<p>For those parents who have kids already in college or have kids who've graduated from college, I'd love to hear any advice you can share as it pertains to being Hispanic, in a selective college, and being out of the "comfort zone" of home.</p>
<p>My son will be attending MIT in the fall. So Cal is very "user friendly" but even here, he's had a few unsettling encounters.</p>
<p>The other day, he was stopped by a security guard at the trolley stop on the campus of the local state univ. The security guard assumed my son spoke Spanish (he doesn't). My son had a "Puerto Rico" shirt on which he bought from a Christian rock group that played at our church. The security guard told my son he'd better not wear that shirt if he doesn't speak Spanish. Turns out he was Puerto Rican, too, like my son (who is 1/2 Puerto Rican). </p>
<p>This is the second time that my son has had an encounter with either security or the police at this state univ. My son goes there to do research in the graduate department and has been going since junior year. </p>
<p>Our local state univ. has over 25% Hispanic students so I would not expect this kind of situation but maybe I am naive.</p>
<p>If any of you have words of advice for dealing with challenging situations in college, or if your kids have even had any of these challenges, I would welcome input. </p>
<p>I guess my son has sort of lived in a bubble of sorts. I don't think he ever encountered this at the local community colleges where he's taken class. I just find it odd. He doesn't want to talk about it but I would still like him to be equipped just in case.</p>
<p>First congrats to your son on deciding MIT. I had my bets it was going to be Princeton. I am going to PM you later this week. Two very nice students from my DD’s high school are also going to MIT. Since we are from the same area it I think it would nice for them all to meet. Both boys are on my DD’s robotics team and both are smart like your son. They have great parents and I think you would all get along. Having some support from home at MIT could go a long way to helping your son. Plus both students really like math like your son. </p>
<p>As far as your question a couple of ways I would direct your son is to seek out the minority affairs office at MIT or Hispanic student groups. Second there are local organizations (I will PM them to you) that are solely directed at Latinos and getting into college. I bet they have dealt with this before and I could give you great advice. I know a teacher who counsels Latinos in our town and her spouse is an elected official. If it the college you are speaking about I would contact that college about this this incident. One time is random but twice is not. Also remember our UC had those significant race issues I think last year so they would be sensitive to this issue. I would definitely mention that he was accepted to schools such as Caltech etc. Finally if you want I do have contacts in the media if you want to make this incident more well known. </p>
<p>Although this will give you no comfort your son is in good company. My father is very dark and Mexican-American. He holds a Ph.D and is a college professor (over 30 years teaching) He has a tendency to dress casual when not teaching an actual class (shorts and t-shirts) He has been stopped by police at his own university and community because he looked “suspicious”. Of course he loved embarrassing the police showing them his faculty card. We were outraged but figured it was the short shortsightedness of the police and not his problem. </p>
<p>I have to run to help a student with their essay but I will pm you with more.</p>
<p>Of course I am sorry this happened to your son. Here he has the awesome results of his college applications (which probably makes him one of the top students in our community) and something like that has to happen to him.</p>
<p>Thank-you so much for your kinds words. You’ve always been so supportive and I appreciate that very much!</p>
<p>Yes, I thought he was heading towards Princeton or Harvey Mudd but MIT pulled up from behind to win. :-)</p>
<p>I guess it would be a good idea for him to take advantage of the minority affairs at MIT. I didn’t think it would be necessary but maybe it’s a good idea to at least make contact.</p>
<p>My son doesn’t like to talk about it so definitely no media!</p>
<p>Unfortunately as this article points out even the daughter of an elected official got a negative comment made about her admissions. </p>
<p>I have more info to share and will do so in a pm. If your son doesn’t want to talk about it then I would drop a direct approach. He should be rejoicing in his accomplishments and not let the security guards actions stop his celebration. </p>
<p>It’s really frustrating. Even if my son had never identified his race or ethnicity, as with your father and the gentlemen in the story above, my son “looks” ethnically diverse, so there would be no ignoring it or denying it. It’s so odd that it was never an issue in the way it’s an issue during college applications and college itself.</p>
<p>Interestingly, I confess I’m not sure how I feel about affirmative action. As a conservative Christian, I am not in one camp or another. I think the word “diversity” is overused but yes, my son would like a campus that’s diverse in a number of ways in the same way our church is diverse. He’s used to being around few, if any, Hispanics in his circles of math, physics, and music, but he really enjoyed meeting all the smart, witty, and genuinely nice diverse group of kids at MIT’s WISE program last fall. I think that had a huge impact on him.</p>
<p>Sorry to ramble. It’s reality and he’s already brushed it off. (I think)</p>
<p>Does a dark skin kid wearing a PR T shirt, that does not speak Spanish, arouse suspicion, he is a Jihadi posing as a PR? I suppose, when security bumps into someone like this, they have to investigate. I think this is the price we pay for the war on terror.</p>
<p>I’ve been debating what I want to say about this, and I still don’t know. Ds hasn’t had any problems, though his college has single-digit Hispanic numbers. Fear of racism is one reason I wanted him to go to a smaller school with Minnesota nice. He’s said a couple of people have made “jokes” about him being Hispanic, but it was no big deal. We are the kind to just blow off that kind of thing, and he’s not the kind of join a race-based organization on campus.</p>
<p>While ds always has identified Hispanic he’s only half so maybe it just doesn’t bother him like it might others. We live in an area that’s quite hospitable to Hispanics, and, in fact, Hispanics are a majority minority in the public schools. I don’t think my kids ever have really experienced racism, though I have as have my parents. I don’t try to shield them from racism – they are well aware it exists – but they’re lucky enough to not have had to deal with it in their own lives.</p>
<p>OP, I do think that being at a top-notch, liberal college will help. People are just more inherently PC. I know a minority kid at MIT and haven’t heard that he’s had any problems.</p>
<p>My son isn’t the kind to join race-based organizations, either. He’s the kind who wants to do math, play ninja tag, play his violin, and have a great time learning and enjoying life. He’s very apolitical and truly, his ethnicity has not been an issue, ever, except for curious people wondering why he’s darker skinned than we are.</p>
<p>I was hoping these were just isolated incidences and he definitely doesn’t want to talk about them and wants to move on.</p>
<p>I figured that it wouldn’t be an issue at MIT.</p>
<p>perazziman,</p>
<p>I think you’re right and so I think we and our son realizes this is just the world we live in and these are the inconveniences that one might have to deal with. I just wondered if others have dealt with this and what you did (if anything).</p>
<p>I think MIT will be fine. Although, it does seem like students at elite colleges on the east coast are being closely watched by law enforcement:</p>
<p>This could be a good thing, since it keeps everyone safe. </p>
<p>Although, given that I am Muslim (not very religious or I would not have married a Hispanic from a Roman Catholic family), still I will probably advise son to avoid northeast schools, after reading these reports.</p>
<p>I wanted to share a quick, funny story that I thought was relevant to this topic.</p>
<p>My son was at his ARML practice last week and he and a friend were talking. The friend asked him, “Have you ever seen a minority at math circle?” My son said, “Uh, yeah. Me.” He then told his friend he was Puerto Rican. His friends said, “I always assumed you were (subcontinent) Indian!” :-)</p>
<p>It’s true, though. At the math circle, my son is the only minority. The majority are Asian and Indian with a smaller percentage of whites.</p>
<p>perazziman, I think you’re right; MIT should be just fine for my son. He’s totally apolitical; he doesn’t like to discuss issues of race, if possible. He just wants to embrace learning, people, and life.</p>
He’s said a couple of people have made “jokes” about him being Hispanic, but it was no big deal. We are the kind to just blow off that kind of thing, and he’s not the kind of join a race-based organization on campus.</p>