<p>There are lots of threads on the Hispanic student section that take up this issue, and some of the helpful contributors will point to them. This question comes up up often.</p>
<p>My view is the following. There is no blood test for Hispanic. It’s a self-definition based on heritage, culture, and the way you view yourself in society. Some students do not think twice – they live this identity and say they are Hispanic or Latino without hesitation. For others, it’s a more complicated matter. In some cases, students who do not normally identify that way all of a sudden start to wonder what the effect of ethnic identification will be on college apps. (The threads address this question.) The problem is that you are not going to get one answer – it’s a complicated question that you have to work out for yourself. Good practice for college. You might ask yourself, do I really view myself as Hispanic and/or want to identify that way? And if somebody were to ask you to explain why, be ready to say why.</p>