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Hello everyone!

I was born and raised in America. My mother, also born in America, is ethnically Yemeni. My father immigrated to America and is half Sudanese and half Yemeni. Hence, I consider myself to be a Yemeni/Sudanese/American. I called the LSAC to find out exactly what my ethnicity status should be reported as and they told me to put whatever I 'considered or identified' myself as.

Two questions;

1-I know that Sudanese are considered African and I consider myself Sudanese, but does that make me African-American?

2-Also, skin color wise, my father is considered black. However, I am light skinned like my mother. Is being 'black' solely based on skin color?


Any advice, clarifications, suggestions and/or opinions will be greatly appreciated.

ns0291 wrote:Hello everyone!

I was born and raised in America. My mother, also born in America, is ethnically Yemeni. My father immigrated to America and is half Sudanese and half Yemeni. Hence, I consider myself to be a Yemeni/Sudanese/American. I called the LSAC to find out exactly what my ethnicity status should be reported as and they told me to put whatever I 'considered or identified' myself as.

Two questions;

1-I know that Sudanese are considered African and I consider myself Sudanese, but does that make me African-American?

2-Also, skin color wise, my father is considered black. However, I am light skinned like my mother. Is being 'black' solely based on skin color?


Any advice, clarifications, suggestions and/or opinions will be greatly appreciated.

The bolded tells me that you probably don't have a deep connection with the African-American community.

Yemeni and Sudanese? Check that box!

If you father is part black sudanese and not Arab sudanese, I imagine you put black and white(north african/ arab).

What really matters is that you write a diversity statement.

merichard87 wrote:

ns0291 wrote:Hello everyone!

I was born and raised in America. My mother, also born in America, is ethnically Yemeni. My father immigrated to America and is half Sudanese and half Yemeni. Hence, I consider myself to be a Yemeni/Sudanese/American. I called the LSAC to find out exactly what my ethnicity status should be reported as and they told me to put whatever I 'considered or identified' myself as.

Two questions;

1-I know that Sudanese are considered African and I consider myself Sudanese, but does that make me African-American?

2-Also, skin color wise, my father is considered black. However, I am light skinned like my mother. Is being 'black' solely based on skin color?


Any advice, clarifications, suggestions and/or opinions will be greatly appreciated.

The bolded tells me that you probably don't have a deep connection with the African-American community.

Fortunately for OP, that has nothing to do with anything! Sudan is in Africa - QED hit up that strict constructionism and

stratocophic wrote:

merichard87 wrote:

ns0291 wrote:Hello everyone!

I was born and raised in America. My mother, also born in America, is ethnically Yemeni. My father immigrated to America and is half Sudanese and half Yemeni. Hence, I consider myself to be a Yemeni/Sudanese/American. I called the LSAC to find out exactly what my ethnicity status should be reported as and they told me to put whatever I 'considered or identified' myself as.

Two questions;

1-I know that Sudanese are considered African and I consider myself Sudanese, but does that make me African-American?

2-Also, skin color wise, my father is considered black. However, I am light skinned like my mother. Is being 'black' solely based on skin color?


Any advice, clarifications, suggestions and/or opinions will be greatly appreciated.

The bolded tells me that you probably don't have a deep connection with the African-American community.

Fortunately for OP, that has nothing to do with anything! Sudan is in Africa - QED hit up that strict constructionism and

Box Checkers for the WIN! But yes OP if your father is Arab Sudanese I believe you're just white but if he's "black" sudanese check black and white and write a diversity statement.

Pretty sure the box says 'African-American', not 'black'. Can you imagine any admissions office today saying to a prospective student, "Oh, Sudan... Wait a second-north or south? SOUTH?! Gotcha!" Don't think so.

sundance95 wrote:Pretty sure the box says 'African-American', not 'black'. Can you imagine any admissions office today saying to a prospective student, "Oh, Sudan... Wait a second-north or south? SOUTH?! Gotcha!" Don't think so.

Thanks for your opinion. But this is the same argument as "Are white South Africans in America considered African-American?", depends on your perspective. I gave mine.

How is this ever a debate? Hasn't everyone who grew up in the US been checking boxes all their life?

merichard87 wrote:

sundance95 wrote:Pretty sure the box says 'African-American', not 'black'. Can you imagine any admissions office today saying to a prospective student, "Oh, Sudan... Wait a second-north or south? SOUTH?! Gotcha!" Don't think so.

Thanks for your opinion. But this is the same argument as "Are white South Africans in America considered African-American?", depends on your perspective. I gave mine.

I'm intrigued...

Check the damn box, trust me.

sundance95 wrote:Pretty sure the box says 'African-American', not 'black'. Can you imagine any admissions office today saying to a prospective student, "Oh, Sudan... Wait a second-north or south? SOUTH?! Gotcha!" Don't think so.

I'm pretty sure a lot of applications make the distinction black of African origin or white Arab/ north African, well at least I remember seeing it. I'm sure the ad folk are familiar with the different places in the world and would like to hear about ones perticular experinces in a DS.

You will add a lot of diversity to any class. So tell them about it. Mark whatever you want. Dont make it difficult.

DieAntwoord wrote:

sundance95 wrote:Pretty sure the box says 'African-American', not 'black'. Can you imagine any admissions office today saying to a prospective student, "Oh, Sudan... Wait a second-north or south? SOUTH?! Gotcha!" Don't think so.

I'm pretty sure a lot of applications make the distinction black of African origin or white Arab/ north African, well at least I remember seeing it. I'm sure the ad folk are familiar with the different places in the world and would like to hear about ones perticular experinces in a DS.

OP said his father is black Sudanese, so ultimately this discussion is academic.

What box have you been checking in your life up until now?

romothesavior wrote:Check the damn box, trust me.

This.