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Pros and cons of releasing ethnicity to law schools when you're a typical Caucasian male?

With affirmative actions programs, it seems that being white can only be a disadvantage, so I'm inclined to withhold that information.

From other postings I've seen, the consensus seems to be that adcoms assume you're white when you refuse to disclose. You won't get a admissions bump by hoping to deceive or confuse them by omitting that info.

whitespider wrote:From other postings I've seen, the consensus seems to be that adcoms assume you're white when you refuse to disclose. You won't get a admissions bump by hoping to deceive or confuse them by omitting that info.

Sounds about right. They may even interpret it as you trying to mislead them or not being fully honest.

I think this is one of those things where it doesn't matter in the slightest.

If you're white, you won't get a URM boost.
If you don't disclose your race, you won't get a URM boost.

If you don't want to disclose, feel free not to though. There's nothing deceptive about checking "choose not to reply" or whatever. That's perfectly true: you are choosing not to reply. Deceptive would be trying to weasel your way into another racial category. Like, saying you're African-American because your (white) mother was born in South Africa. Knew a guy who tried that all the time.

TheSpanishMain wrote:I think this is one of those things where it doesn't matter in the slightest.

If you're white, you won't get a URM boost.
If you don't disclose your race, you won't get a URM boost.

If you don't want to disclose, feel free not to though. There's nothing deceptive about checking "choose not to reply" or whatever. That's perfectly true: you are choosing not to reply. Deceptive would be trying to weasel your way into another racial category. Like, saying you're African-American because your (white) mother was born in South Africa. Knew a guy who tried that all the time.

i knew a guy who was a sephardic jew with distant distant north african ancestry
he checked the african-american box

wish i could see a video of his c&f

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Cradle6 wrote:

Brut wrote:

TheSpanishMain wrote:I think this is one of those things where it doesn't matter in the slightest.

If you're white, you won't get a URM boost.
If you don't disclose your race, you won't get a URM boost.

If you don't want to disclose, feel free not to though. There's nothing deceptive about checking "choose not to reply" or whatever. That's perfectly true: you are choosing not to reply. Deceptive would be trying to weasel your way into another racial category. Like, saying you're African-American because your (white) mother was born in South Africa. Knew a guy who tried that all the time.

i knew a guy who was a sephardic jew with distant distant north african ancestry
he checked the african-american box

He's technically African heritage, and he's American.

Is it that North African isn't Africa to law schools?

African American doesn't mean from Africa

It's a politically correct way to ask people if they are black

Definition: "Any person having origins in one of the black racial groups of Africa"

If you're from Libya or Morocco and you're just some dude w Mediterranean features then guess what you're white

TheSpanishMain wrote:I think this is one of those things where it doesn't matter in the slightest.

If you're white, you won't get a URM boost.
If you don't disclose your race, you won't get a URM boost.

If you don't want to disclose, feel free not to though. There's nothing deceptive about checking "choose not to reply" or whatever. That's perfectly true: you are choosing not to reply. Deceptive would be trying to weasel your way into another racial category. Like, saying you're African-American because your (white) mother was born in South Africa. Knew a guy who tried that all the time.

The test should be: would you go to a Ferguson style race riot and tell people there you are African American

Alternative: would you tell Louis Farrakahn or a member of the black panthers that you are african american

If no, don't put that you are on an admissions form

I would think adcoms would assume you're Asian and/or salty about affirmative action which is NAGL

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Cradle6 wrote:
But I guess you're right, I've heard there's A LOT of African Americans in Africa.

I'm trying, but I can't figure out what point you're trying to make here.

The spirit of the question is about identifying a group racially, not geographically. If your (white) parents were diplomats and you spent your childhood in Nairobi, you wouldn't try to argue that you were African-American, would you? Whatever you may think of AA, this isn't a hard distinction.

TheSpanishMain wrote:

Cradle6 wrote:
But I guess you're right, I've heard there's A LOT of African Americans in Africa.

I'm trying, but I can't figure out what point you're trying to make here.

The spirit of the question is about identifying a group racially, not geographically. If your (white) parents were diplomats and you spent your childhood in Nairobi, you wouldn't try to argue that you were African-American, would you? Whatever you may think of AA, this isn't a hard distinction.

He's mad that we are using a geographic term to describe a racial group and instead thinks we ought to be pedantic and use the term "African American" literally even though the term as defined means just black people

I think that's what he's trying to say

.

there is a difference between race and ethnicity right? because i think there is and i am curious to see how others feel on that. Hypothetical example, say someone who is born in australia (white), but was adopted by a white mom and a argentinian or nicaraguan dad when he was three years old, the kid when he is 20 might be racially white, (because he was born "white") but can very well identify his ethnicity as white and hispanic right? thats where i see the difference between race and ethncity. Anybody agree with me here? its not that ridiculous that he might call himself white and hispanic right?

Adrian Monk wrote:there is a difference between race and ethnicity right? because i think there is and i am curious to see how others feel on that. Hypothetical example, say someone who is born in australia (white), but was adopted by a white mom and a argentinian or nicaraguan dad when he was three years old, the kid when he is 20 might be racially white, (because he was born "white") but can very well identify his ethnicity as white and hispanic right? thats where i see the difference between race and ethncity. Anybody agree with me here? its not that ridiculous that he might call himself white and hispanic right?

bump- anybody have an opinion on this

Adrian Monk wrote:

Adrian Monk wrote:there is a difference between race and ethnicity right? because i think there is and i am curious to see how others feel on that. Hypothetical example, say someone who is born in australia (white), but was adopted by a white mom and a argentinian or nicaraguan dad when he was three years old, the kid when he is 20 might be racially white, (because he was born "white") but can very well identify his ethnicity as white and hispanic right? thats where i see the difference between race and ethncity. Anybody agree with me here? its not that ridiculous that he might call himself white and hispanic right?

bump- anybody have an opinion on this

I think it would be ridiculous for that person to call himself white and Hispanic. The point is identify racial minorities. Being raised by a Hispanic stepdad doesn't make you Hispanic any more than a white kid growing up in a predominantly black neighborhood is black, even though he/she may have absorbed a lot of black culture.

TheSpanishMain wrote:

Adrian Monk wrote:

Adrian Monk wrote:there is a difference between race and ethnicity right? because i think there is and i am curious to see how others feel on that. Hypothetical example, say someone who is born in australia (white), but was adopted by a white mom and a argentinian or nicaraguan dad when he was three years old, the kid when he is 20 might be racially white, (because he was born "white") but can very well identify his ethnicity as white and hispanic right? thats where i see the difference between race and ethncity. Anybody agree with me here? its not that ridiculous that he might call himself white and hispanic right?

bump- anybody have an opinion on this

I think it would be ridiculous for that person to call himself white and Hispanic. The point is identify racial minorities. Being raised by a Hispanic stepdad doesn't make you Hispanic any more than a white kid growing up in a predominantly black neighborhood is black, even though he/she may have absorbed a lot of black culture.

' I think it would be ridiculous for that person to call himself white and Hispanic. The point is identify racial minorities.'- this is the thing. I completely get what ur saying. I agree, but my point was about the the "difference" between race and ethnicty". this dude in this hypothetical example might very well be "racially" white, but isnt it upto him to him to decide what he identifies as ethnically? why would the lsac take that away from him? so, the difference between race and ethnicity is open for interpretation, and i believe lsac doesnt give us like a a guidline to follow or the definition or difference between race and ethncity, so it totally up to us.

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Adrian Monk wrote:

TheSpanishMain wrote:

Adrian Monk wrote:

Adrian Monk wrote:there is a difference between race and ethnicity right? because i think there is and i am curious to see how others feel on that. Hypothetical example, say someone who is born in australia (white), but was adopted by a white mom and a argentinian or nicaraguan dad when he was three years old, the kid when he is 20 might be racially white, (because he was born "white") but can very well identify his ethnicity as white and hispanic right? thats where i see the difference between race and ethncity. Anybody agree with me here? its not that ridiculous that he might call himself white and hispanic right?

bump- anybody have an opinion on this

I think it would be ridiculous for that person to call himself white and Hispanic. The point is identify racial minorities. Being raised by a Hispanic stepdad doesn't make you Hispanic any more than a white kid growing up in a predominantly black neighborhood is black, even though he/she may have absorbed a lot of black culture.

' I think it would be ridiculous for that person to call himself white and Hispanic. The point is identify racial minorities.'- this is the thing. I completely get what ur saying. I agree, but my point was about the the "difference" between race and ethnicty". this dude in this hypothetical example might very well be "racially" white, but isnt it upto him to him to decide what he identifies as ethnically? why would the lsac take that away from him? so, the difference between race and ethnicity is open for interpretation, and i believe lsac doesnt give us like a a guidline to follow or the definition or difference between race and ethncity, so it totally up to us.

I understand what you're saying as an academic exercise, but I think for the purposes of law school admissions the intent is pretty clear, and trying to make an argument about your cultural identification and the line between race and ethnicity would be viewed as dishonest. If all else fails, call the school, explain the situation, and ask.

Well, actually, census-wise, most Hispanics are white - Hispanic isn't a race. So saying you're white and Hispanic makes sense in certain contexts (you could also be black and Hispanic, or Native and Hispanic.) And if a Hispanic couple in Mexico adopted a kid born of Swedish parents in Sweden but raised the kid in Mexico, I think that kid can make an argument that ethnically he's Hispanic.

But you'd have to be careful that this kind of thing doesn't come across as disingenuous/manipulative/taking advantage in an application. And I don't know to what extent the Hispanic populations in the US personally identify as "white," so practice/reality doesn't always match neatly with the census definitions.

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Well, actually, census-wise, most Hispanics are white - Hispanic isn't a race. So saying you're white and Hispanic makes sense in certain contexts (you could also be black and Hispanic, or Native and Hispanic.) And if a Hispanic couple in Mexico adopted a kid born of Swedish parents in Sweden but raised the kid in Mexico, I think that kid can make an argument that ethnically he's Hispanic.

But you'd have to be careful that this kind of thing doesn't come across as disingenuous/manipulative/taking advantage in an application. And I don't know to what extent the Hispanic populations in the US personally identify as "white," so practice/reality doesn't always match neatly with the census definitions.

i completley agree its best to not take risks and play it safe.