<p>The same goes with Hispanics. I’m 50% Venezuelan, but I’m fluent in Spanish and the culture takes a central role in my life. It’s downright unfair for 1/8-Hispanics who are not fluent in Spanish and take no part in community culture to be given any advantage at schools like Harvard. I’m not saying they are given advantage; I’m not an admissions officer, I wouldn’t know. Yet it seems that adcoms often admit URMs solely to raise the percentage points of URMs in their student body without checking to see if their minority status (Native American or Hispanic) played an important role in their life.</p>
<p>In addition, I know an African girl from an affluent background who moved with her family from Germany several years ago. She is a permanent resident now and thus can call herself African American, gaining admission to elite institutioins while, in fact, even she will admit that she does not consider herself American in any way. That’s simply unfair.</p>