Can an adopted child check Hispanic box even though born in a non-Hispanic country?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she was an African American adopted in to a Caucasian family would she choose Caucasian?

+1

No, she should not check Hispanic.

African American and Caucasian are both RACES.

Hispanic is a CULTURE not a race.

Just think... "I am Hispanic" OR "I am American". No race is given to either one.

Educate yourself people!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am going to be the voice of dissent. I'd say no. I wouldn't have checked the box for your bio kid either. 1 grandparent from Argentina? Is your nuclear family culturally hispanic? GTFO.

Here's the thing though; if you only allow the most recent immigrants of Hispanic heritage to "check the box" then you get a really skewed view of how individuals with Hispanic heritage are doing in this country. They may appear to be a URM when, in fact, there are tens of thousands of students of Hispanic heritage doing really well in top 25 schools. That is what this tool is meant to measure -- it's not a "leg up" tool; its a tool to gauge whether or not there is underrepresentation in the system. If people don't check the box that applies, you get a skewed view of actual representation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our son checked the Hispanic box when he applied to colleges a few years ago. The Hispanic is on his mom's side (grandfather born and raised in Argentina). Younger daughter will be applying to schools this year and she doesn't have the Hispanic blood because she is adopted. But technically, she has Hispanic "heritage" through adoption, correct?

Does she considers herself Latina or Hispanic? or of Hispanic heritage? Are you (parents) Hispanic?


"Hispanic refers to individuals who are Spanish-speaking or have a background in a Spanish-speaking country. Latino refers to those who are from or have a background in a Latin American country. These terms encompass culture, ethnicity, and identity and are rooted in shared cultures and not racial categories."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The irony is that checking the "Hispanic" box is not that big of an asset, given that it's an ethnicity, not a race, and that Hispanic Americans run a huge gamut from highly educated Cubans to newly-arrived goat herders.

What IS unique, however, is being able to write an essay about being a white child adopted into a Hispanic family and learning to navigate that space.

But in order to get the second, you have to forego the first.

Why must she forego the first? She can claim Hispanic heritage AND write about being adopted from a foreign country into a Hispanic culture. Thanks for the idea! OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our son checked the Hispanic box when he applied to colleges a few years ago. The Hispanic is on his mom's side (grandfather born and raised in Argentina). Younger daughter will be applying to schools this year and she doesn't have the Hispanic blood because she is adopted. But technically, she has Hispanic "heritage" through adoption, correct?

Does she considers herself Latina or Hispanic? or of Hispanic heritage? Are you (parents) Hispanic?


"Hispanic refers to individuals who are Spanish-speaking or have a background in a Spanish-speaking country. Latino refers to those who are from or have a background in a Latin American country. These terms encompass culture, ethnicity, and identity and are rooted in shared cultures and not racial categories."

She has a hispanic grandparent. That is all that is needed to check the box.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do colleges check this sort of thing? How would colleges know whether a kid who checks hispanic actually is?

Easy to find out AND you can be thrown out of that college for lying on their documents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do colleges check this sort of thing? How would colleges know whether a kid who checks hispanic actually is?

Easy to find out AND you can be thrown out of that college for lying on their documents.

OP here. How does a college find out short of asking for documentation (like passports, birth certificates, etc.)? Like I said, we went through the process already and not one college asked for proof. DS is in a top private university.

[Anonymous]

Our daughter (adopted from China; we're Caucasian) checked "mixed race" because that's how she identifies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daughter (adopted from China; we're Caucasian) checked "mixed race" because that's how she identifies.

That is very smart.

[Anonymous]

I'm Hispanic. As has been said repeatedly, Hispanic is a culture.

You didn't say the child has one Argentine grandparent (meaning a person of Argentine culture) - rather one grandparent born and raised in Argentina. Seeing that Argentina (and a number of other Latin American countries) had many European immigrants (Italians, Jews, Germans, even Brits) who lived there for one generation and moved on, I would say no. If the child and the family have an ongoing relationship with Argentina, speak Spanish at home, that's different. But if they just happened to be born there and left and re-established their entire family line elsewhere without maintaining Hispanic or Argentine (or Uruguayan, or Nicaraguan or Venezuelan or Brazilian or Chilean) ties, their offspring are not Hispanic.

Think of it this way, is Mitt Romney Hispanic? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am going to be the voice of dissent. I'd say no. I wouldn't have checked the box for your bio kid either. 1 grandparent from Argentina? Is your nuclear family culturally hispanic? GTFO.

Exactly. Bio child isn't Hispanic either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am going to be the voice of dissent. I'd say no. I wouldn't have checked the box for your bio kid either. 1 grandparent from Argentina? Is your nuclear family culturally hispanic? GTFO.

Here's the thing though; if you only allow the most recent immigrants of Hispanic heritage to "check the box" then you get a really skewed view of how individuals with Hispanic heritage are doing in this country. They may appear to be a URM when, in fact, there are tens of thousands of students of Hispanic heritage doing really well in top 25 schools. That is what this tool is meant to measure -- it's not a "leg up" tool; its a tool to gauge whether or not there is underrepresentation in the system. If people don't check the box that applies, you get a skewed view of actual representation.

Here's the thing, it is a leg up. The standards for admission clearly vary by race. If they want it to me a gauge and not a tool, ask the question after admission offers are sent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm Hispanic. As has been said repeatedly, Hispanic is a culture.

You didn't say the child has one Argentine grandparent (meaning a person of Argentine culture) - rather one grandparent born and raised in Argentina. Seeing that Argentina (and a number of other Latin American countries) had many European immigrants (Italians, Jews, Germans, even Brits) who lived there for one generation and moved on, I would say no. If the child and the family have an ongoing relationship with Argentina, speak Spanish at home, that's different. But if they just happened to be born there and left and re-established their entire family line elsewhere without maintaining Hispanic or Argentine (or Uruguayan, or Nicaraguan or Venezuelan or Brazilian or Chilean) ties, their offspring are not Hispanic.

Think of it this way, is Mitt Romney Hispanic? No.

I had completely forgotten about that little fact!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm Hispanic. As has been said repeatedly, Hispanic is a culture.

You didn't say the child has one Argentine grandparent (meaning a person of Argentine culture) - rather one grandparent born and raised in Argentina. Seeing that Argentina (and a number of other Latin American countries) had many European immigrants (Italians, Jews, Germans, even Brits) who lived there for one generation and moved on, I would say no. If the child and the family have an ongoing relationship with Argentina, speak Spanish at home, that's different. But if they just happened to be born there and left and re-established their entire family line elsewhere without maintaining Hispanic or Argentine (or Uruguayan, or Nicaraguan or Venezuelan or Brazilian or Chilean) ties, their offspring are not Hispanic.

Think of it this way, is Mitt Romney Hispanic? No.

Yes, that's right. White Hispanics in countries like Cuba and other South American countries often are of European backgrounds. That doesn't make them any less Hispanic. OP's father-in-law was born and raised there and I assume speaks Spanish. Whether or not they embrace the culture today is insignificant. They meet the definition of Hispanic and can check the box.

[Anonymous]

Do kids with with Sephardic Jewish background also select "Hispanic"?

Asking for a friend.