Is Arab American POC? Does it help for admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the college wants to boost their stats, it's how you mark the box, not what you write in the essay. They don't go reading each essay when generating their stats. The essay serves a different purpose, also beneficial though.

You need to look at the college. I'm half Asian and half White. I chose the race that worked best for me for each college, based on their stats. For example, Iowa State is 3.5% Asian so it's better to be Asian than white there: https://www.registrar.iastate.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/stats/minority/Fall%202020%20Multicultural%20reports.pdf

If you lie on a college application, they can kick you out. If you lie on the FAFSA or financial aid documents, it is a Federal offense. I think there is a lot of bad information being given, and most people either do not know or do not care about the actual rules, but feigning ignorance is not a defense.

How is it lying? I'm 50% Asian, and 50% White. Why can't I identify with either of those?

You can identify as Native American if that is how you identify. Who is the school to tell you how you identify? They won’t dispute that you identify as the race you put on your application. How could they disprove what a person identifies as?

Exactly why schools should require a copy of birth certificates and copies of driver's licenses. The races on those docs and admissions paperwork bette match.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arab American should be considered POC, but unfortunately we have an extremely narrow conception of what that means in this country.

Why?

You're white and if dressed like typical American, you get treated no differently when you walk into a store or restaurant. No one is judging you on your skin color.

Uhhhh, until a terrorist attack happens. Then all of a sudden "white" people can tell the difference and definitely don't treat arabs as "white"

No, the tall, blonde Arab is not getting called a terrorist walking down the street or even getting the extra screening at the airport. It’s the darker skinned South Asian that is.

Americans equate Brown with terrorists. They don’t care if their not even from an Arab country or not Muslim.

DP. I'm willing to bet a MAJORITY of arabs in the US aren't blonde. Stop it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m MENA (middle eastern, northern African), ex-husband is white, and my daughter put down she is white and not mixed race as middle eastern is considered white on census forms. She feels very strongly that she’s middle eastern, but until racial definitions change, it’s not right to say you’re anything but white. Don’t think being middle eastern helps.

In your situation, I’d call her AA if your husband is from North Africa- it’s absolutely an accurate term for the offspring of someone born in Africa

It absolutely is not an accurate term for her....

"African Americans are largely the descendants of enslaved people who were brought from their African homelands by force to work in the New World. Their rights were severely limited, and they were long denied a rightful share in the economic, social, and political progress of the United States."

https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-American

So what does a Tanzanian applicant, currently living in Africa, check when they apply to a university in the US? They are not American, and they are not descended from slaves.

Some applications list "African American/Black American" as an option. Some applications separate them. The Tanzanian applicant is "black American or black," not African American. There is a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the college wants to boost their stats, it's how you mark the box, not what you write in the essay. They don't go reading each essay when generating their stats. The essay serves a different purpose, also beneficial though.

You need to look at the college. I'm half Asian and half White. I chose the race that worked best for me for each college, based on their stats. For example, Iowa State is 3.5% Asian so it's better to be Asian than white there: https://www.registrar.iastate.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/stats/minority/Fall%202020%20Multicultural%20reports.pdf

If you lie on a college application, they can kick you out. If you lie on the FAFSA or financial aid documents, it is a Federal offense. I think there is a lot of bad information being given, and most people either do not know or do not care about the actual rules, but feigning ignorance is not a defense.

How is it lying? I'm 50% Asian, and 50% White. Why can't I identify with either of those?

You can identify as Native American if that is how you identify. Who is the school to tell you how you identify? They won’t dispute that you identify as the race you put on your application. How could they disprove what a person identifies as?

Exactly why schools should require a copy of birth certificates and copies of driver's licenses. The races on those docs and admissions paperwork bette match.

How about for gender? The gender on the birth certificate may not match their current gender. Only for race does it need to match?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m MENA (middle eastern, northern African), ex-husband is white, and my daughter put down she is white and not mixed race as middle eastern is considered white on census forms. She feels very strongly that she’s middle eastern, but until racial definitions change, it’s not right to say you’re anything but white. Don’t think being middle eastern helps.

Northern Africans are Africans. That makes her African-American.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges want under represented minorities, not just any kind. Middle easterners aren't considered URM, so even though they have been subjected to prejudices it doesn't count for the college who wants to brag about their diversity. You're better off if you can find a great great grandparent who was pacific islander.

and yes, if you have any african roots, check off black. You'd surprised by how many rich, white kids are checking minority boxes under dubious situations.

Source?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the college wants to boost their stats, it's how you mark the box, not what you write in the essay. They don't go reading each essay when generating their stats. The essay serves a different purpose, also beneficial though.

You need to look at the college. I'm half Asian and half White. I chose the race that worked best for me for each college, based on their stats. For example, Iowa State is 3.5% Asian so it's better to be Asian than white there: https://www.registrar.iastate.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/stats/minority/Fall%202020%20Multicultural%20reports.pdf

If you lie on a college application, they can kick you out. If you lie on the FAFSA or financial aid documents, it is a Federal offense. I think there is a lot of bad information being given, and most people either do not know or do not care about the actual rules, but feigning ignorance is not a defense.

How is it lying? I'm 50% Asian, and 50% White. Why can't I identify with either of those?

You can identify as Native American if that is how you identify. Who is the school to tell you how you identify? They won’t dispute that you identify as the race you put on your application. How could they disprove what a person identifies as?

Since when did that apply to race? When did our society/county become transracial in the same way one can be transgender? Don't be obtuse.
Exactly why schools should require a copy of birth certificates and copies of driver's licenses. The races on those docs and admissions paperwork bette match.

How about for gender? The gender on the birth certificate may not match their current gender. Only for race does it need to match?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the college wants to boost their stats, it's how you mark the box, not what you write in the essay. They don't go reading each essay when generating their stats. The essay serves a different purpose, also beneficial though.

You need to look at the college. I'm half Asian and half White. I chose the race that worked best for me for each college, based on their stats. For example, Iowa State is 3.5% Asian so it's better to be Asian than white there: https://www.registrar.iastate.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/stats/minority/Fall%202020%20Multicultural%20reports.pdf

If you lie on a college application, they can kick you out. If you lie on the FAFSA or financial aid documents, it is a Federal offense. I think there is a lot of bad information being given, and most people either do not know or do not care about the actual rules, but feigning ignorance is not a defense.

How is it lying? I'm 50% Asian, and 50% White. Why can't I identify with either of those?

You can identify as Native American if that is how you identify. Who is the school to tell you how you identify? They won’t dispute that you identify as the race you put on your application. How could they disprove what a person identifies as?

Exactly why schools should require a copy of birth certificates and copies of driver's licenses. The races on those docs and admissions paperwork bette match.

How about for gender? The gender on the birth certificate may not match their current gender. Only for race does it need to match?

Since when did that apply to race? When did our society/county become transracial in the same way one can be transgender? Don't be obtuse.
Exactly why schools should require a copy of birth certificates and copies of driver's licenses. The races on those docs and admissions paperwork bette match.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the college wants to boost their stats, it's how you mark the box, not what you write in the essay. They don't go reading each essay when generating their stats. The essay serves a different purpose, also beneficial though.

You need to look at the college. I'm half Asian and half White. I chose the race that worked best for me for each college, based on their stats. For example, Iowa State is 3.5% Asian so it's better to be Asian than white there: https://www.registrar.iastate.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/stats/minority/Fall%202020%20Multicultural%20reports.pdf

If you lie on a college application, they can kick you out. If you lie on the FAFSA or financial aid documents, it is a Federal offense. I think there is a lot of bad information being given, and most people either do not know or do not care about the actual rules, but feigning ignorance is not a defense.

How is it lying? I'm 50% Asian, and 50% White. Why can't I identify with either of those?

You can identify as Native American if that is how you identify. Who is the school to tell you how you identify? They won’t dispute that you identify as the race you put on your application. How could they disprove what a person identifies as?

Exactly why schools should require a copy of birth certificates and copies of driver's licenses. The races on those docs and admissions paperwork bette match.

Most birth certificates do not list race.

[Anonymous]

If the colleges cared about the integrity of the process they would check and see that the blonde lax player from a DC private with 3 homes is a little different from the 100% native american in Oklahoma living in a 900 square foot house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the colleges cared about the integrity of the process they would check and see that the blonde lax player from a DC private with 3 homes is a little different from the 100% native american in Oklahoma living in a 900 square foot house.

- They DO care
- They DO check, as much as is possible
- Native American is a bad use in your example as that is easily verified and most competitive colleges check that

The process is not perfect, but it is as good as it can be, and will continue to evolve. Don't be pessimistic, navigate through it as informed and proactive as you can.

[Anonymous]

I think the point is that someone who has a ton of privilege and 5% URM blood is very different than the 100% URM coming from a lower socioeconomic class setting who has faced much greater adversity and would bring more diversity to the college. That's where the college seems happy to take the full pay student and still keep its minority numbers at a target level. But you have to admit that those admits aren't fulfilling the mission of diversity. When schools look the other way, even if it's just a few admits, people are right to be pessimistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the point is that someone who has a ton of privilege and 5% URM blood is very different than the 100% URM coming from a lower socioeconomic class setting who has faced much greater adversity and would bring more diversity to the college. That's where the college seems happy to take the full pay student and still keep its minority numbers at a target level. But you have to admit that those admits aren't fulfilling the mission of diversity. When schools look the other way, even if it's just a few admits, people are right to be pessimistic.

No, I disagree, and so do the colleges. Do you think they are dumb? Do you think you know more about what they need than they do? Of course not.

They seek racial balance so that kids don't avoid attending because they feel out of place. It happens. Just like a white kid might feel out of place at an excellent institution like Morehouse. Whether the white kids there had parents born in Sweden wouldn't matter.

They don't "look the other way". That's insulting and it's conspiracy thinking. They know more about it than you do. Way more. Stop pretending you've cracked a code. You haven't. Read a book on admissions policy. Start with "The Shape Of The River".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the point is that someone who has a ton of privilege and 5% URM blood is very different than the 100% URM coming from a lower socioeconomic class setting who has faced much greater adversity and would bring more diversity to the college. That's where the college seems happy to take the full pay student and still keep its minority numbers at a target level. But you have to admit that those admits aren't fulfilling the mission of diversity. When schools look the other way, even if it's just a few admits, people are right to be pessimistic.

No, I disagree, and so do the colleges. Do you think they are dumb? Do you think you know more about what they need than they do? Of course not.

They seek racial balance so that kids don't avoid attending because they feel out of place. It happens. Just like a white kid might feel out of place at an excellent institution like Morehouse. Whether the white kids there had parents born in Sweden wouldn't matter.

They don't "look the other way". That's insulting and it's conspiracy thinking. They know more about it than you do. Way more. Stop pretending you've cracked a code. You haven't. Read a book on admissions policy. Start with "The Shape Of The River".

Yes, admissions officers would never lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges want under represented minorities, not just any kind. Middle easterners aren't considered URM, so even though they have been subjected to prejudices it doesn't count for the college who wants to brag about their diversity. You're better off if you can find a great great grandparent who was pacific islander.

and yes, if you have any african roots, check off black. You'd surprised by how many rich, white kids are checking minority boxes under dubious situations.

Source?

Every UMC friend with a Spanish background I've ever known, for starters.