Really weird question on ethnicity

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>My friend is applying Harvard. We are having this huge debate at my school over her ethnicity. She’s 25% Spanish (from Spain) and wants to put Hispanic on her apps. However, a lot of people disagree with this because she’s what we might call “white.” Bit of sarcasm. She’s 3/333, 720M, 690V; 740, 690, 650. How much do you think race really matters?</p>

2

<p>as long as u have pride in ur heritage, why not?!</p>

3

<p>Ah yes, see the issue isn't pride. She has never really considered herself Spanish before, so most people think she's only saying it for affirmative action reasons, since she has no association with the Spanish culture. But I wish the best to her still, and if it helps, good luck to her.</p>

4

<p>Other documents sent from your school may give away the fact that she's not hispanic (her transcript, for instance) and, if she gets caught lying, her application could be tossed. People of European descent are white, not Hispanic (Hispanic refers more to mestizo and indian descendants). Even with URM status, she would still have a hard time competing with the rest of the applicant pool.</p>

5

<p>I agree. That's what I told her - they're going to meet her and see her blonde family or they'll see something that says she's white. Good note about the European thing. And I agree - I don't think it will help her get in. Thanks for the note. I'll advise her not to do it.</p>

6

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<p>Not really. Here's what dictionary.com says about Hispanic:</p>

<p>Hispanic.</p>

<p>adj.
Of or relating to Spain or Spanish-speaking Latin America.
Of or relating to a Spanish-speaking people or culture. </p>

<p>n.
A Spanish-speaking person.
A U.S. citizen or resident of Latin-American or Spanish descent. </p>

<hr>

<p>[Latin Hispnicus, from Hispnia Spain.]
Usage Note: Though often used interchangeably in American English, Hispanic and Latino are not identical terms, and in certain contexts the choice between them can be significant. Hispanic, from the Latin word for “Spain,” has the broader reference, potentially encompassing all Spanish-speaking peoples in both hemispheres and emphasizing the common denominator of language among communities that sometimes have little else in common. Latino which in Spanish means "Latin" but which as an English word is probably a shortening of the Spanish word latinoamericano refers more exclusively to persons or communities of Latin American origin. Of the two, only Hispanic can be used in referring to Spain and its history and culture; a native of Spain residing in the United States is a Hispanic, not a Latino, and one cannot substitute Latino in the phrase the Hispanic influence on native Mexican cultures without garbling the meaning. In practice, however, this distinction is of little significance when referring to residents of the United States, most of whom are of Latin American origin and can theoretically be called by either word. ·A more important distinction concerns the sociopolitical rift that has opened between Latino and Hispanic in American usage. For a certain segment of the Spanish-speaking population, Latino is a term of ethnic pride and Hispanic a label that borders on the offensive. According to this view, Hispanic lacks the authenticity and cultural resonance of Latino, with its Spanish sound and its ability to show the feminine form Latina when used of women. Furthermore, Hispanic the term used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agencies is said to bear the stamp of an Anglo establishment far removed from the concerns of the Spanish-speaking community. While these views are strongly held by some, they are by no means universal, and the division in usage seems as related to geography as it is to politics, with Latino widely preferred in California and Hispanic the more usual term in Florida and Texas. Even in these regions, however, usage is often mixed, and it is not uncommon to find both terms used by the same writer or speaker. See Usage Note at Chicano.</p>

7

<p>put both white and hispanic</p>

8

<p>I actually knew the details of the definition of Hispanic. I think she'll ultimately put Hispanic, from Spain. As I type this, I would also like to point out the antagonism I am currently displaying for the Electoral College.</p>

9

<p>the way i see it, if we lived in a hypothetical society and marriage in this hypothetical society was based entirely on personal ads, and she would put hispanic on her personal ad, she should put it on her application. ie. 18F Hisp 5'4'' slender etc.etc.etc. i'm not sure she would be willing to do that. the idea is to represent yourself as accurately as possible. if you want to get technical, we are all african because homo sapiens likely originated from africa...</p>

10

<p>That's actually a really deep point, despite the creepy analogy. I think that was the point amongst the Ivy-driven overly-competitive kids at my school: If you've never considered yourself a particular race before, then you shouldn't know just because you think the adcoms will believe you can bring diversity. However, I know several other students who should benefit from affirmative action because they are URMs.</p>

11

<p>the analogy is key!</p>

12

<p>if she can substantiate and justify her decision, i don't see why not. we all admit that ethnic identity is a fluid and dynamic thing and there aren't definite quantitative rules that decide if one more drop of blood switches your label. </p>

<p>more important than ethnicity after all are values, creed and culture =) which have little to do with what color you happen to be if you're assimilated/naturalized</p>

13

<p>I agree with invictus. This has become rather deep. Ah, you're probably all Harvard EA kids, so I shouldn't be surprised.</p>

14

<p>Going to Harvard doesn't mean you're deep. It doesn't even mean that you're intelligent. It just means that you are lucky. And that you are probably rich.</p>

<p>Skepticism...it can be a beautiful thing.</p>

<p>ZZ3</p>

15

<p>Ha ha. I am a fan of skepticism myself. I operate on the Woody Allen method of choosing colleges: "We have two alternatives: one leads to hopelessness, alienation and despair. The other leads to total destruction. Let us hope we have the wisdom to make the right choice."</p>

16

<p>Valdez - </p>

<p>It takes a lot more than luck to get into Harvard. If by luck you mean good fortune, then I would say yes, the students at Harvard are fortunate to be there. But if by luck you mean winning by random chance, as in luck in playing the slot machines, then I'd say no. That kind of luck plays no part in Harvard admissions. Harvard does not pass out acceptances at random. They do actually read the applications and choose among them based on what they say. </p>

<p>And it's true that being in Harvard, per se, doesn't mean that you are intelligent. But why would Harvard choose dumb students when they can get plenty of smart ones? I sure can't speak for all Harvard students. I know perhaps a dozen. But every single one of them that I know is very intelligent.</p>

17

<p>I think you both have good points. Someone else pointed out, stats are like money; with them, you can't buy everything, without them, you can't buy anything. Harvard applications are like that. Some kids from my school go to Ivies; equally bright ones go to UNC. But I agree that it is not random.</p>

18

<p>Lets just put it like this:</p>

<p>If chances were really based on luck and randomness....everyone who applied would have just about the same chance as everyone else. We know this is not true because in all likelihood, a student who scored 1100 on the sats does not have the same chance as a student who scored a perfect 1600. The only way the student who got an 1100 can make up is if he/she is incredibly exceptional, i mean the best of the very best at some EC, but even with that, Harvard has a good chance of rejecting that student just because he/she is not well rounded enough. Harvard would expect you to at least get a 1400. I hope this answers the luck question...</p>

19

<p>I agree. Although, to play devil's advocate, year before last, this girl from my school got into Harvard. She was recruited for sports and was an URM. Where did she go? University of Mississippi. She said people with 1100-1200 SATs like her shouldn't go to Harvard. Just an interesting story.</p>

20

<p>In cases where a student is of mixed-race (or multi-race) heritage, they should identify with the portion of thier heritage that most closely reflects the culture of their environment growing up. If she never identified with this hispanic community, she has nothing to offer the college in the way of Spanish heritage.</p>