URM AA Forum

[Trifles]

so "he" is apparently a well-traveled white dude with ancestors that had an advantageous position within the apartheid system.

Though if he grew up in South Africa after apartheid ended, then he was very likely discriminated against because of the color of his skin under Jacob Zuma.

The applications almost always ask what you self-identify as, and if that is what he identifies then he should check the box, instead of being white guilted into lying.

[prezidentv8]

so "he" is apparently a well-traveled white dude with ancestors that had an advantageous position within the apartheid system.

Though if he grew up in South Africa after apartheid ended, then he was very likely discriminated against because of the color of his skin under Jacob Zuma.

The applications almost always ask what you self-identify as, and if that is what he identifies then he should check the box, instead of being white guilted into lying.

I vote decline to state.

[Trifles]

Maybe write his diversity statement about growing up in South Africa, that way there would be no surprises about his race when he shows up, and the school could still use him to boost their reported diversity if they wanted to.

[Iuvo]

If it says African American, yes. Why the hell not...

[newyorker88]

I'm posting this one for a friend...He is originally from South Africa. He is not black but is technically African American.

No he is not. African American is a term given to blacks in the united states who are decendants of slaves brought over here during the middle passage NOT immigrants from africa.

So Obama's not African American?

What about Asian Americans? When did they need to be here by to count? Or Irish Americans?

Obama is, because he's black.

Being black does NOT make you African American. African American refers to a specific group of black people, black descendants of slaves in the united states. a black british person would NOT be african american. are people seriously this ignorant.

[awesomepossum]

the census people use this definition. It's not quite the same because they use both black and African American.

The term “Black or African American”
refers to people having origins in any of
the Black race groups of Africa.

However, the other definition I found for minority said simply that you had to have African origins, be black and be a US citizen. It says nothing about your ancestors being brought over as slaves. Recent immigrants can be African American.

African-American - A U.S. citizen having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.

Therefore if you were a black person with African origins who was British who then moved to the US and became a citizen, you would be African American.

I don't think we're looking for something that's like the 'essence' of being African American or anything like that. I think we're just looking for a plausible... dare we say it "legal" definition.

[APimpNamedSlickback]

i 100% grant that if you want to read the term "african-american" in a dubious and pretty expansive way, then yeah an afrikaaner could in fact probably qualify as such. however, if the box simply says "black," that wouldn't be the case. i'm fairly sure that i've heard people say that the race listed on one's birth certificate is relevant here.

moreover, you've got to realize that if a white person straight up just applied as a black person without providing any sort of explanation or qualification, the risks could be really serious. if one school finds out the truth somehow, you could end up dinged at every school you apply to. moreover, if word gets around at whatever school you end up at, you could end up a total pariah.

[Pankun]

Though if he grew up in South Africa after apartheid ended, then he was very likely discriminated against because of the color of his skin under Jacob Zuma.

Jacob Zuma may be an unsavory character, but I don't think you can say that white people suddenly felt discrimination under his tenure. It's as ridiculus as Kanye West's statement about Bush.