<p>I am wondering about changing my race when I transfer. Last year, I applied as only white, and I have no regrets of doing so. I felt honest doing that; I strictly identified as white, and frankly, I look very white and very southern.</p>
<p>This year, however, I have started further exploring my background. I am actually 25% Filipino. My great grand mother came over to America in order to flee the Bataan Death March with an American officer, my great grandfather, who somehow got her citizenship. </p>
<p>Anyway, this year I have been doing a lot of research on Bataan. I hope to get it published some day, but that’s neither here nor their. What I wanted to ask is if there’s anything wrong with this practice. I do now feel that I am beginning to identify with the “Pacific Islander” label in addition to the white label, though I want to continue to explore that part of my background. This year, however, I don’t think I would feel fully honest only clicking the caucasian check box, but I wanted to know if this would cause any problems since schools keep your applications in record.</p>
<p>Thanks for any light anyone can shed on the situation!</p>
<p>If your identity has changed, I suppose you can change what you mark. However, the US government and the CA consider Filipino as Asian, not NH/PI:</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply entomom. I’ll be sure to mark Asian instead of Pacific Islander. Do you believe this change could cause any problems regarding the discrepancy between this year’s application and last’s?</p>
<p>I doubt that they will connect the two applications. If you are in doubt, you could write a brief (1-2 sentence) explanation in the Additional Info section. Also, changing from white to Asian is not like changing from white to AA or NA which is a much more significant difference in the application process.</p>
<p>^True, and the OP shouldn’t tell colleges they’re 25% if only their great grandmother was Filipino. However, for their main question, % doesn’t matter as college admissions uses the US Census definition of race, which is that the student ‘identifies’ as the race. Special programs, scholarships, etc. are different and may have their own % thresholds.</p>
<p>Hey again Jonri. My great-grand father was also Filipino; he first came to America at the beginning of America’s involvement with the Philippines which is why I labeled him as American.</p>
<p>But yes, on the same vein of what you are saying Entomom, I didn’t want to say I was simply because of blood last time around. I’m less concerned with the actual percentage (though I do know it’s 25% for certain) than with identifying.</p>
<p>Just curious, why does this change matter? Are you trying to get “better” chances of getting admitted?
Do you plan on changing your cultural needs as well, by trying to become an Underrepresented minority?<br>
I don’t understand why the universities should care that you’ve discovered that your ancestors were in the Bataan march.
When the universities admit diverse students who have differences in: culture, opinion, environment, etc., they seem to want to bring the richness of students’ current family traditions into a nice variety of students. </p>
<p>Those traditions bring learning experiences together on a campus and people learn to live with each other. That’s what I’ve heard from my adcom friends.</p>
<p>You can’t suddenly start to eat lumpia and pansett, learn Tagalog or pampango, and state that your Filipino background now is the same as a Filipino-American student who has had those cultural experiences throughout his/her life.</p>
<p>Hi aunt bea. From what I understand, or at least from what I’ve heard, marking Asian subjects students to a cultural bias that may hold them to a higher score standard. With scores already on the lower end of the applicant pool to places where I’m applying, I’m not hoping that marking Asian will help me.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to suddenly start to suddenly assume a part of my ancestry that I’m only beginning to explore (though I do love pancit). I of course don’t have the same cultural experiences as someone who has had them throughout my life. </p>
<p>Aside from the admissions game, I do want to begin to explore my Filipino background however, and begin to become involved with other people who have had those cultural experiences their whole lives. I only figured that because I want this to become part of my life, and that I do hope to continue this wherever I end up, that it might be appropriate to check the box next to Filipino.</p>
<p>But hey, like you said, why should they care what my ancestors did or how that affects me. Only my current family traditions matter as part of my cultural identity during the late formative years.</p>
<p>It has been my policy, mostly on the Hispanic Students forum where this is a prevalent issue, to stick strictly to the facts/guidelines for race & ethnicity questions as they pertain to college admissions. I find that it is impossible to judge the intent of another member over the internet. I instruct members to answer honestly and they should have no problems. Also, I have confidence that adcoms have seen it all before and are well versed in assessing who is making a claim solely for admissions purposes and who is genuine.</p>