I want to clairfy a point about why we don’t have AA in my country (Germany): after the experiences of the Nazi times, any question or distinction about race is completly out of the question. I was very surprised when I saw that in the US, patient forms in the hospital/at the doctors list not only age and gender (which are important), but also “white caucasian” or similar, because I couldn’tu nderstand what matter that info would play in medical treatment.
We also don’t have many blacks or Asians; our largest minority group are the Turks and people of Turkish descent. In the 60s, we called for Italian and Turkish people from poor areas to come to Germany and work here (similar, I think, to Mexicans coming to the Southern US?) Because the govt. expected the workers to leave after some years - when there was no longer a need for them - and insisted on “Germany is no immigration country”, no efforts at integration were made. But the workers stayed, and brought their families, and new children were born. Now we have 4 to 5 mil. people who are discriminated against in daily life (because they are recognizable by their looks and names), not all of whom speak German, many of whom have a low-quality education. Under the threat of terrorism, the govt. has finally decided to do sth. about this, and has started german language classes in primary school. However, parents don’t need to apply for them - the children are judged indivdually on how good their command is, and how much help they need.
Similarly, there is a certain percentage of pupils each year, when leaving primary school, that don’t enter Advanced High School or Practical High School, but only the Common High School. A high percentage, but not all, of these pupils are foreigners, others are german children coming from poor backgrounds. These kids are considered by society, and see themselves, as complete loosers - too dumb for the better High Schools, without any hope or aim in life. Without hope, they don’t put in an effort to learn, and teachers have to battle with disciplinaray problems. After finishing school, most of them will have trouble finding a job, leading to the next generation of poverty and hopelessness. To break this circle, it’s important to strengthen the children (also, to have more and specially trained teachers, better materials, etc.). Some parents don’t care how badly their children perform at school; other parents are overwhelmed and helpless by the disclipine problems. So special measureas aimed at these groups of children (and their parents) are important and necessary; but they don’t differentiate to race, and aren’t called AA.
As to the OP: If your children don’t check the box for race on their application, that would be noble, but it wouldn’t change the discrimnation against them based on their skin colour (if they happen to look American Indian), and the stereotpyes and prejudices about them, and it won’t stop the (wrong in the first place) gathering of data based on race. Besides, if they go to the same High School your wife went to, they would still have to fight with the bad reputation of this school, yes?
I also agree with the doper who said that being a visible Native American (visible on paper by checking the box) might encourage others to come to the college your children will be at.(From the little I’ve seen and read about the first black children in integrated schools, it was hell for them, and the fact that there were at least a few others helped a tiny bit. And the prejudices against these children weren’t related to the income of their parents.)
If you feel undeserving of the money, then you can always set up a fund to sponsor another Native American who can’t go because of funds. Or organize a study circle to encourage more students from your (future) children’s High School to go in the first place.
