This year? Wouldn’t matter so much. Information about how much “diversity” an applicant will bring to campus will be captured by the essays, which will have even more weight in the admissions decision.
I remember being asked by an HR person: " Do I want to claim a minority status"? Now that I look back on it, and after I learned more about who they needed to hire, it seems pretty clear that the HR person wanted me to “claim” minority status in order for him to be able to give me the job. (I later found out that no “proof” would have been required, no DNA test, no Chromozone tests, no genealogical background check, no immigration check of ancestral naturalization papers, etc.)
If one applies for a job that must be filled by “a minority”, or a job that gives extra “points” if one is of descent of certain ethnic or racial groups, then it would help to get the job by putting down the ethnic/racial group that qualifies for the most points. Yeah, it may not be honest, but such a question should not be asked in the first place. Ridiculous or unethical questions should be passed/answered any way you want to.
You obviously dont watch much Mexican tv - lots of blondes.
In some cases, just having a spanish surname, qualifies one for latin minority status. Having a legal name change, fully qualifies you for getting minority status at those places where surname is all that is required. A legal name change is quite easy and simple to do. Some scholarships are also given out based on surname.
Thanks. I just wanted to be clear that I’m not some New Age Indian wannabe with romantic visions of Indians as magical wood sprites and claiming to have some Cherokee great-grandmother in the woodpile, but a real mixed-blood son of an Indian father who knows very little about his paternal heritage.
Actually, I have watched a lot of TV on Univision, and I know that blonde latin americans exxist. However, the admissions office didn’t seem to agree with this, at least according to my cousin. I’m also sure college applications ask if you have ever changed your name.
CrankyAsAnOldMan, I seem to recall that you work for the admissions department at UofM. Perhaps you can settle this debate. How does your department determine who is Hispanic and who isn’t?
FYI, when the first U of M thread was openned months ago someone called the admissions office and asked how they determined if an applicant was actually of the ethnicity he or she claimed. The answer was that they accepted the applicants word at face value.
As for the OP, I personally see no problem with claiming minority status if you fit the criteria. If the college says: “We only want Hispanics who have been disadvantaged and/or discrimitated against”, that would be a different matter. One might argue that Airman Doors is living with the legacy of having come from a “disadvantaged” background even if he’s unaware of it. There is a continuum of experience that minorities face from lots of hurdles and discrimination to none at all. I challenge anyone to draw the line and say those on this side of the line get the AA boost, and those on the other side don’t.
As Cranky said, the college can use essays to see just how difficult a time a person has had in life. In fact, one might ask why the admissions board just doesn’t rely on that essay and not even ask the ethnic background of the applicant.
Nope, can’t be of help; sorry. I do some research and decision report for enrollment management, so I collaborate with some of the admissions folks, but I don’t work in that office.
However, I believe it’s as John Mace said. They take you at your word.
I actually have a friend who did this. He had one great-grandparent who was Cuban, and one great-grandparent (other the other side of the family tree) who was Mexican, and thus he could technically be considered Hispanic with 1/4th Hispanic ancestry. Never mind that in three generations what few Hispanic phenotypes existed in his family had disappeared, as he had fair skin, light brown/sandy blonde hair, and blue eyes.
He went ahead and listed his race as “Hispanic” on his college application, and while I doubt it helped him get admitted (since he was plenty smart anyway), he did get a significant amount of scholarship $$$ that were earmarked for minorities, especially since this was a Midwestern university that sees few Hispanic applicants to begin with. IIRC no one from the university ever challenged him on the veracity of his claims, either. (I always thought the whole thing was rather on the dishonest side, myself.)
First of all, it’s not Mexican TV unless it’s originating from Mexico. The Spanish-language networks in the United States cater to Spanish speakers from all countries, not just those from Mexico.
Second, it’s impossible to tell someone’s origins from their surname. For example, most large Latin American cities have a sizable Jewish population, and very few of them have “Spanish” surnames. Spain itself has a very rich Jewish history; Jews lived alongside the Moors and did quite well for themselves until the Inquisition. I’d be hard-pressed to think of any organization that would give preference based on surname alone, let alone suggest one purely to claim minority status. Or, to put it in other terms, our son’s last name is Cartwright. Due to the fact that Judaism is matrilineal, he is Jewish because I am. No one would think to suggest that he change it to sound more “Jewish”, and I as his mother would be offended if anyone did so. His name isn’t Cohen, it’s Cartwright. Expecting him to change it would dishonor his father and his father’s family.
Finally, if you do have cites of scholarships and jobs awarded on the basis of surname, I’d like to see them.
Robin