Race Preferences

Applying to College
41

<p>ILoveBrown,</p>

<p>OP hasn't said it, but several other posters on here with roots in the Middle East don't exactly feel comfortable checking "white." A white South African, by contrast, would have no qualms.</p>

<p>Africa isn't a monolithic continent. There are many ethnic groups in Africa, and North African Arabs are one of them.</p>

<p>If colleges only care about the race and not the nation of origin, then that it simply one more flaw in the way affirmative action is practiced. China has 56 recognized ethnic groups. The Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongols, and the Hmong are different than the Han people. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more "URMs" in colleges than Hmongs.</p>

<p>Skin color is an example of polygenic inheritance. I wouldn't be surprised if there were very dark-skinned Arabs in Egypt (the OP doesn't classify under such a group). Are these people less African-American than the ones you visualize?</p>

42

<p>OP, it would be a HUGE, cheap lie if you marked yourself as African-American. When they have the checkbox for African-American, it is merely a more politically correct way of saying Black. And from reading your posts, you are clearly NOT black. I definately agree with ILoveBrown.</p>

<p>And another thing, how embarassed would you be if someone else looked over your application, saw that you marked "African-American", and then looked at you and saw that you were clearly not the race you marked. He or she would be in complete and utter disgust that someone would attempt to take advantage of the system and say they were black, just to get an advantage in college admissions. And another thing, when's the last time you described someone who was Arabic, or Egyptian for that matter, as African-American? Never, I would imagine.</p>

<p>Do the right thing. Mark yourself as "other" or something and specify yourself as 50% Egyptian.</p>

43

<p>Fabrizio -- again, did you read my whole post? I think I've been pretty clear in suggesting that the poster NOT mark white if s/he doesn't think s/he is white, but rather to check the "other" box and explain how s/he identifies him/herself.</p>

<p>I also think I've been pretty clear in saying that I do NOT think that all people from Africa are the same "race" or even that a "black African race" exists at all in any objective sense. However, there is a societally defined "black" race that does exist in America, and colleges have pretty clear definitions of what kinds of people fit into this "black" box. I'm NOT saying that I agree with the definition, and I'm NOT even saying that there SHOULD be a definition. However, if you are applying to a college, you play by that college's rules. If you don't feel like you fit into any of their "boxes" then you mark "other." That's the only honest thing to do.</p>

44

<p>as a true african american, I am appalled at the OP's suggestion that he should be included in the African American/Black category. That category is reserved for Black people in the united states, as well as possibly oppressed africans. That does not include black hispanics (from central america), nor European Blacks, and certainly not Middle Easterners. You are not black. It is as simple as that. I am disgusted at this game that students play:"am I close enough to being black?" -- you yourself should know this question, and as you have already stated to us, YOU DO NOT CONSIDER YOURSELF BLACK. So why check a BOX that you well know is reserved for BLACK people?</p>

<p>Personally, I believe that students who attest to being a certain minority should submit a photo or some form of PROOF that they are what they say they are. Luckily, as was said previously, colleges deal with this matter in a sophisticated (and proper) manner.</p>

<p>As the OP said, he considers himself/herself Middle Eastern, and thus, by American standards, WHITE.</p>

<p>You will not be receiving AA benefits.</p>

45

<p>As a hard working black person I am disgusted with AA.</p>

<p>The original poster probably could take it to court, and the term race is used interchangeably with nationality. African-American is not a race, it is terminology for blacks who were solved by other slaves into slavery to Europeans.</p>

46

<p>"as a true african american, I am appalled at the OP's suggestion that he should be included in the African American/Black category. That category is reserved for Black people in the united states, as well as possibly oppressed africans. That does not include black hispanics (from central america), nor European Blacks, and certainly not Middle Easterners. You are not black. It is as simple as that. I am disgusted at this game that students play:"am I close enough to being black?" -- you yourself should know this question, and as you have already stated to us, YOU DO NOT CONSIDER YOURSELF BLACK. So why check a BOX that you well know is reserved for BLACK people?"</p>

<p>The term black changes wherever you go. Being 1/8th black is black in America, but white in Brazil. The term black refers to everyone who ancestors were Africans, so yes black Europeans and black south americans are still black. Are you saying that I should not check the box for black, I am from Africa but in no way oppresed.</p>

47

<p>Y2kPlay, your argument and terminology is flawed. You can agree or disagree with AA, but read about its intent, methodology and current practice before you start throwing out truly naked opinions. And read a little about the history and sociology of the United States.</p>

48

<p>Incidentally, the recent ruckus involving Virginia U.S. Senator George Allen provides some interesting perspective on race and ethincity as understood IN AMERICA. George Allen's mother was born and raised in Tunisia in a family of Iberian Jews. By some thinking in this thread, George Allen is an African-American, and that thinking is clearly erroneous.</p>

49

<p>Justice O'Connor in her "critical mass" GRUTTER (Michigan Law School) decision has never explained in detail who precisely is and who is not an "underrepresented minority" - thus the color coding games will only get worse, and its quite understandable when people inquire as to whether their particular color or ethnic category or subcategory qualifies for this vaunted URM status</p>

<p>Anyone really believe that for example a Nepalese applicant would be tagged an underrepresented minority at for example Harvard Law School - even though they are certainly quite rare. Instead, they would with little doubt be placed in the (overrepresentative minority) asian pool</p>

<p>Color coding once it begins - can never be unwound</p>

50

<p>ILoveBrown,</p>

<p>I'm sure by now you are aware that I am against affirmative action the way it is practiced in the U.S., and indeed, around the world.</p>

<p>I understand that African-American is naught more than a politically-correct way to refer to blacks, and I also understand that in societal context it is mainly used to refer to the descendants of slaves. Moreover, I am aware that the descendants of slaves are ideally one of the preferencial groups which affirmative action favors.</p>

<p>The description of black in societal context was quoted from the U.S. Census. To my knowledge, such a definition is not found on most applications, a notable exception being West Point.</p>

<p>The OP isn't black by any means. But under a radical but truthful interpretation of African-American, he is just that.</p>

51

<p>Tsk, tsk. I have yet to see a single citation in this thread (except from sybbie). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the OP is white. </p>

<p>
[quote]
White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as "White" or report entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish.</p>

<p>Black or African American. A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as "Black, African Am., or Negro," or provide written entries such as African American, Afro American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian.</p>

<p>American Indian and Alaska Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment.</p>

<p>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. It includes "Asian Indian," "Chinese," "Filipino," "Korean," "Japanese," "Vietnamese," and "Other Asian."</p>

<p>Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. It includes people who indicate their race as "Native Hawaiian," "Guamanian or Chamorro," "Samoan," and "Other Pacific Islander."</p>

<p>Some other race. Includes all other responses not included in the "White", "Black or African American", "American Indian and Alaska Native", "Asian" and "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander" race categories described above. Respondents providing write-in entries such as multiracial, mixed, interracial, Wesort, or a Hispanic/Latino group (for example, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban) in the "Some other race" category are included here. </p>

<p>Two or more races. People may have chosen to provide two or more races either by checking two or more race response check boxes, by providing multiple write-in responses, or by some combination of check boxes and write-in responses.

[/quote]

<a href="http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_68178.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_68178.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

52

<p>Then it's clear. By the census, OP is white.</p>

53

<p>African-American is just the latest buzzword, no doubt the PC crowd will have a new term before the decade it out. Oppressed Person of Color is one possible candidate</p>