Pacific Islanders an URM? Forum

[OmbreGracieuse]

Are Pacific Islanders considered an URM? Do you have to currently live there, or just be born there?

Anyone else a Pacific Islander? Did it help your application process, do you think?

[holybartender]

No, you're not a URM.

[chitown825]

I am from Philipines (born there). I didn't mark myself as URM. None of my Filipino friends did either; Asians don't seem to be underrepresented in grad schools

[Me-a Culpa]

I am from Philipines (born there). I didn't mark myself as URM. None of my Filipino friends did either; Asians don't seem to be underrepresented in grad schools

This categorization has always confused me...Filipinos are not under represented, crazy. Clearly, I do not understand the rationale...

[im_blue]

I am from Philipines (born there). I didn't mark myself as URM. None of my Filipino friends did either; Asians don't seem to be underrepresented in grad schools

Pacific Islanders are Polynesian, Micronesian, or Melanesian, e.g. Hawaiian, Samoan, Fijian. Filipinos are not Pacific Islanders.

In any case, Pacific Islanders are not URMs.

[Me-a Culpa]

Interesting yet correct... do Indians consider themselves Asians?

[letsthrowfries]

I am from Philipines (born there). I didn't mark myself as URM. None of my Filipino friends did either; Asians don't seem to be underrepresented in grad schools

Pacific Islanders are Polynesian, Micronesian, or Melanesian, e.g. Hawaiian, Samoan, Fijian. Filipinos are not Pacific Islanders.

In any case, Pacific Islanders are not URMs.

Hmm. Historically, the native Filipino people have austronesian/malayo-polynesian roots; evident by the language and physical features of people like the Aeta- think australian aborignes. Later, the Philippines were colonized by Spain and given a name after the reigning Monarch Philip II. This colonization came with the requisite miscegenation of SPANISH and ABOROGINAL blood, heh HISPANIC. The Philippine islands remained in Spanish control for a few hundred years with influxes of Chinese and other "asian" races until the US won them, then japan took them over, then the US won them and set them free. All of this cultural influence, again, is evident in the range of facial features of filipinos, the language, the culture, and food of the country.

As a filipino american, I think that filipinos share a heritage closer to that of the latin americans than to other asian americans- but I can't really argue URM status so it's all pointless anyway.

[MURPH]

Are Pacific Islanders considered an URM? Do you have to currently live there, or just be born there?

Anyone else a Pacific Islander? Did it help your application process, do you think?

URMS are American Indians, some Latinos and African Americans. As I mentioned in a previous thread Hawaiians have or soon will have a legit lawful claim to be Native Americans (assuming passage of the Akaka Bill, which has majority support and Obama's pledge to sign). American Samoans, Chamorros and other US Pacific Islanders may or may not be able to ride out the change in legal status. Who knows? The Akaka Bill was written over ten years ago and has never been openly debated by its supporters, it's legal ramifications are unknown and the potential for it to get tossed by the Supreme Court have to be at least 50-50, IMO. It is a mess.
Certainly if you are haole (white) and born on Gaum or another island you get no URM status. Even if you are Chinese or Indian I would assume that you get none. The adcoms probably have no way of distinguishing between a French/Chinese Tahitian and a tahitian Tahitian and no one cares. The whole point is to boost URM status for the groups taht have a significant enough population in the US that the adcoms care what they think.
Long story short- if you are Hawaiian then you can probably check URM status now, If the Akaka Bill passes then definitely. If you are another Pacific Islander type then you'll get a boost at UH and probably nowhere else.