URM Status? Forum

[Curry]

Couple questions:

1) All my life I've considered myself to be of Indian descent but after speaking with a professor at school, am slightly confused. He claimed that because both of my parents were born in Africa (Mom in Kenya, Dad in Uganda) I am technically African American. Is this true? Should I call LSAT/ The Bar to find out?

2) I have a friend who is white but his step mother is from Guatemala. He claims to have been brought up in a South American household - very cultural, own a mexican restaurant, speak fluent spanish etc. Can he call himself Guatemalan?

Thanks!

[billyez]

The most persistent argument I've heard being echoed in similar situation is that you put down on your application what you identify yourself as. Do you consider yourself to be an African-American? Do you identify with what that status entails? That's the litmus test that comes to mind. It's the same way with your friend. Does he consider himself to be Guatemalan? In his case, a diversity statement might be in order either way - and in your case as well, since you seems you folks might have interesting stories.

Don't...call LSAC/The Bar to find out. They don't perform racial measurements.

[d34d9823]

Here's what you do:

1. Check all applicable race boxes on your apps
2. Write a DS detailing your life and diversity
3. Let the school sort out how they want to classify you.
The End

[Curry]

I have never really considered myself African American. I've only joked about it to others. I don't know if this will come back and haunt me later on if I check African American having never done it before.

[mpasi]

Lying on an app is never good. Race and nationality are two different things. You're not black, and you know it. The school will know it when they see you, and you could get kicked out for lying. As for your friend, he's white. If he says otherwise on his apps, he's lying.

[billyez]

I have never really considered myself African American.

Then you're not. /thread

[merichard87]

Lying on an app is never good. Race and nationality are two different things. You're not black, and you know it. The school will know it when they see you, and you could get kicked out for lying. As for your friend, he's white. If he says otherwise on his apps, he's lying.

This pretty much sums it up. They are not talking about what kind of citizenship you can string together. They are referring to your race and how situations in America have affected that race's presence in higher education. You are not African American and your friend is not Latino. Your friend could write a nice DS though.

[Curry]

That's what I figured. I was leaning towards not checking the URM box unless I had overwhelming evidence as to why it would be correct. This just reaffirmed my opinion. Thanks!