<p>I would say just check Hispanic and leave it at that. If you check Hispanic as your ethnicity, you do not have to check another racial category and many applications only allow you to check one racial/ethnic category. Also, the white category is usually specifically for people of European descent who are not Hispanic/have no ties to Latin America.</p>
<p>^Who are you addressing? The OP is Colombian and another member inquiring on this thread is Mexican.</p>
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<p>The CA asks for ethnicity first (Hispanic: yes/no). Then it says, “Regardless of your answer to the prior question” mark any races that apply.</p>
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<p>Ethnicity and race are two separate entities, Hispanics can be any race(s). For instance, the vast majority of Argentines are white, with their origins in Spain or Italy, while the majority of Mexicans have some descendants from original peoples.</p>
<p>Please see the sticky thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/hispanic-students/641650-hispanic-latino-defined-aka-am-i-hispanic.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/hispanic-students/641650-hispanic-latino-defined-aka-am-i-hispanic.html</a></p>
<p>Okay… so what is the general consensus? I don’t want to appear dishonest in marking NA - No tribal affiliation… and, well, I don’t know about marking Hispanic and white. This is so confusing. I’d really appreciate a solid answer! :)</p>
<p>Have you tried asking your parents and extended family about it?</p>
<p>It can get political in the family too. My husband’s aunts look very NA but they get horribly offended if anyone mistakes them for NA.</p>
<p>You can always mark Hispanic, indicate that you’re from Colombia and leave it at that. All of the ethnic and racial information is optional. Adcoms are well informed, they know that Colombia’s population has a mixture of white, NA, black and mixed race peoples and that a person’s exact racial background is not always documented.</p>
<p>It is confusing, and it mostly comes down to whatever designation you feel most comfortable with.</p>
<p>So I can ONLY mark my ethnicity, not my race? That’s what I was planning on doing, but I didn’t know if I was allowed. . .</p>
<p>From the CA:</p>
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<p>My reading is that any of the items within the gray area are optional.</p>
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<p>You know, some Spanish speaking cultures do not like the term “mestizo” at all. I’m just putting that out there and not trying to be mean or anything like that. </p>
<p>Peru has a very interesting history and your pal might want to speak to his parents or grandparents. For all your pal should know, he could be of Japanese extraction because there have been a rather fair amount of folks from Japan over in Peru for quite some time now. I think that the term one would use in Peru, if they are of native extraction, would be Amerindian. I could very well be wrong, though.</p>
<p>Kiterunner18, I sent you a private message just for the sake of common decency, because I reckon this thread went a mite bit off topic or something. And, I really hope you read it. You do not have to write me back unless you just really want to or something. It is alright. </p>
<p>Colombia is maybe just as unique as Peru. But, in Colombia there are only really five regions one can be from, you know? That is just simple geography as near as I can tell.</p>
<p>Some of those regions would make you, kiterunner18, know your own background and all of that for sure. It would be obvious as day. For example, Tierra Bomba is a lovely little island of sorts in Colombia which is almost exclusively inhabited by ladies and gentlemen who are heavily of African extraction. So, if both of your parents were from Tierra Bomba, then well…you would maybe just like really easily know what to put on some of those forms for a thing or two, eh?</p>
<p>Ultimately, I think you need to just speak with your own parents for a bit and just go from there. Go with what you feel, kiterunner18.</p>
<p>^I don’t have an opinion on “mestizo” either way, but that’s what my friend uses in reference to himself.</p>
<p>His extended family lives in Peru and he goes back frequently to visit… but no distinct ethnic heritage is apparent. He often jokes about the surprisingly high % of Asian Hispanics in Peru (leading to things like fried rice, chifa/chao fan). I think there’s some people in the family who look vaguely Asian and others who look vaguely indigenous.</p>
<p>Peru and other countries in South America have had various waves of Asian immigration (starting many milenium back crossing the straits)…but Peru and Brazil, in particular, have lots of descendents of Japanese and Chinese immigrants from the 19th century (like in California, they provided a lot of the labor for building the railways). Ecuador, on the other hand, is chock full of Lebanese descendents. Just look at the names of presidents…Peru’s Fujimori, Ecuador’s Bucaram and Mahuad. The US is not the only melting pot in the Western Hemisphere. I have many Peruvian friends who, in the US, classify themselves as “Hispanic” and “Asian” so don’t feel inhibited by what people “expect” you to do in terms of classification. Keilexandra…national cuisine often reflects the ethnic and cultural history leading to some pretty unusual foods…have you ever had “Lomo Saltado” from Peru–it is stir fry meat with peppers (Japan) with a healthy dose of worcestershire sauce (English) but completed by adding french fries to the stir fry-- which I think is because there is a Peruvian indigenous requirement that all dishes include potato. Fantastic…no peruvian restaurant is without its own version!</p>
<p>I added “mestizo” as a suffix to my tribe (Maya) when filling out the Common App, because mestizo describes a person who is a mix of Indigenous and European backgrounds, and most latinos and latinas fall under this category.</p>
<p>^Yes, if you look at the CIA website linked in post #19, they use the term:</p>
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<p>There is variation between countries, for instance, Argentina is 97% European (Spain & Italy).</p>
<p>I’m Argentine and have ancestors mainly from Spain and Italy, but I identify a lot more with Latin America than Europe. I’m going to say I’m hispanic, but would it make me look bad if I don’t check anything under race? It’s optional, but it still instructs to “please check one or more of the following groups in which you consider yourself to be a member regardless of your answer to the prior question.”</p>
<p>It is totally optional. The reason they make that statement is because the Hispanic yes/no question is completely separate from the racial group question. They are asking for your race whether you’re Hispanic or non-Hispanic.</p>
<p>I don’t think it will make you look bad if you don’t mark anything or if you mark Caucasian/European. Argentina and some other LA countries are composted mostly of descendants of immigrants from Europe rather than native peoples. My H was from Argentina, both my kids mark Hispanic for ethnicity and Caucasian and Asian (me) for race, it doesn’t seem to have hampered them.</p>
<p>Ok, so I’m fairly certain that I am Hispanic/Latina as both my parents were born in Ecuador (as were their parents and so on and so forth). I am a little confused, however, about what I should indicate as my self-identification(i.e. American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and/or white) on the common app. My grandmother can speak a bit of Quechua, but I am not sure if this counts as “proof” that I have the blood of the “original people,” though my family line/appearance certainly implies it. Am I considered White (Europe) and American Indian (not enrolled)? Could somebody please clarify what my race might be? I remain very confused so it would be much appreciated. Thank you!</p>
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<p>Given the information that you have provided, that sounds like a reasonable way to self-identify. Adcoms understand that most descendants of SA Original Peoples will not have proof like enrollment for NA tribes.</p>
<p>[See my response to your other post]</p>
<p>Though I am mestizo as far as I can tell given the color of my skin (more darker than white), would I be fine if I only marked White as my race, given my transcript lists it as my race? That is, should I concern myself with contacting the colleges I applied to to correct my mistake? I did not mark Original Peoples thinking it only referred to registered Native American tribes and not all original peoples across North and South America.</p>
<p>^I think either way is fine. You will still be regarded as Hispanic and it is questionable how much weight being descended from OPs of SA has in college admissions.</p>