aglages

"I only have to look at my relatives to know we have Indian ancestors."
^^^^^
"PayFor described an honest description of their son's ethnic and racial background."
^^^^^
Just looking at her ancestors is an honest description and justification for listing a certain ethnic affiliation? LoL

PayFor

While I was being a bit flippant with my previous comment about my family’s physical features, I am genuinely serious in using that as a valid indicator for claiming “Original Peoples of the Americas” ancestry. Skin color, stature and facial features of the Mayan people are distinctive from those of Europeans. I’d be happy to show photos of my relatives and challenge any college adcom to refute my claims of Indian heritage.

Additionally, there are many sources that show only about 9% of the Mexican population is pure European white, so the odds of Indian ancestry are definitely in my favor. https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat.../geos/mx.html#

entomom

aglages,
I suggest you learn a little more about anthropology before you go on the attack. You seem to be under the assumption that the proportion of descendants of original peoples in countries like Mexico, Peru and several others in Central and South America are similar to that of NAs in the US. While some countries are mainly European and white (eg. Chile and Argentina), this is not the case for all Latin American countries and particularly not for Mexico. These are academically accepted demographics, supported by genetic testing.

entomom

Thanks for the link PayFor; here's a related one on the same CIA website:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat...elds/2075.html

It gives the % ethnic/racial groups for countries throughout the world, very interesting.

aglages

"I only have to look at my relatives to know we have Indian ancestors."
^^^^^
"PayFor described an honest description of their son's ethnic and racial background."
^^^^^
Just looking at her ancestors is an honest description and justification for listing a certain ethnic affiliation?
^^^^^^
These are academically accepted demographics, supported by genetic testing.
^^^^^^
So just looking at your relatives can determine whether they are "original people"? Great. Maybe the college apps will do away with those question and insist on pictures of candidates. Hopefully someone like you or PayFor can train them to make ethnic identification from photographs.

LSanti1992

I would say just check Hispanic and leave it at that. If you check Hispanic as your ethnicity, you do not have to check another racial category and many applications only allow you to check one racial/ethnic category. Also, the white category is usually specifically for people of European descent who are not Hispanic/have no ties to Latin America.

entomom

^Who are you addressing? The OP is Colombian and another member inquiring on this thread is Mexican.

The CA asks for ethnicity first (Hispanic: yes/no). Then it says, "Regardless of your answer to the prior question" mark any races that apply.

Ethnicity and race are two separate entities, Hispanics can be any race(s). For instance, the vast majority of Argentines are white, with their origins in Spain or Italy, while the majority of Mexicans have some descendants from original peoples.

Please see the sticky thread: Hispanic/Latino defined - aka: AM I HISPANIC?

kiterunner18

Okay... so what is the general consensus? I don't want to appear dishonest in marking NA - No tribal affiliation... and, well, I don't know about marking Hispanic and white. This is so confusing. I'd really appreciate a solid answer!

twomules

Have you tried asking your parents and extended family about it?

It can get political in the family too. My husband's aunts look very NA but they get horribly offended if anyone mistakes them for NA.

entomom

You can always mark Hispanic, indicate that you're from Colombia and leave it at that. All of the ethnic and racial information is optional. Adcoms are well informed, they know that Colombia's population has a mixture of white, NA, black and mixed race peoples and that a person's exact racial background is not always documented.

It is confusing, and it mostly comes down to whatever designation you feel most comfortable with.

kiterunner18

So I can ONLY mark my ethnicity, not my race? That's what I was planning on doing, but I didn't know if I was allowed. . .

entomom

From the CA:

My reading is that any of the items within the gray area are optional.

mildred

You know, some Spanish speaking cultures do not like the term "mestizo" at all. I'm just putting that out there and not trying to be mean or anything like that.

Peru has a very interesting history and your pal might want to speak to his parents or grandparents. For all your pal should know, he could be of Japanese extraction because there have been a rather fair amount of folks from Japan over in Peru for quite some time now. I think that the term one would use in Peru, if they are of native extraction, would be Amerindian. I could very well be wrong, though.

Kiterunner18, I sent you a private message just for the sake of common decency, because I reckon this thread went a mite bit off topic or something. And, I really hope you read it. You do not have to write me back unless you just really want to or something. It is alright.

Colombia is maybe just as unique as Peru. But, in Colombia there are only really five regions one can be from, you know? That is just simple geography as near as I can tell.

Some of those regions would make you, kiterunner18, know your own background and all of that for sure. It would be obvious as day. For example, Tierra Bomba is a lovely little island of sorts in Colombia which is almost exclusively inhabited by ladies and gentlemen who are heavily of African extraction. So, if both of your parents were from Tierra Bomba, then well...you would maybe just like really easily know what to put on some of those forms for a thing or two, eh?

Ultimately, I think you need to just speak with your own parents for a bit and just go from there. Go with what you feel, kiterunner18.

Keilexandra

^I don't have an opinion on "mestizo" either way, but that's what my friend uses in reference to himself.

His extended family lives in Peru and he goes back frequently to visit... but no distinct ethnic heritage is apparent. He often jokes about the surprisingly high % of Asian Hispanics in Peru (leading to things like fried rice, chifa/chao fan). I think there's some people in the family who look vaguely Asian and others who look vaguely indigenous.

fineartsmajormom

Peru and other countries in South America have had various waves of Asian immigration (starting many milenium back crossing the straits)...but Peru and Brazil, in particular, have lots of descendents of Japanese and Chinese immigrants from the 19th century (like in California, they provided a lot of the labor for building the railways). Ecuador, on the other hand, is chock full of Lebanese descendents. Just look at the names of presidents...Peru's Fujimori, Ecuador's Bucaram and Mahuad. The US is not the only melting pot in the Western Hemisphere. I have many Peruvian friends who, in the US, classify themselves as "Hispanic" and "Asian" so don't feel inhibited by what people "expect" you to do in terms of classification. Keilexandra...national cuisine often reflects the ethnic and cultural history leading to some pretty unusual foods...have you ever had "Lomo Saltado" from Peru--it is stir fry meat with peppers (Japan) with a healthy dose of worcestershire sauce (English) but completed by adding french fries to the stir fry-- which I think is because there is a Peruvian indigenous requirement that all dishes include potato. Fantastic...no peruvian restaurant is without its own version!