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Okay so I plan on applying next cycle and I take my LSATs in October. In order to get my apps out immediately when I get my score back, I'm deciding to start my statement now, in addition to study for the LSAT. So here's my idea basically:

-I am Cuban, American Indian and Italian
-Grew up in NYC and affiliated myself with alot of different races (moved a few times into different neighborhoods in lower manhattan, went to school in chinatown, etc.)

-I want to emphasize what I learned from each culture and how they molded me into who I am now (work ethic from chinese culture, my willingness to stand up for what I believe in from african-americans, etc.)

The question is how can I do this without sounding stereotypical and maybe racist?

LOL @

(work ethic from chinese culture, my willingness to stand up for what I believe in from african-americans, etc.)

However racist it might sound, it is probably also grounded in some reality. Generalizations may be poisonous to the exceptions, but the exceptions don't discredit the trends of the majority (sucks if you're the exception though). If you describe specifically how different communities helped you evolve (as in what events took place, what did you see or emulate, etc.) without explicitly attributing each to some concrete stereotype, you might be able to sell that diversity angle ON TOP OF your own familial and ethnic background, I'm sure. Whether or not that's a solid focus for your PS on its own is debatable.

It doesn't sound stereotypical or racists at all (IMHO). You have a set of "unique" experiences. Just highlight your takeaways. I'd err on the side of personal experience rather than attributing it to a race though. Focus on the culture of the situation

That being said, I'm not sure (based on what you've said so far) that I'd like this PS. However, my advice is to just start writing and see what comes out. Many many people here have written (and revised) Personal statements that they ultimately tossed out. It's just part of the process

I actually was gunna conclude this PS as how I want to become a lawyer to give back to the city and communities who shaped me into who I am.... something along those lines, would that be a little more in focus? Because I wanted to show my diversity as a non-traditional applicant as well as show the qualities I possess from it. I thought this was the best way I could do it.

Cliched and trite

No offense...

My opinion is, anytime you involve "why I want to be a lawyer" you better be crafty and artful otherwise, if I were an adcom, i'd just glance over it.

SupraVln180 wrote:I actually was gunna conclude this PS as how I want to become a lawyer to give back to the city and communities who shaped me into who I am.... .

We/They all sorta want to...

Instead of saying you learned work ethic from the Chinese, maybe you could pick a person or event that illustrates that and say what you learned from it. That way you don't explicitly state a stereotype(true or not) but still tell the adcom what you learned and how that is part of you. Let them make the leap of stereotyping if they want to, you don't have to in order to make your point.