I’ve read the majority of the many posts regarding hispanic status. I have yet to read one that deals with the need to prove hispanic ethnicity. Do colleges/universities require any kind of proof? My father’s parents were born and raised in Spain and are fully Spanish in their ethnicity. So that makes me half Spanish decent; and therefore, my son is 1/4 Spanish. I have no legal way to prove that however. Will this be an issue if I check the ‘hispanic’ box on college applications?
No. You are not required to prove anything ticking Hispanic.
The only question would be “Why are you checking off boxes on your son’s applications?” As mentioned above, colleges will not ask for proof.
Just to clarify for future readers…the question is with regard to college applications. If the question were about the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP), then the answer is no, because Spain is not included on the NHRP definition.
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/scholarships-and-recognition/national-hispanic-recognition-program
@ScienceGirlMom - in the link you provided, Spain IS included on the NHRP definition.
"NHRP’s Definition of Hispanic/Latino
To be eligible, you must be at least one-quarter Hispanic/Latino. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnic category, not a racial category, so you can be of any race.
You must have ancestors from at least one of these countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, or Venezuela."
Sorry, I guess it would help if I learned how to ready more carefully! :">
D did need to provide proof to her high school after she was sent a form for the NHRP scholars program. (After testing and qualifying.) They asked the school to sign off on her ethnicity. We showed them her father’s birth certificate that indicated his parent’s place of birth. His mother was born in Argentina, which qualified my D. The OP’s Spanish background is even further back.
The school should not require proof. The form gives the option of allowing parents to sign off on the child’s ethnicity if the school does not know.
I think a school has the right (and responsibility) to ask for proof before signing something that states it as a fact.
For nhrp, the school does not have to sign. It clearly states that parents can sign if the school doesn’t know. It does not say parents must provide proof to the school so the school can sign.
Maybe some other form or program requires this but nhrp does not.
I never said they did, all I said is that they have the responsibility to verify something before they sign it otherwise refuse to sign it and let the parents do it. It’s like if they were signing a form verifying that the child qualified for the free lunch program - they wouldn’t do that without proof that the child qualified for the free lunch program.