check?</p>

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This answer is easy. Asian. The only time when confusion arises is when the student is mixed. Culture is irrelevant for pure races. Otherwise, would Eminem put Black on his legal documents?</p>

<p>Asian Americans tend to have higher GPAs and test scores than their white counterparts not necessarily because they are naturally more intelligent, but because of their culture. By tradition, Asian parents are stricter and Asian children are more obedient. </p>

<p>This means that an Asian-adopted child will have statistics similar to that of a white person. And because of Affirmative Action, he or she will be at a disadvantage.</p>

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<p>Eminem was NOT raised in the African American culture.</p>

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<p>"This means that an Asian-adopted child will have statistics similar to that of a white person. And because of Affirmative Action, he or she will be at a disadvantage. "</p>

<p>Not if they are raised in non-asian households. The higher GPAs and scores are reflective of asian parenting valuing education above all else (the non-holistic approach?).</p>

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<p>Why is it only okay for mixed race people to choose the race they “identify” with? I think the fact that they ask you which race you identify with is kind of unstable. Who are they to say that a white or asian kid raised in “the hood” can’t identify themselves as black?</p>

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<p>your surrounding area doesnt define your culture.
your ethnicity defines your culture, regardless of where you live.
and “the hood” doesn’t equal black culture.</p>

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<p>What about transgendered people? Why is it socially acceptable to feel like you were born in the wrong gendered body but it isn’t acceptable to feel like you were born in the body of someone of the wrong race.</p>

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Because frankly, it’s something that for the most part, only mixed race people have to think about. The whole surroundings and upbringing issues only really need to be thought about when there’s a question in the first place. The majority of people (according to most polls, about 97% of Americans) are a single race, and there doesn’t have to be any question about it, because they are what they are. Multiracial people are in a different situation because they have to figure out a question that’s easy for most of the world.</p>

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Well, that’s kind of a whole separate issue. First of all, I wouldn’t say that being transgendered is anywhere near acceptable in society- we’ve come a long way in that area, but that decision is definitely not ‘socially acceptable’ yet. And feeling like you were born the wrong race is an interesting point to bring up, but that’s pretty different than the issue we’re discussing. Sure, there may be some people who strongly feel like they’re a certain race even if it’s not in their ancestry. And the thing is, under this system, that person can put down whatever race they want with no consequences. Whether that’s ok or not is debatable, but I feel like it’s a little irrelevant in a discussion about multiracial students and students who are trying to simply ‘game the system’.</p>

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He wasn’t, but his behavior is similar to most African Americans. Doesn’t matter either way. Doesn’t change the fact that he’s white. He should still put White on legal documents. For pure races, you should put what you genetically are. </p>

<p>Think about it like this. What if he was wanted for some crime? The police will be looking for a 5’8, white male, 160lb. They will not be looking for a 5’8, black male, 160lb. In this case, putting down Black is really going to throw the police off and they’ll have trouble finding him(forget the part that he’s famous and everyone knows what he looks like).</p>

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I don’t quite get what point you’re trying to make? Yes, I realize that higher GPAs and scores reflect Asian parenting. All you did was rephrase part of my post. </p>

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I would seriously laugh at them. Again, like above, he should put his genetic race. However, if this kid was half-white half-black or half-asian half black, then it would be okay for them to identify themselves Black.</p>

<p>I’m not sure why you guys are so confused with pure races. It’s so simple. The key is genetics. You are what you are, and you can’t change that. That’s like the 4th time I’ve said it now. Mult-racial people is the only time when confusion occurs.</p>