<p>I'm 1/4 Mexican, 3/4 Caucasian (to put it in terms of my grandparents' origins) and speak Spanish fluently, and look Hispanic to a moderate degree; my question is this:</p>
<p>On ACT, SAT, AP, College Admissions Forms, etc. they often ask what is my ethnicity/origin:</p>
<p>I am confronted with:</p>
<p>-White/Caucasian (NOT OF HISPANIC DESCENT)</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>-Hispanic</p>
<p>What should I mark? I have been marking caucasian, but at the same time, I don't want to be excluded from an <em>opportunities</em> that may be there for me if I mark Hispanic. I don't mean to sound like a cheapster (my Mom's maiden name is Serna for crying out loud!), but I'm seriously curious as to which I should mark...</p>
<p>Well, how exactly do you look Hispanic? Hispanic isn't exactly a phenotype.</p>
<p>It includes the 'NOT OF HISPANIC DECENT' part because many Hispanics are White, but White Hispanics tend to be culturally distinct from the other Whites who belong to the 'White ethnicity', which is pretty much non-existent as there are many different ethnicities among Whites.</p>
<p>Mark Hispanic if you'd like. If you're Caucasian and speak Spanish and it's part of your name, well then, you're Hispanic.</p>
<p>If you were to look at your current school records, when asking about ethnicity what would they state?</p>
<p>If anything else in your life was going on out side of the college process, how would you identify yourself? (it seems that you have never identified your self as hispanic). You hhave seemed to answered your own question.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I have been marking caucasian, but at the same time, I don't want to be excluded from an <em>opportunities</em> that may be there for me if I mark Hispanic
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This sound like the only reason you would want to mark hispanic is because there is something in doing so that would benefit you. sounds a bit disingenuous and comes off as you are being an opportunist(jmho), you will do what ever you think is in your best interest regardless of what is written in this forum.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I look hispanic
[/quote]
</p>
<p>What exactly does this mean? I know lots of hispanics or all different looks from blond hair, blue eyes and freckles, to the darkest brown, with locs and everything in between.</p>
<p>Well sybbie719, maybe he hasn't identified himself as Hispanic but he is indeed one so he should mark it. I mean, you don't have to eat tacos to qualify as Hispanic.</p>
<p>I think you can mark more than one ethnicity nowadays but if you can't do it anyway. It's unfair to ask people to choose between their races and if you consider yourself hispanic and white mark it!</p>
<p>LW is just saying that how attempting to categorize ethnicities to such a wide range of people isn't always convenient.</p>
<p>Anyways, if they have a "mixed" category you could mark that if you can't decide between the two although you are technically of Hispanic descent.</p>
<p>if you have always considered yourself white (as it seems you have, since you have always checked off caucasian) then check off white for this as well. if you have always considered yourself hispanic check off hispanic...</p>
<p>Thanks... lol... I guess Hispanic isn't a phenotype.. I was thinking the a Central-American/Mexican phenotype, but actually I look more like the light skinned/blue eyed Spanish type.</p>
<p>To Sybbie-- I'm not trying to abuse being Hispanic. I'm just wondering whether marking Hispanic is appropriate for applications in my case.</p>
<p>You can't define yourself as looking Hispanic. I definitely know since people in my family married just about every other ethnic group they could find.</p>
<p>I have black looking cousin, a green eyed blonde, and a black hair brown eyed cousin. I don't think we have Asians in the family yet. Maybe I should marry an Asian girl to get the whole deal into the family? LMFAO. I am serious as well since I like Asian girls. </p>
<p>I guess if you are of Hispanic descent you could fill in that box. I really don't know what you consider yourself. I think we should freaking eliminate labeling races as a whole but of course we have morons who love to discriminate against race so maybe that is why you get some leniency if you are black or hispanic.</p>
<p>
[quote]
To Sybbie-- I'm not trying to abuse being Hispanic. I'm just wondering whether marking Hispanic is appropriate for applications in my case.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I did not say you were trying to abuse being hispanic. </p>
<p>You stated:</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't want to be excluded from an <em>opportunities</em> that may be there for me if I mark Hispanic. I don't mean to sound like a cheapster (my Mom's maiden name is Serna for crying out loud!)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>What I said was
[quote]
This sound like the only reason you would want to mark hispanic is because there is something in doing so that would benefit you.
[/quote]
and you were sounding like an opportunist which is defined as - One who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end.</p>
<p>There is nothing stopping you from checking multiple boxes, but you specificall stated that you were looking for opportunities. </p>
<p>Frankly, I don't care what you check because it's about you.</p>
<p>Now if you call it abuse, or if the shoe fits.....</p>
<p>Fluent in Spanish and connected to culture gives you the right to check multi-racial, but not plain "Hispanic," since you are mostly non-Hispanic Caucasian.</p>
<p>People, Hispanic isn't a race! The Hispanic ethnicity includes all races of man. </p>
<p>This is why this whole ethnicity thing on applications is messed up.</p>
<p>Hypothetical situation: You have a black international student from some African country. He begins to fill out an application for a top school in the United States and he comes across the ethnicity section. Hmmm, well Black isn't an option on there. But there's African-American as an option. Ooops, but he's not even American so he can't be considered African-American.</p>
<p>In order to qualify for being a National Hispanic Scholar, you must be at least 1/4 Hispanic. This will boost your applications - there are only about 3,300 named each year. I have been notified by my school that my PSAT scores have qualified me for that recognition - and colleges have taken notice. I got letters from some good schools (USC, Carleton, etc.) that I had not even shown interest in before - and these letters flat out offered me scholarships (half-tuition to USC!).</p>
<p>So, if you are looking to increase your opportunities, check it. If 1/4 is enough to qualify you to be a National Hispanic Scholar, it should be enough for you to check Hispanic on your application.</p>