One of my close friends recently found out his great grandfather was Hispanic (I.e 12.5%) but otherwise Indian (Asian). Can he report that he is solely Hispanic? He said he’s heard that you have to be at least a quarter (25%) of a race to identify with it but he’s not sure how true this rule was (especially considering figures like Elizabeth Warren claiming to be 1/32 Cherokee etc.). Also, my friend had always reported Asian for all his life (on prior tests etc.) OR leaves it blank/puts no race; will admissions officers be skeptical if he suddenly now starts putting his race as Hispanic or only puts Hispanic down on his college app but not on his PSAT/SATs/SAT IIs (assuming he’s even allowed to do that even)?
Hispanic isn’t a race, it’s an ethnicity. He can put Asian and Hispanic, I’m pretty sure.
Like, I believe the app will allow him to. No opinion on the ethics of it.
If he has never self identified before, it would be a sleazy move. IMHO
1/ Worry about yourself and not your friend.
2/ Hispanic is not a race, it’s an ethnicity.
3/ The Common App, at least, asks for both race and ethnicity. He can choose to leave any and all blank.
4/ Unlike for some Native American tribes, there is no blood quantum standard for Hispanic, so yes, he can check that he is Hispanic (whether or not he should is a different question.)
5/ AO’s may be skeptical based upon how the applicant’s race/ethnicity is listed elsewhere, or they may not be; they’re certainly not going to tell the applicant one way or the other.
Like 100% hispanic, no. That would be immediately questioned.
Hispanic ancestors? Yes.
Overall, its not gonna help much because everyone is reporting that they are hispanic.
@skieurope @bodangles So what exactly is the difference between race and ethnicity again//& how does each appear on college apps?
Race is like white, black, Asian, etc.
Ethnicity is like culture. Maybe you identify strongly with one (or both) parent’s German culture, or Italian, or Chinese, or Mexican.
“The Common App first asks students whether or not they are Hispanic/Latino. After that, students are then asked to select one or more of the following racial options, regardless of their answer to the last question: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or White.” (Source: CollegeVine)
@junior1818 - The question of race and ethnicity is complex both biologically, historically, and culturally; it is difficult to tease these apart, and both are – to an extent – social constructs.
There are three broad racial categories: Caucasian (White), Asian, and Black. Often Native American or Pacific Islander can be added. There are many ethnicities, some tied to language, others to country of origin, and others to religion: Hispanic/Latino, Italian, Irish, Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Slavic, etc.
A person of Hispanic descent who identifies as Latino/a can be Asian, Caucasian, or Black, etc. Likewise, there are Black Muslims, White Muslims, Asian Muslims (e.g., the Hui people in China). Not too long ago, Italians and Jews were considered to be non-white.
And anyone that can only claim 12.5% of an ethnic group can hardly call themselves wholly of that group.
In answer to the question of college apps, you self-report both your race and ethnicity (there is a category of “mixed”) or you can decline to report. For “Hispanic” you are sometime asked to specify from which country or area.
@junior1818, is your friend asking for your advise? Just that he is questioning whether to claim an ethnicity that he has never claimed before should speak for itself.
There is no such category as solely Hispanic. You can identify as race/ethnicity.
I do think that there may be some skepticism when he has never claimed Hispanic in any of his school information or testing.
For colleges to seriously consider the Native American heritage, this has to be documented. For Hispanic, it’s much looser but going by the guidelines that the National Hispanic Recognition Program of at least 25% is a good way to gage it.
@auntbea, I disagree- not everybody is claiming that they are Hispanic. I think your point is that because it it easy to put on an application lots are doing it now and it is pointless thus it offers no bump. But someone who has always identified as Hispanic, has this documented in their school, gets the NHRP scholarship, writes poetry about their heritage, has danced in their community’s Ballet Folklorico, tutors in an afterschool low income center with Hispanic youth, directed a Romeo and Juliet play with a quinceanera twist, would most certainly get a bump in college applications. But yes, just putting down Hispanic with no real ties seems disingenuous.
I think enough people have answered, so I am closing. In the future, if the friend has a question, s/he needs to post on her own.