Not sure what to check off... Need guidance. Forum

[Kimi]

I feel like I should start this off by saying that I am proud of my heritage and what I check on a box isn't going to change that.

That said, I'd like some guidance for what to check off on my application. My mother's side of the family is Algonquin. I have sufficient BQ for tribal enrollement, and I have been culturally involved with my tribe throughout the years and I am extremely proud of my heritage. However there is some paperwork missing and we have never pursued enrollement for a few different reasons. Additionally, although my mother looks Native, and several of my siblings do, I inherited my dad's coloring, so I do not look particularly Native.

My dad's side of the family is South African and Zimbabwean. I speak some Afrikaans and a very little bit of Shona. My African heritage is important to me, and my family on his side considers themselves African. Much of my family has been there since the 1700s. However, we are White South African.

This leaves me confused on my applications. (Didn't go to an American school for Undergrad, was in the UK, so I've not had to go through this process before). I want to identify myself in the way that I identify myself in "real life", which is both African and Native American. However, I'm worried that I'll run into problems with C&F because I don't have tribal affiliation, and I don't feel like I can check "African-American" because although I am African American in one sense, I am not black.

Any suggestions? Should I just check off "white/caucasian"? "Other"? Not answer at all?

Thanks in advance.

[cinephile]

White/NA both sound appropriate.

[kurla88]

White/NA both sound appropriate.

This. And definitely write a good diversity statement.