WWYD-nationality on app? mixed DD, Black African dad/White European Mom,Passport -Mom’s Ctry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have to have black friends to identify as black?

No, but it does indicate a lack of identifying as being black if all your friends are white, and your own mom has no clue whether you identify as black.

OP here. This makes no sense. You make your friends based on your racial identity not based on who you get along with and who you like? I think this is an American thing and cannot be applied across the board. My husband has mostly white friends and he is black. By this reckoning he identifies as white? This is preposterous. I genuinely think my daughter does not give her race much thought at all.

No, I don't make my friends based on racial identity and that's why I have friends of all races. I too make my friends based on who I get along with and like, and it's telling that a black/biracial person living in America (with all its diversity) only gets along with and likes white people.

OP here. How does “all her friends are white translate to “ONLY likes and gets along with”? You are putting too much stock on racial identity and that is American issue by and large. Many things go to how one comes about ones friends. It does not have to come down to an aversion to one race and an affinity for another. It could be her neighborhood, who she sat next to at school on her first day and who their friends are that eventually make up a group, who is on her sports team, and many more. It needn’t be a race thing.

As a matter of fact, coincidentally, this issue came up yesterday evening. As we were cleaning up after some dinner guests had left, I asked her how she identifies racially and whether race played a part in how she came about her group of friends. She said that was the second time she had been asked to think about race that day. The guests we had had over were an African family and apparently the son had asked her whether there were any cute black girls at her school. She told me that she never ever consciously thought of anyone’s race, not even her own. She said she had been confused for a moment after the son asked her the question because she had to stop and think who in her class was “black” because she says she never sees people in that way. She likened mine and the guest’s question to being asked who in her class wears trousers and who wears skirts and with which group she identifies. It mattered so little to her that she had to pause and think about it.
My husband also says that he never about his color and put it down to growing up on a country where colour was not ever an issue because the majority of people looked like him. As a result his color did not have a bearing on anything that happened to him or whatever choices he made. We concluded that since we both brought that background into our home, it had been inherited by our daughter. Color/race just is not an issue in our family.

[Anonymous]

^^^ OH damn, spellcheck got me on "muts" lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a white guy who was fourth or fifth generation from South Africa (Boer). When he filled out the application he clicked ‘African American’ not really understanding it was a racial identification instead of a nationality (so he claimed).

When the schools found out they were furious and threatened to put fraud alert on his records to all schools but they eventually sorted something out.

He is African American.

He is from South Africa, and he is also American, but that does not mean he is African-American, which specifically means an American descendant of native Africans. Boers are not native Africans, just like white South Americans are not native South Americans.

This is all f*ucked up.
Brazilians are mostly from Portugal or Germany but gets points as Hispanic. we

White Americans are not native Americans, based on the logic above

White Americans are not European either, there in lies the ambiguity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a white guy who was fourth or fifth generation from South Africa (Boer). When he filled out the application he clicked ‘African American’ not really understanding it was a racial identification instead of a nationality (so he claimed).

When the schools found out they were furious and threatened to put fraud alert on his records to all schools but they eventually sorted something out.

He is African American.

He is from South Africa, and he is also American, but that does not mean he is African-American, which specifically means an American descendant of native Africans. Boers are not native Africans, just like white South Americans are not native South Americans.

This is all f*ucked up.
Brazilians are mostly from Portugal or Germany but gets points as Hispanic. we

Brazillians are not Hispanic and hate it when you make that mistake.

Just a heads up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have to have black friends to identify as black?

No, but it does indicate a lack of identifying as being black if all your friends are white, and your own mom has no clue whether you identify as black.

OP here. This makes no sense. You make your friends based on your racial identity not based on who you get along with and who you like? I think this is an American thing and cannot be applied across the board. My husband has mostly white friends and he is black. By this reckoning he identifies as white? This is preposterous. I genuinely think my daughter does not give her race much thought at all.

No, I don't make my friends based on racial identity and that's why I have friends of all races. I too make my friends based on who I get along with and like, and it's telling that a black/biracial person living in America (with all its diversity) only gets along with and likes white people.

OP here. How does “all her friends are white translate to “ONLY likes and gets along with”? You are putting too much stock on racial identity and that is American issue by and large. Many things go to how one comes about ones friends. It does not have to come down to an aversion to one race and an affinity for another. It could be her neighborhood, who she sat next to at school on her first day and who their friends are that eventually make up a group, who is on her sports team, and many more. It needn’t be a race thing.

As a matter of fact, coincidentally, this issue came up yesterday evening. As we were cleaning up after some dinner guests had left, I asked her how she identifies racially and whether race played a part in how she came about her group of friends. She said that was the second time she had been asked to think about race that day. The guests we had had over were an African family and apparently the son had asked her whether there were any cute black girls at her school. She told me that she never ever consciously thought of anyone’s race, not even her own. She said she had been confused for a moment after the son asked her the question because she had to stop and think who in her class was “black” because she says she never sees people in that way. She likened mine and the guest’s question to being asked who in her class wears trousers and who wears skirts and with which group she identifies. It mattered so little to her that she had to pause and think about it.
My husband also says that he never about his color and put it down to growing up on a country where colour was not ever an issue because the majority of people looked like him. As a result his color did not have a bearing on anything that happened to him or whatever choices he made. We concluded that since we both brought that background into our home, it had been inherited by our daughter. Color/race just is not an issue in our family.

Your child lives in the United States. Race is a huge issue here, because of our history.

If your child truly doesn't think about being Black in America, then she should not identify as such on her college applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brazillians are not Hispanic and hate it when you make that mistake.

Just a heads up.

True, but for what it's worth, the National Hispanic Recognition Program counts Brazil as conferring Hispanic ethnicity. (https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/scholarships-and-recognition/national-hispanic-recognition-program)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child truly doesn't think about being Black in America, then she should not identify as such on her college applications.

Ridiculous. The question does not ask, "do you think about being Black in America."

The child has one black parent and accordingly would be perfectly correct to check "Black or African American" in responding to the question "please indicate how you identify yourself. (Select one or more)."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a white guy who was fourth or fifth generation from South Africa (Boer). When he filled out the application he clicked ‘African American’ not really understanding it was a racial identification instead of a nationality (so he claimed).

When the schools found out they were furious and threatened to put fraud alert on his records to all schools but they eventually sorted something out.

He is African American.

No he isn't. African American = descendants of Africans brought to the US as slaves.

Exactly! That example the pp mentioned is fraud. The reason slave descendants are African American is that almost all cannot identity with a pinpointed African country. Newer immigrants from Africa can check Black but they would be labeled Somali-American, Nigerian American or in the case of the fraudster South African American.

I know someone from South Africa who is white and lists her child as African American because her child is "more African" than Blacks in American.

Her child will never be more African than an AA. That kid is a descendent of racist Dutchmen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child truly doesn't think about being Black in America, then she should not identify as such on her college applications.

Ridiculous. The question does not ask, "do you think about being Black in America."

The child has one black parent and accordingly would be perfectly correct to check "Black or African American" in responding to the question "please indicate how you identify yourself. (Select one or more)."

OP said her daughter does not identify or think of herself as Black. Therefore the answer is no.

If the question was ‘what do other people consider your racial identity to be?’ The answer to this is probably be Black

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a white guy who was fourth or fifth generation from South Africa (Boer). When he filled out the application he clicked ‘African American’ not really understanding it was a racial identification instead of a nationality (so he claimed).

When the schools found out they were furious and threatened to put fraud alert on his records to all schools but they eventually sorted something out.

He is African American.

No he isn't. African American = descendants of Africans brought to the US as slaves.

Exactly! That example the pp mentioned is fraud. The reason slave descendants are African American is that almost all cannot identity with a pinpointed African country. Newer immigrants from Africa can check Black but they would be labeled Somali-American, Nigerian American or in the case of the fraudster South African American.

It’s not quite this cut and dry. I’m black biracial, born here to immigrant parents. I grew up in a black neighborhood, went to an HBCU, etc. I identify as black/AA with ancestry from my parents’ home countries. I know plenty of folks with similar situations—born here or moved here as kids, but not descendants of slaves (at least not slaves in the US) who also identify as AA.

It really is cut and dry. Most black immigrants showed up AFTER the civil rights movement. How are you black/AA but have a whole non-black/AA parent? That makes no sense. All groups are allowed to determine who is and isn't part of their group. Funny how people who aren't AA are always telling them who is and isn't one. White people would never consider someone who is half white to be white, neither would Asians. But for some reason AAs have to take everyone. That would never fly with any other group. If your parents are from another country, you are NOT AA. This isn't difficult People just want to claim it when it's convenient.

Identity is complicated and can also change over time (e.g., identifying more with one experience/part of your ancestry, but growing to identify with another part later on—I know black/white biracial people who’ve had this experience).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child truly doesn't think about being Black in America, then she should not identify as such on her college applications.

Ridiculous. The question does not ask, "do you think about being Black in America."

The child has one black parent and accordingly would be perfectly correct to check "Black or African American" in responding to the question "please indicate how you identify yourself. (Select one or more)."

OP said her daughter does not identify or think of herself as Black. Therefore the answer is no.

If the question was ‘what do other people consider your racial identity to be?’ The answer to this is probably be Black

OP here. I did not say that. I said she did not give any thought to her race/color nor to those of of class mates. That does not translate to not identifying as Black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a white guy who was fourth or fifth generation from South Africa (Boer). When he filled out the application he clicked ‘African American’ not really understanding it was a racial identification instead of a nationality (so he claimed).

When the schools found out they were furious and threatened to put fraud alert on his records to all schools but they eventually sorted something out.

He is African American.

No he isn't. African American = descendants of Africans brought to the US as slaves.

Exactly! That example the pp mentioned is fraud. The reason slave descendants are African American is that almost all cannot identity with a pinpointed African country. Newer immigrants from Africa can check Black but they would be labeled Somali-American, Nigerian American or in the case of the fraudster South African American.

It’s not quite this cut and dry. I’m black biracial, born here to immigrant parents. I grew up in a black neighborhood, went to an HBCU, etc. I identify as black/AA with ancestry from my parents’ home countries. I know plenty of folks with similar situations—born here or moved here as kids, but not descendants of slaves (at least not slaves in the US) who also identify as AA.

Identity is complicated and can also change over time (e.g., identifying more with one experience/part of your ancestry, but growing to identify with another part later on—I know black/white biracial people who’ve had this experience).

It really is cut and dry. Most black immigrants showed up AFTER the civil rights movement. How are you black/AA but have a whole non-black/AA parent? That makes no sense. All groups are allowed to determine who is and isn't part of their group. Funny how people who aren't AA are always telling them who is and isn't one. White people would never consider someone who is half white to be white, neither would Asians. But for some reason AAs have to take everyone. That would never fly with any other group. If your parents are from another country, you are NOT AA. This isn't difficult People just want to claim it when it's convenient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have to have black friends to identify as black?

No, but it does indicate a lack of identifying as being black if all your friends are white, and your own mom has no clue whether you identify as black.

OP here. This makes no sense. You make your friends based on your racial identity not based on who you get along with and who you like? I think this is an American thing and cannot be applied across the board. My husband has mostly white friends and he is black. By this reckoning he identifies as white? This is preposterous. I genuinely think my daughter does not give her race much thought at all.

No, I don't make my friends based on racial identity and that's why I have friends of all races. I too make my friends based on who I get along with and like, and it's telling that a black/biracial person living in America (with all its diversity) only gets along with and likes white people.

OP here. How does “all her friends are white translate to “ONLY likes and gets along with”? You are putting too much stock on racial identity and that is American issue by and large. Many things go to how one comes about ones friends. It does not have to come down to an aversion to one race and an affinity for another. It could be her neighborhood, who she sat next to at school on her first day and who their friends are that eventually make up a group, who is on her sports team, and many more. It needn’t be a race thing.

As a matter of fact, coincidentally, this issue came up yesterday evening. As we were cleaning up after some dinner guests had left, I asked her how she identifies racially and whether race played a part in how she came about her group of friends. She said that was the second time she had been asked to think about race that day. The guests we had had over were an African family and apparently the son had asked her whether there were any cute black girls at her school. She told me that she never ever consciously thought of anyone’s race, not even her own. She said she had been confused for a moment after the son asked her the question because she had to stop and think who in her class was “black” because she says she never sees people in that way. She likened mine and the guest’s question to being asked who in her class wears trousers and who wears skirts and with which group she identifies. It mattered so little to her that she had to pause and think about it.
My husband also says that he never about his color and put it down to growing up on a country where colour was not ever an issue because the majority of people looked like him. As a result his color did not have a bearing on anything that happened to him or whatever choices he made. We concluded that since we both brought that background into our home, it had been inherited by our daughter. Color/race just is not an issue in our family.

She benefits from the white privilege of never having to have thought much about race. Others never had that privilege from day one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She benefits from the white privilege of never having to have thought much about race. Others never had that privilege from day one.

The Common App does not ask whether the applicant has benefitted from white privilege or any privilege of any kind. The Common App merely asks:

please indicate how you identify yourself. (Select one or more)

American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White

Which best describes your Black or African American background?

U.S. / African American
Africa
Caribbean
Other
Specify other Black or African American background ____

Which best describes your White background?

Europe
Middle East
Other ____

OP's child (if I read correctly) has a black parent and a white parent. She would be accurate to check both black and white boxes. The colleges may use this information as they wish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have to have black friends to identify as black?

No, but it does indicate a lack of identifying as being black if all your friends are white, and your own mom has no clue whether you identify as black.

OP here. This makes no sense. You make your friends based on your racial identity not based on who you get along with and who you like? I think this is an American thing and cannot be applied across the board. My husband has mostly white friends and he is black. By this reckoning he identifies as white? This is preposterous. I genuinely think my daughter does not give her race much thought at all.

No, I don't make my friends based on racial identity and that's why I have friends of all races. I too make my friends based on who I get along with and like, and it's telling that a black/biracial person living in America (with all its diversity) only gets along with and likes white people.

OP here. How does “all her friends are white translate to “ONLY likes and gets along with”? You are putting too much stock on racial identity and that is American issue by and large. Many things go to how one comes about ones friends. It does not have to come down to an aversion to one race and an affinity for another. It could be her neighborhood, who she sat next to at school on her first day and who their friends are that eventually make up a group, who is on her sports team, and many more. It needn’t be a race thing.

As a matter of fact, coincidentally, this issue came up yesterday evening. As we were cleaning up after some dinner guests had left, I asked her how she identifies racially and whether race played a part in how she came about her group of friends. She said that was the second time she had been asked to think about race that day. The guests we had had over were an African family and apparently the son had asked her whether there were any cute black girls at her school. She told me that she never ever consciously thought of anyone’s race, not even her own. She said she had been confused for a moment after the son asked her the question because she had to stop and think who in her class was “black” because she says she never sees people in that way. She likened mine and the guest’s question to being asked who in her class wears trousers and who wears skirts and with which group she identifies. It mattered so little to her that she had to pause and think about it.
My husband also says that he never about his color and put it down to growing up on a country where colour was not ever an issue because the majority of people looked like him. As a result his color did not have a bearing on anything that happened to him or whatever choices he made. We concluded that since we both brought that background into our home, it had been inherited by our daughter. Color/race just is not an issue in our family.

She benefits from the white privilege of never having to have thought much about race. Others never had that privilege from day one.

This is the OP. So a half black and half white child can benefit from white privilege in a country where she is seen as black? Right.
She came here aged 11 and she Is now 16. She does not have the ‘benefit’ of having yet absorbed the history of America but you cannot impute an American mindset into her mind when it does not exist there. It seems you are somehow blaming her for not thinking like someone who was raised here as a mixed race or black person and therefore she has not earned the ‘privilege’ of calling herself black where that label might, and only might, grant her some benefit.

Anyway, I believe I have my answer from all the helpful responses and we will act accordingly in a way that will be most beneficial to her in the application process just like everybody else-black and white and yellow and red will be doing.