kinom

Hello,

I am 25% Japanese, 25% Scots-Irish, 25% German, and 25% indigenous Mexican. My grandfather on my father's side was fully indigenous Mexican, making me 25% indigenous Mexican.

What race would this (indigenous Mexican) be considered? Indigenous Mexican falls under some definitions of "Native American" and "American Indian", but I don't know if it would for the purposes of, say, the Common App. The Common App says "includes Original Peoples of the Americas", but I cannot find anything on the exact definition of that term. If that term does include indigenous Mexicans, I do not know if I would need to be a member of a Native Mexican tribe in order to check the American Indian box.

Can anybody help me figure out what race I am?

Halie

Put whatever race you identify most with. Do you play a role in the local Mexican community? Do you have strong ties to family in Mexico? Honestly, I would say white, because you are basically half white.

jessiehl

So what? So is Barack Obama. Race is a little more complicated than fractions.

As of a few years ago, the Common App had an "enrolled" question to answer if you put "Native American", so you could put Native American but that you weren't enrolled in a tribe. Does it not still have that? It also had a blank for you to enter a tribe if you wished.

I would say that "Original Peoples of the Americas" includes indigenous Mexican, yes. That wording is usually intended, from what I have seen, to make sure that indigenous Central and South Americans are included.

Also, the Common App lets you check multiple boxes, so you can check as many boxes as you identify with. If there's a space for entering a tribe, you could use that to specify indigenous Mexican (or, if you know your grandfather's tribal background, you could put that), and let colleges interpret it as they will.

Halie

"So what? So is Barack Obama. Race is a little more complicated than fractions."

Which is why I said, "Put whatever race you identify most with". I just suggested white because this person is more white than Asian or Mexican. Plus I didn't know that you could check more than one box on the Common App.

entomom

I agree with jessie. The CA intentionally states, "the Americas", rather than "America" singular, to include indigenous peoples of North and South America.

As far as which box(es) to check for race, the CA now says, "please select one or more of the following ethnicities that best describe you", not which one you are more of.

Funny that the CA says "ethnicities" when it should be "races". They got the concept right (that Hispanics can be any race), but kinda blew the terminology.

KillinEm

You check ALL that apply.

To me it appears that you are American Indian (specify Indigenous Mexican), Asian (Japanese), and White (Scottish/German).

I checked Hispanic and ended up checking 3 different races as well. It's not uncommon among Latinos, we are a very mixed people whether Americans recognize it or not.

kiterunner18

What if I'm Columbian? Do I need to mark a race?

entomom

You don't NEED to mark anything, both ethnicity and race are optional.

If you mark Hispanic, then you indicate that you are Columbian under "describe your background".

Then, if you go to the next step, you mark which ever race(s) best describe you.