# Is it ever to one's advantage to indicate ethnicity as "White" on a form? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625 "2010-08-08T20:59:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/1 "2010-08-08T20:59:10Z")
If you are applying for say, a university or a scholarship or anything else where the question of your ethnicity comes up on a form and you are white, is it ever a good idea to admit it? I usually assume that doing so puts me at a disadvantage and so it is better to decline to state. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/2 "2010-08-08T21:35:06Z")
Many employers don’t even look at that part of the form. They just stash it in a file if they ever have to prove they didn’t discriminate in the hiring process. I list it. I figure if it IS a disadvantage, it’s not something I can hide if I get to the interview stage, and I’d rather be eliminated in the beginning than in the end rather than waste my time. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/3 "2010-08-08T22:15:24Z")
Are you applying to Oral Roberts University? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/4 "2010-08-08T22:17:24Z")
I’m not applying to anything at the moment. It’s just something I was thinking about. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/5 "2010-08-09T21:14:16Z")
Recently I saw a form where several questions such as ethnicity were on a separate page and that page stated it was to be filed for use should it be needed for identification in the event of an emergency. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/6 "2010-08-09T22:19:06Z")
They often have an option along the lines of, “I prefer not to disclose …” ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/7 "2010-08-09T22:21:20Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > They often have an option along the lines of, “I prefer not to disclose …” Right. And that’s always the right answer, right? (assuming you are white) ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/8 "2010-08-09T22:25:00Z")
I’ve always used “White,” although I could tick the “other:\_\_\_” of “Prefer not to disclose,” but I’m not really “other,” and it’s not like it’s a secret. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/9 "2010-08-09T23:18:51Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > If you are applying for say, a university or a scholarship or anything else where the question of your ethnicity comes up on a form and you are white, is it ever a good idea to admit it? > > I usually assume that doing so puts me at a disadvantage and so it is better to decline to state. Country Club, yacht club, aryan nation summer jamboree, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/10 "2010-08-09T23:28:25Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > > [@Quartz](#): > > > > They often have an option along the lines of, “I prefer not to disclose …” > > Right. And that’s always the right answer, right? (assuming you are white) Why don’t you explain what you mean by “right answer.” ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/11 "2010-08-09T23:30:28Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > If you are applying for say, a university or a scholarship or anything else where the question of your ethnicity comes up on a form and you are white, is it ever a good idea to admit it? > > I usually assume that doing so puts me at a disadvantage and so it is better to decline to state. You usually assume that indicating you are white on an application or form puts you at a disadvantage? Really? Can you explain why you feel this way? ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/12 "2010-08-09T23:39:08Z")
I just say I’m Chinese. If I’m ever questioned about it, I plan to call whoever asks racist and then liken my treatment to the U.S. internment camps during WWII. With any luck, I might be able to get a juicy settlement out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/13 "2010-08-09T23:48:05Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I just say I’m Chinese. If I’m ever questioned about it, I plan to call whoever asks racist and then liken my treatment to the U.S. internment camps during WWII. With any luck, I might be able to get a juicy settlement out of it. I laughed. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/14 "2010-08-10T01:32:50Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Why don’t you explain what you mean by “right answer.” > [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > You usually assume that indicating you are white on an application or form puts you at a disadvantage? Really? Can you explain why you feel this way? Please. Affirmative action is still going strong. My premise is that admitting to being white can only hurt your chances of getting accepted for, admitted to, hired, etc. for anything competitive compared to an otherwise similar candidate who is not white. I was just trying to think of any instance where this might not be the case. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/15 "2010-08-10T02:48:58Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Please. Affirmative action is still going strong. My premise is that admitting to being white can only hurt your chances of getting accepted for, admitted to, hired, etc. for anything competitive compared to an otherwise similar candidate who is not white. I was just trying to think of any instance where this might not be the case. Your premise is fundamentally flawed. I’ve never had any problem getting jobs, or into programs, despite being as white as anyone I’ve ever met. Except maybe this one kid from my high school, he was super-white. Like, “Holyshit, the suns on him and I’m _bliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind_,” white. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/16 "2010-08-10T02:57:37Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > Your premise is fundamentally flawed. > > I’ve never had any problem getting jobs, or into programs, despite being as white as anyone I’ve ever met. And how does that preclude the fact that you may very well have been passed up if a similar but not-white candidate had also applied? How do you know you’ve never been turned _down_ for anything in favor of a non-white candidate? I’m not saying it’s hard for white people to get into things, I’m saying that being white doesn’t help and could possibly hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/17 "2010-08-10T03:04:27Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > > [@Todderbob](#): > > > > Your premise is fundamentally flawed. > > > > I’ve never had any problem getting jobs, or into programs, despite being as white as anyone I’ve ever met. > > And how does that preclude the fact that you may very well have been passed up if a similar but not-white candidate had also applied? How do you know you’ve never been turned _down_ for anything in favor of a non-white candidate? I’m not saying it’s hard for white people to get into things, I’m saying that being white doesn’t help and could possibly hurt. Try this little experiment: apply for 15 jobs with your real information, and check the box for “white”. Then apply for the same 15 jobs using the name Tyrone, and leave the race box blank. Now, who got more phone calls? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/18 "2010-08-10T03:15:39Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Try this little experiment: apply for 15 jobs with your real information, and check the box for “white”. Then apply for the same 15 jobs using the name Tyrone, and leave the race box blank. > > Now, who got more phone calls? I know you’re joking, but an experiment might actually be pretty interesting (not necessarily exactly as you’ve described). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/19 "2010-08-10T03:16:06Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > > [@Todderbob](#): > > > > Your premise is fundamentally flawed. > > > > I’ve never had any problem getting jobs, or into programs, despite being as white as anyone I’ve ever met. > > And how does that preclude the fact that you may very well have been passed up if a similar but not-white candidate had also applied? How do you know you’ve never been turned _down_ for anything in favor of a non-white candidate? I’m not saying it’s hard for white people to get into things, I’m saying that being white doesn’t help and could possibly hurt. Because I haven’t applied for many things in my life, and I’ve never been turned down. I’ve applied for a few jobs, got all of them (and the others I was offered without prompting), and the only program I didn’t get in was one in high school… and I had no right getting into anyway, I only applied because I was asked to by my science teacher, and my application reflected that. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625/20 "2010-08-10T03:18:34Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > > Try this little experiment: apply for 15 jobs with your real information, and check the box for “white”. Then apply for the same 15 jobs using the name Tyrone, and leave the race box blank. > > > > Now, who got more phone calls? > > I know you’re joking, but an experiment might actually be pretty interesting (not necessarily exactly as you’ve described). 😃 Who’s joking? You think being white means you get selected against. I think the opposite. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-to-ones-advantage-to-indicate-ethnicity-as-white-on-a-form/549625.md?page=2)