Am I a URM???/Is___ race/circumstance considered URM?? Forum

[Bildungsroman]

After reading all the posts on this thread, I've come to question my own URM status...
My mother was born and raised in Uganda.

Is she black? If so, congratulations: you're a URM (under-represented minority). Was she a white or asian person born and raised in Uganda? If so, come on now. Asians and white people aren't URMs.

I assume that you have, like everyone else, been filling out demographic questionnaires your entire life. What have you been answering when asked for your race/ethnicity?

[vk732]

After reading all the posts on this thread, I've come to question my own URM status...
My mother was born and raised in Uganda.

Is she black? If so, congratulations: you're a URM (under-represented minority). Was she a white or asian person born and raised in Uganda? If so, come on now. Asians and white people aren't URMs.

I assume that you have, like everyone else, been filling out demographic questionnaires your entire life. What have you been answering when asked for your race/ethnicity?

On the few forms where I had to fill out such info, I always selected both African American and Asian/Non-Pacific.

[Moomoo2u]

After reading all the posts on this thread, I've come to question my own URM status...
My mother was born and raised in Uganda.

Is she black? If so, congratulations: you're a URM (under-represented minority). Was she a white or asian person born and raised in Uganda? If so, come on now. Asians and white people aren't URMs.

I assume that you have, like everyone else, been filling out demographic questionnaires your entire life. What have you been answering when asked for your race/ethnicity?

On the few forms where I had to fill out such info, I always selected both African American and Asian/Non-Pacific.

look 2 posts above.

[ProBoyMagic]

dad is from iran (obv doesn't count as URM) and my mom's parents are from mexico but she was born in U.S. since high school i've been putting hispanic/mexican on all of my papers / tests, etc so just to make sure am i still considered URM?

[bk1]

dad is from iran (obv doesn't count as URM) and my mom's parents are from mexico but she was born in U.S. since high school i've been putting hispanic/mexican on all of my papers / tests, etc so just to make sure am i still considered URM?

You are Mexican (specifically Mexican-American like your mother and Iranian-American but that is tangential) thus you are URM.

[Bildungsroman]

dad is from iran (obv doesn't count as URM) and my mom's parents are from mexico but she was born in U.S. since high school i've been putting hispanic/mexican on all of my papers / tests, etc so just to make sure am i still considered URM?

As long as "mom's parents are from Mexico" means "Mom's parents are Mexicans" then you're still URM.

[SarahKerrigan]

dad is from iran (obv doesn't count as URM) and my mom's parents are from mexico but she was born in U.S. since high school i've been putting hispanic/mexican on all of my papers / tests, etc so just to make sure am i still considered URM?

As long as "mom's parents are from Mexico" means "Mom's parents are Mexicans" then you're still URM.

What if one of your mom's parents are from mexico?

[bk1]

dad is from iran (obv doesn't count as URM) and my mom's parents are from mexico but she was born in U.S. since high school i've been putting hispanic/mexican on all of my papers / tests, etc so just to make sure am i still considered URM?

As long as "mom's parents are from Mexico" means "Mom's parents are Mexicans" then you're still URM.

What if one of your mom's parents are from mexico?

Your question doesn't make sense in response to Bils' post so I'm assuming you mean "What if only one of your mom's parents is Mexican?" and in that case you are 1/4 Mexican (assuming no other Mexican heritage) and still a URM.

[SarahKerrigan]

dad is from iran (obv doesn't count as URM) and my mom's parents are from mexico but she was born in U.S. since high school i've been putting hispanic/mexican on all of my papers / tests, etc so just to make sure am i still considered URM?

As long as "mom's parents are from Mexico" means "Mom's parents are Mexicans" then you're still URM.

What if one of your mom's parents are from mexico?

Your question doesn't make sense in response to Bils' post so I'm assuming you mean "What if only one of your mom's parents is Mexican?" and in that case you are 1/4 Mexican (assuming no other Mexican heritage) and still a URM.

Well my moms mom is full mexican, and my moms dad is white. Then my dads dad is 1/2 spaniard, 1/2 mexican, and my dads mom is full italian. Currently on lsac i have chicano/mexican checked, and other Hispanic/Latino checked. should i also check european, or other caucasian/white? Oh and would this still count as URM? thanks!

[kapachino]

I'm 1/4 Mexican.

Enjoy your URM boost.

[SarahKerrigan]

I'm 1/4 Mexican.

Enjoy your URM boost.

^_^ thanks!

[bk1]

Well my moms mom is full mexican, and my moms dad is white. Then my dads dad is 1/2 spaniard, 1/2 mexican, and my dads mom is full italian. Currently on lsac i have chicano/mexican checked, and other Hispanic/Latino checked. should i also check european, or other caucasian/white? Oh and would this still count as URM? thanks!

Check everything you are. The boost will be the same URM boost since you are at least part Mexican.

[SB2011]

I have no doubt as to whether I am an URM, although I am quite skeptical about the "boost" since being an URM has never made a difference or worked to my advantage in the past. Nonetheless, I am sure it is worth a shot. With that being said, I am curious as to whether I should present myself as African American or African. My father is Ghanaian, and my mother is African America. With this information in mind, a couple of individuals have advised me to highlight my Ghanaian side. Does it really matter or make a difference depending on which I chose to identify as?

[vanwinkle]

I have no doubt as to whether I am an URM, although I am quite skeptical about the "boost" since being an URM has never made a difference or worked to my advantage in the past. Nonetheless, I am sure it is worth a shot. With that being said, I am curious as to whether I should present myself as African American or African. My father is Ghanaian, and my mother is African America. With this information in mind, a couple of individuals have advised me to highlight my Ghanaian side. Does it really matter or make a difference depending on which I chose to identify as?

Is your father black? Is your mother black?

[SB2011]

I have no doubt as to whether I am an URM, although I am quite skeptical about the "boost" since being an URM has never made a difference or worked to my advantage in the past. Nonetheless, I am sure it is worth a shot. With that being said, I am curious as to whether I should present myself as African American or African. My father is Ghanaian, and my mother is African America. With this information in mind, a couple of individuals have advised me to highlight my Ghanaian side. Does it really matter or make a difference depending on which I chose to identify as?

Is your father black? Is your mother black?

Both my parents are Black. Therefore, I know I am an URM, but with the advice I have received I am confused as to whether there is any consideration differences between being African v. African American. I would think they were equivalent, but I could be wrong.

[bk1]

Both my parents are Black. Therefore, I know I am an URM, but with the advice I have received I am confused as to whether there is any consideration differences between being African v. African American. I would think they were equivalent, but I could be wrong.

I am fairly sure the boost is the same. That being said, IIRC, the race/ethnicity questionnaire makes no difference between A and AA. The only opportunity you would have to present yourself as one or the other is in your PS or your DS and I would say that there you should just present yourself as you are rather than try to be specifically one or the other just because you think it will give you a larger boost.

[vanwinkle]

Both my parents are Black. Therefore, I know I am an URM, but with the advice I have received I am confused as to whether there is any consideration differences between being African v. African American. I would think they were equivalent, but I could be wrong.

This is from the U.S. Census Bureau:

Definition of Race Categories Used in the 2010 Census

“Black or African American” refers to a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicated their race(s) as “Black, African Am., or Negro” or reported entries such as African American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian.

Source: http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/brie ... 0br-02.pdf

Typically, law school applications ask if you are "Black or African-American", and with regard to URM status, they're regarded as the same. You can answer "yes" to this.

If by "highlighting" something you're referring to content for a Diversity Statement, you should focus on whatever in your family's background relates to your life and experiences that makes you unique or "diverse".

[drobe24]

I am 1/4 Japanese

I look completely white. I even have blue eyes and blonde hair.

But my grandmother actually is Japanese and I even identify with some Asian traditions (on Christmas g'ma cooks sukiyaki instead of turkey).

I'm pretty sure that being Japanese doesn't give any kind of boost in admissions, but should I put it on my applications?
I checked Asian and White on the LSAT.

I don't want to put Asian on an application and then show up to an interview (Northwestern) and it be a white boy sitting in front of them lol.
Could be kind of awkward.

[bk1]

I am 1/4 Japanese

I look completely white. I even have blue eyes and blonde hair.

But my grandmother actually is Japanese and I even identify with some Asian traditions (on Christmas g'ma cooks sukiyaki instead of turkey).

I'm pretty sure that being Japanese doesn't give any kind of boost in admissions, but should I put it on my applications?
I checked Asian and White on the LSAT.

I don't want to put Asian on an application and then show up to an interview (Northwestern) and it be a white boy sitting in front of them lol.
Could be kind of awkward.

You won't get any boost out of it but you should identify however you feel like identifying. If you consider yourself white and Asian then check both boxes.

Your application is going to be reviewed the same whether you check just white, just Asian, or both.

[oxeatheman]

deleted

[subtle]

White Argentine? I look like a typical WASP. I'm pretty sure I don't count, any thoughts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Argentine

Do you identify as Argentinean? Yes? Then you're other Hispanic.

[bk1]

White Argentine? I look like a typical WASP. I'm pretty sure I don't count, any thoughts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Argentine

Do you identify as Argentinean? Yes? Then you're other Hispanic.

And to add: as an Argentinean you are not a URM.

[Bildungsroman]

White Argentine? I look like a typical WASP. I'm pretty sure I don't count, any thoughts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Argentine

Do you identify as Argentinean? Yes? Then you're other Hispanic.

And to add: as an Argentinean you are not a URM.

I have never seen conclusive evidence that all schools (1) differentiate between M/PR and other Hispanic, and (2) don't give the same boost to other Hispanics as they do to M/PR.

[bk1]

I have never seen conclusive evidence that all schools (1) differentiate between M/PR and other Hispanic, and (2) don't give the same boost to other Hispanics as they do to M/PR.

A cursory glance at the other Hispanic boost thread tells me that it isn't as large.

That being said, I'm open to the idea that Hispanic as a whole = same URM but it seems to point the other way at the moment and I think the entrenched position is that M/PR > other Hispanic.

[Bildungsroman]

I have never seen conclusive evidence that all schools (1) differentiate between M/PR and other Hispanic, and (2) don't give the same boost to other Hispanics as they do to M/PR.

A cursory glance at the other Hispanic boost thread tells me that it isn't as large.

That being said, I'm open to the idea that Hispanic as a whole = same URM but it seems to point the other way at the moment and I think the entrenched position is that M/PR > other Hispanic.

Plenty of applications don't even ask you to distinguish between different types of Hispanic, though. Looking at my submitted apps from last year I see that Michigan and NYU don't give you the option to specify what type of Hispanic you are. Some schools may differentiate between different categories of Hispanics (and I think there's good evidence that some schools give comparable boosts to Cubans when they do specify), but there are definitely schools where I see no evidence they distinguish between different Hispanic groups.