Do you recommend I declare myself African? Forum

[afitouri]

Not that I've been to Africa; that I've lived in Africa.

At this point I probably will ask an admissions office. I have no intention of misleading anyone. No matter what I check, I will attach a statement. At this point most likely I will check "other," which is what I've always checked, since everyone is asking.

[afitouri]

Assuming there is an "other," option?

[Deuce]

Not that I've been to Africa; that I've lived in Africa.

Shit, so I could've listed myself as pacific islander this entire time? Here I was thinking I was white...

[bk1]

Assuming there is an "other," option?

There's almost always an "other." You also don't have to respond to the question.

[afitouri]

Not that I've been to Africa; that I've lived in Africa.

Shit, so I could've listed myself as pacific islander this entire time? Here I was thinking I was white...

Were your grandparents and great grandparents and great-great grandparents for as far back as history can show born in the Pacific Islands? If so I'd be ok with calling you a Pacific Islander.

[Deuce]

Not that I've been to Africa; that I've lived in Africa.

Shit, so I could've listed myself as pacific islander this entire time? Here I was thinking I was white...

Were your grandparents and great grandparents and great-great grandparents for as far back as history can show born in the Pacific Islands? If so I'd be ok with calling you a Pacific Islander.

Joking brah

[Helicio]

Let this thread die. OP do whatever you want. I don't care if you get an unfair 8 point advantage on your LSAT by claiming you're black because I hope it will come back to bite you in the ass later when the BAR, etc. starts to take an interest in you.

So if you want to cheat, go ahead; be aware of the risks though.

[Blessedassurance]

Can someone link to a thread about the Diversity Statement?

I already did, please scroll up.

Additionally, I did not grow up with the middle class life that most whites are privy to. I grew up paying my own way through school and living in a 2 bedroom apartment with a single parent who was often unemployed.

These are socio-economic issues not related to race. A caucasian who grew up dirt poor cannot check AA because he believes the socio-economic circumstances surrounding his up-bringing closely mimic a section of minorities. Similarly, An AA who grew up "like a middle-class white person" can not check "caucasian" because it better reflects his socio-economic circumstances. There is a diversity statement that allows you to address these issues. The box is simply asking about your race, period.

Seeing as how I am literally African (I have an African citizenship) and literally American (I have an American citizenship) and how I speak the language of my African family, and that I can diversify any school with my insights about Africa

The box is not asking about your religion or the extent of your knowledge of Africa. Again, address this shit in a diversity statement. I'm pretty sure you will end up sounding stupid even in a diversity statement when you start spouting of your knowledge of Africa as a whole based on your experiences in Libya, in addition, to having black friends. Protip: There are 54 or so different countries and numerous tribes in each country with different cultures etc. There are caucasian Peace-corps volunteers that know more about sub-saharan Africa than you do. It still doesn't allow them to check the box. They address these issues by other means (i.e. PS, DS etc).

PS: You don't have "African citizenship". You may have "Libyan citizenship" but Africa is a continent and the AU doesn't operate like the EU. It's like saying you have "Asian citizenship".

[TIKITEMBO]

For as many times as you quoted OP Blessedassurance, you'd think you'd have understood more of this entire discussion.

These are socio-economic issues not related to race. A caucasian who grew up dirt poor cannot check AA because he believes the socio-economic circumstances surrounding his up-bringing closely mimic a section of minorities. Similarly, An AA who grew up "like a middle-class white person" can not check "caucasian" because it better reflects his socio-economic circumstances. There is a diversity statement that allows you to address these issues. The box is simply asking about your race, period.

What? What are the socio-economic factors here that you're thinking are explained by checking a box "white" or "black"? This may be the silliness that people assume about races, but usually people don't say it because it sounds pretty ridiculous.

I'm pretty sure you will end up sounding stupid even in a diversity statement when you start spouting of your knowledge of Africa as a whole based on your experiences in Libya, in addition, to having black friends. Protip: There are 54 or so different countries and numerous tribes in each country with different cultures etc. There are caucasian Peace-corps volunteers that know more about sub-saharan Africa than you do. It still doesn't allow them to check the box. They address these issues by other means (i.e. PS, DS etc).

Did you look at what OP said at all? Lots of family ties to Libya, lived in Libya, visits there, etc. this is not sounding like "yeah I went once to like see Africa and shit".

Lastly:

PS: You don't have "African citizenship". You may have "Libyan citizenship" but Africa is a continent and the AU doesn't operate like the EU. It's like saying you have "Asian citizenship".

You know what OP meant and as Lybia is part of Africa as far as I know, it seems like you're being obnoxious on purpose.

Edited because I was tired when I wrote this and shouldn't have been so sarcastic. Apologies if you read original form

[lawgod]

It's been stated before, but don't try and pull the AA card on this to try and get URM status. It should be beneath you.

This reminds me a lot at looking at legislative intent within the law, something that all good little 1L students will learn about: look at the intent of the law (or in this case policy) when it was enacted and try and find out what it's aim was. Granting URM's an easier ticket to law school (numbers wise) was aimed at diversifying the school and giving those without equal means a chance to law school. So, if you're white, you lived a middle-class white life, you were born in America, you had the same access to law school advice/programs/etc. that every other white kid did, put that you're white.

You're just going to piss people off attempting to get a leg up where you don't deserve one.

Would you say the the same thing to a real AA whose ancestors were brought as slaves, and whose parents grew up in the segregated South, but who personally grew up middle class and had the same access etc.?

(Mods, if this is ban-able, just delete it. I'm not a good enough law student to figure out your rules.)

[Verity]

This is for the black!

[vanwinkle]

(Mods, if this is ban-able, just delete it. I'm not a good enough law student to figure out your rules.)

Just as an FYI: If you did post something bannable, I might have deleted it, but you still would've been banned.

[Blessedassurance]

What? What are the socio-economic factors here that you're thinking are explained by checking a box "white" or "black"? This may be the silliness that people assume about races, but usually people don't say it because it sounds pretty ridiculous

I don't think you understand what I'm saying. I'm saying socio-economic issues have nothing to do with the box, which is what OP keeps trying to hint at saying he grew up poor etc.

Did you look at what OP said at all? Lots of family ties to Libya, lived in Libya, visits there, etc. this is not sounding like "yeah I went once to like see Africa and shit".

There is a very good reason the adcomms exclude North-African countries from the definition of African-American/Black. If you want to get cute with technicalities, a white South-African born in America could check the box and claim South Africa is in subsaharan Africa (which it is) etc. This discussion could go on forever but the box says African-American/Black, the black is attached to account for people who are black but do not fit the accepted definition of African-American i.e. People from the Caribbean, Black Africans (including black Libyans) etc. In fact there are two categories to account for Hispanics who are black.

The whole irony of OP's post is the ridiculous amount of discrimination against blacks in Libya. If OP believes he doesn't fit the options given, he is free to check "other" and explain that "he has ties to Libya, has lived there and has black friends" to explain his choice.

See:

http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nlnet/ ... ct=8411733

You know what OP meant and as Lybia is part of Africa as far as I know, it seems like you're being obnoxious on purpose

With the amount of outrageous comments he's made thus far, I'm not sure we can assume what he means anymore. He has claimed in the past he's simply an AA with light-skin.

I'm pretty sure he didn't check AA/Black on his census forms.

[dadamafia]

"light-skinned"? Is it that hard to admit you're a white Libyan?

[Blessedassurance]

"light-skinned"? Is it that hard to admit you're a white Libyan?

Wise words, GGMU!

- From one fan to another.

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

Libyan = African.

You = Libyan.

Anyone else seeing the conclusion here?.......

YOU ARE AFRICAN! Don't stress about the app my friend

[bk1]

Libyan = African.
You = Libyan.
Anyone else seeing the conclusion here?.......
YOU ARE AFRICAN! Don't stress about the app my friend

I'm sure this is the first time this has been said in 7 pages or so and was totally worth necroing this post for...

[Verity]

Libyan = African.

You = Libyan.

Anyone else seeing the conclusion here?.......

YOU ARE AFRICAN! Don't stress about the app my friend

You = Libyan

Sybian = Afrikaans

Africans = Black

Black = Accepted!


YOU ARE ACCEPTED!!!!

[vanwinkle]

Libyan = African.

You = Libyan.

Anyone else seeing the conclusion here?.......

YOU ARE AFRICAN! Don't stress about the app my friend

Einstein was right. The stupid really is infinite.

[rgndvo]

Please note that I say the below * drum-roll please* as a URM.

For all of those who would invoke the US Census, it should be known that the 2010 Census was changed to respond to the ridiculous attempt by the 2010 Census to characterize of Arabs and North Africans as "White." Given the 2010 change, any USG definitions of "North African" or "Middle Eastern" as Caucasian are obsolete.

Nobody is pure anything these days. I don't personally know OP, but I imagine that many north Africans would -- culturally and racially -- be better described as "African American" than White or Arab (Take Egypt, an Arab-majority country, which has significant Nubian and Coptic minorities, who are loathe to identify as "Arab").

Whether or not this is fraudulent depends on whether OP genuinely believes AA is the best personal description of his or her race. However, I don't think it is inherently fraudulent for a libyan (who presumably has had African ancestors for hundreds of thousands of years) to identify as AA rather than white/caucasian. In my estimation, it would be inherently fraudulent for a White South African to identify as AA, because his race or ancestry is European (not to mention the fact that there is a great cultural cleavage between White and Black Africans).

In any case, it's ridiculous to compare a North African claiming minority status with a white guy doing the same. Do Libyans really enjoy "White Privilege?"

EDIT: Let me add that if the OP identifies as "white" (as he seems to do throughout the thread) then it would be unquestionably deceitful for him to identify as AA.

[vanwinkle]

In any case, it's ridiculous to compare a North African claiming minority status with a white guy doing the same. Do Libyans really enjoy "White Privilege?"

WTF?

The race question on law school apps isn't asking what privilege you have. It's asking what race you are. If you're a white guy from Libya, then it doesn't matter whether you've actually enjoyed any privilege from it or not, you're still white. Being underprivileged does not make you black, and it's absurd how many times that's needed to be said in this thread.

[Verity]

In any case, it's ridiculous to compare a North African claiming minority status with a white guy doing the same. Do Libyans really enjoy "White Privilege?"

WTF?

The race question on law school apps isn't asking what privilege you have. It's asking what race you are. If you're a white guy from Libya, then it doesn't matter whether you've actually enjoyed any privilege from it or not, you're still white. Being underprivileged does not make you black, and it's absurd how many times that's needed to be said in this thread.

black = underprivileged

underprivileged =/= black

or something like that

[20121109]

In any case, it's ridiculous to compare a North African claiming minority status with a white guy doing the same. Do Libyans really enjoy "White Privilege?"

WTF?

The race question on law school apps isn't asking what privilege you have. It's asking what race you are. If you're a white guy from Libya, then it doesn't matter whether you've actually enjoyed any privilege from it or not, you're still white. Being underprivileged does not make you black, and it's absurd how many times that's needed to be said in this thread.

black = underprivileged

underprivileged =/= black

or something like that

dude, you suck at trolling.

[Verity]

In any case, it's ridiculous to compare a North African claiming minority status with a white guy doing the same. Do Libyans really enjoy "White Privilege?"

WTF?

The race question on law school apps isn't asking what privilege you have. It's asking what race you are. If you're a white guy from Libya, then it doesn't matter whether you've actually enjoyed any privilege from it or not, you're still white. Being underprivileged does not make you black, and it's absurd how many times that's needed to be said in this thread.

black = underprivileged

underprivileged =/= black

or something like that

dude, you suck at trolling.

fits the thread

[afitouri]

I've already decided I'm going to put other.

Sure, I identify more with AA than with Caucasian. I'm absolutely not Caucasian. But I'm technically not black either. I am a literal African American.

I've already made my conclusions.