<p>I, like both my parents, was born in Iran. I speak fluent english, in fact I speak better spanish than farsi. However, on most college apps, including the common, there is no "middle easterner" under the what is your background question. I am applying to mainly liberal arts colleges in the southwest and northeast. Should I check "Asian" and would that help me in terms of admission? Not too many go to the colleges I am applying to. And technically, Iran is in the "Middle East" which is in Asia. So arent I Asian? I've had many arguments about the very question but If it helps my chances of not only getting in but getting a scholarship, I would switch sides in a heartbeat. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>Asian probably won't help you. Check other and write in Persian/Iranian/Middle Eastern.</p>
<p>And what if you're European, particularly eastern, but are not American? Should you check caucasian anyway?</p>
<p>i think middle eastern counts as caucasian...</p>
<p>or thats how it was on the uc app</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure Middle Eastern would not count as Asian, more Caucasian. If I were you I'd check other and write in something else.</p>
<p>If you want to get some gain from cultural diversity, write an essay on it. Putting asian won't help you because asian is very rarely a URM in elite schools. Only in some Southern schools are asians sought for diversity. In most schools, asians are over-represented. I agree with tkb6 on marking "other".</p>
<p>Asians are underrepresented in some Midwestern schools including places like Grinnell and U Wisconsin.</p>
<p>My Latin teacher theorizes that Indians, Pakistanis etc fall into the Caucasian category. I agree with her. Any comments?</p>
<p>My comments are that there really is just one race: human.</p>
<p>Naw, there are also aliens.</p>
<p>Yes I have been through this in a high school class that middle easterners fall into the Caucasian group, which I find interesting - I think they should have their own group - they are a very distinct people - very seperate from caucasians. </p>
<p>I would consider Hispanics caucasian before I would consider people from the Middle East caucasian.</p>
<p>persians = aryans, therefore caucasian. gg.</p>
<p>European, Middle Easterns, Sub Continental Asians..all ancestors came from the Caucus area, no? So arent we all caucasians?</p>
<p>European, Middle Easterns, Sub Continental Asians</p>
<p>not indians however (per se), they were originially dravidians, and the aryans mixed with them</p>
<p>you dont want to be "middle eastern" or even list it...that is an instant government CODE RED ALERT. no1 wants middle easterns at their schools - seriously.</p>
<p>Actually, current theory holds that there never was an "Aryan invasion" in India. There was always only one race in India, and it is considered Caucasian. In fact, of all 3 racial groups, Caucasians vary the most in terms of skin color.</p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dravidians%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dravidians</a></p>
<p>These are the official US Government definitions for data collection purposes. They were issued by the Office of Management and Budget first in 1977 and revised in 1997:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Asian. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
[/quote]
.................................................................................</p>
<p>
[quote]
White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
[/quote]
<p>These are the definitions that colleges generally use when collecting racial/ethnic data since it is being done, in part, for reporting purposes to the US Government.</p>
<p>Turkish people in Turkey always call themselves Turks rather than Caucasians. Don't know if that helps.</p>