What is the requirement to be classified as black or African-American in a college application?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - Is "mixed race" not one of his options?

Also, there's an easy way to answer this question: Does your son use a washcloth in the shower? If so, check Black. If not, out of luck.

LOLLLLL! I was just wondering this recently -- how do you get clean in all the important cracks and crevices with no washcloth (or to get even blacker with it, the washrag)?

[Anonymous]

This is an interesting question I need to grapple with sooner rather than later as I am pregnant by my white husband. I think we will check all of the boxes like pressing all of the buttons in the elevator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting question I need to grapple with sooner rather than later as I am pregnant by my white husband. I think we will check all of the boxes like pressing all of the buttons in the elevator.

No, check "black". URMs get huge bump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Is "mixed race" not one of his options?

Also, there's an easy way to answer this question: Does your son use a washcloth in the shower? If so, check Black. If not, out of luck.

LOLLLLL! I was just wondering this recently -- how do you get clean in all the important cracks and crevices with no washcloth (or to get even blacker with it, the washrag)?

What do yo do with the washcloth after you use it? Single use only I hope?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting question I need to grapple with sooner rather than later as I am pregnant by my white husband. I think we will check all of the boxes like pressing all of the buttons in the elevator.

As a technically mixed race person, I found there's a certain tyranny in having to check all the boxes. I appreciate my family history and culture, but just don't feel like I owe it to every ancestor to represent them. I picked the one the most feels like "home" to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Is "mixed race" not one of his options?

Also, there's an easy way to answer this question: Does your son use a washcloth in the shower? If so, check Black. If not, out of luck.

LOLLLLL! I was just wondering this recently -- how do you get clean in all the important cracks and crevices with no washcloth (or to get even blacker with it, the washrag)?

What do yo do with the washcloth after you use it? Single use only I hope?

We do single use because I wash my butt last. I don't have a separate asscloth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Is "mixed race" not one of his options?

Also, there's an easy way to answer this question: Does your son use a washcloth in the shower? If so, check Black. If not, out of luck.

LOLLLLL! I was just wondering this recently -- how do you get clean in all the important cracks and crevices with no washcloth (or to get even blacker with it, the washrag)?

What do yo do with the washcloth after you use it? Single use only I hope?

We do single use because I wash my butt last. I don't have a separate asscloth.

This is fascinating.

So, if you have 5 people and do laundry once a week - 5 x 7 = 35 washcloth? That's a LOT of washcloth!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Is "mixed race" not one of his options?

Also, there's an easy way to answer this question: Does your son use a washcloth in the shower? If so, check Black. If not, out of luck.

LOLLLLL! I was just wondering this recently -- how do you get clean in all the important cracks and crevices with no washcloth (or to get even blacker with it, the washrag)?

What do yo do with the washcloth after you use it? Single use only I hope?

We do single use because I wash my butt last. I don't have a separate asscloth.

This is fascinating.

So, if you have 5 people and do laundry once a week - 5 x 7 = 35 washcloth? That's a LOT of washcloth!!

Well, a wash cloth is like 1/10th the size of a towel and we actually do laundry twice a week for 4 people. I grew up this way and was in college before I realized people didn't use washcloths. It seems normal to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: one child would pass for AA in terms of his features and applied for college as an AA. His sibling - same biological parents - has no AA features and would pass for white if anyone saw him.

Would it be a problem for him if he applied as an AA? He will be going to college next year.

Good god woman! If the boy is black, check the damn box. With two black children how you can be so far removed from the black community that this is an issue for you is beyond me! As my three-year-old says, "Duh!!!"

Oh, you KNOW it's the white person from the relationship asking this question. The Black partner would KNOW that their child is Black. It does bother me a little, though, that these boys got to be in their late teens and apparently don't know whether or not they are Black. Especially for the one who the world can see is mixed race, I imagine that was a bit confusing.

Very simplistic: is Obama black - I know he is viewed as black - but he is half white. If his complexion and other features were white, would we be as quick to label him as black? Physical characteristics do play a big part in how one is perceived.

Good example of the complexity behind OP's question. According to some of the responses so far, Obama would not be classified as AA -- he's no descendant of slaves.

[Anonymous]

Lily white here and use washcloths. What did I miss?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:African American refers to people who are members of a cultural group that is ascended from American slaves of African descent. Someone born somewhere other than the US (unless born to AA expats or something like that) would not qualify.

Black means you have recent or distant ancestors from subsaharan Africa and have the distinctive physical characteristics of that group, especially dark skin. If your recent ancestors were from Zimbabwe, but at some point all their ancestors were from Europe you don't qualify.

To be able to ethically check the box you need to be in one of those 2 categories.

Having said that most universities aren't handing out admissions preference based on a box. They are looking at a student's entire application, including things like essays and history of where you lived, to determine whether someone brings a perspective they feel is missing. Someone who writes a fascinating essay on the experience of coming to understand South African society, and lists Xhosa and Afikaans as fluent languages may get an admissions bid just like someone who plays the basoon or represents an underrepresented group in the US.

So, your conclusion is that President Obama is not African-American.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no requirement. It is up to your individual view.

Like being a transgender.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no requirement. It is up to your individual view.

Like being a transgender.

I did a genetics analysis and found out that I'm about 1% sub-Saharan African. Affirmative action here I come!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:African American refers to people who are members of a cultural group that is ascended from American slaves of African descent. Someone born somewhere other than the US (unless born to AA expats or something like that) would not qualify.

Black means you have recent or distant ancestors from subsaharan Africa and have the distinctive physical characteristics of that group, especially dark skin. If your recent ancestors were from Zimbabwe, but at some point all their ancestors were from Europe you don't qualify.

To be able to ethically check the box you need to be in one of those 2 categories.

Having said that most universities aren't handing out admissions preference based on a box. They are looking at a student's entire application, including things like essays and history of where you lived, to determine whether someone brings a perspective they feel is missing. Someone who writes a fascinating essay on the experience of coming to understand South African society, and lists Xhosa and Afikaans as fluent languages may get an admissions bid just like someone who plays the basoon or represents an underrepresented group in the US.

So, your conclusion is that President Obama is not African-American.

I don't think Obama intially identified as AA when he was young. (White mother, raised by white grandparents, little contact with his father) Our culture rapidly informed him that he is AA. You don't get out of having an AA identity if you look like he does.

My cousin's kid is biracial. She didn't have much contact with her black relatives, either, but she isn't allowed to identify as white or mostly white by our culture. She's black. If she forgets that she's black, somebody is going to remind her that she's black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it seems there should be a relatively obvious answer but African-American includes those from Africa and the Caribbean.

If one were born in Africa or the Caribbean - or if an applicant's parent or grandparent was born there - can one obtain minority preference for college application? Are there any specific limitations in this regard?

Turn the racists' rule around on them: One Drop.