<p>^all of those things are true</p>
<p>I just want to emphasize more the impact of blacks in the Caribbean forming the majority population where they lived. Thus, the Afro-Caribbean culture was significantly less isolated in originating out of oppression. In order for academic success in the US to not be perceived as a “black” thing, it must be somebody else’s “thing”. In the Caribbean, the people whose “thing” it is are also black, so they lack that social-psychological barrier.</p>
<p>I have a friend from Trinidad who tells me that it is very much part of the culture there to honor academic achievement, and that even Olympic gold medalists don’t get much respect unless they are also articulate and well read. That would definitely be a different culture from that of many parts of the United States–irrespective of what United States ethnic group we are talking about in those parts.</p>
<p>i can fully attest to that Afro-caribean thing because my father’s side is from the Caribbean and they stress academic achievements with my aunt going to UPenn and getting on me about grades. My mother’s side is straight African American and they aren’t as concerned with grades and they went to lesser colleges</p>
<p>There are some clubs and associations that stress a certain ethnicity and such. Like a black person should join or start a Hispanic festival or start a hispanic club</p>
<p>I wish we had a White Club. I mean, we have Asian Clubs, South Asian Clubs, Latino Clubs, Blacks Student Clubs, Jewish Club, so why can’t we have a White club</p>
<p>Every club that is not an “ethnic club” is a white club. </p>
<p>There are polish clubs, italian clubs, Irish club, French clubs, German clubs, because those are actual ethnic groups with separate cultures. White is more of an exclusive category that is used more to say that you aren’t “colored”. </p>
<p>If you really wanted to join the “black club” then you could, it might be uncomfortable for you because the emphasis is on a different culture.</p>
<p>Btw, what would you do in “white club”? Discuss how good it is that you aren’t “colored”?</p>
<p>I take it some of these answers about clubs are in response to my question about how young people can learn about other ethnic groups. </p>
<p>I don’t observe many “white” clubs because I don’t observe many people who are categorized as white who really think of white as a category. I have joined some other student culture clubs over the years (beginning in college rather than in high school, as all such clubs were nonexistent in my high school) and have learned a lot in the process about people with different backgrounds from my own. </p>
<p>I was going to suggest reading history books. Not only histories of the other culture, but histories of your own culture written by authors who didn’t grow up in that culture. I learned a lot about the United States by reading a history of the United States by a British author, for example. You could read the book </p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> The Penguin History of the USA: New edition: Hugh Brogan: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Penguin-History-USA-New/dp/014025255X/]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Penguin-History-USA-New/dp/014025255X/) </p>
<p>(I read an earlier edition) </p>
<p>and learn a lot too.</p>
<p>Well, ok, it should be named “Western Civilization Club” then and people can discuss the role of America, Europeans, Western Civilization, etc. and the different cultures, traditions that have changed from Greek to Romans to English to Americans. And the change that Western Civilization has brought to the world throughout the centuries.</p>
<p>A Western Civilization club would be an interesting organization, and in principle its membership would be open to anyone, because western civilization has influenced most people living in the world today, and many people for a long time. (I have, as it happens, ancestors who European, that is western, but who in historic times were not “civilized,” as do a great many Americans.) There are many other culture clubs that students could form that in principle would be open to all interested persons.</p>
<p>Well, I am egyptian. Egypt is in north africa but is also considered a part of the middle east. By no means do I look white, in fact I am oftentimes mistaken as hispanic. On my college applications I did not self-identify, if I were to put African-American would I have a greater advantage?</p>
<p>You would be lying. Check the first page of the thread.</p>
<p>In many (not all) cases, the student wouldn’t be hiding anything by declining to state ethnicity. I’d be stupid to think the adcom couldn’t tell I was Korean, or at least Asian, by my last name.</p>
<p>You should check [post</a> #5](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1061012043-post5.html]post”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1061012043-post5.html) here for a reminder that colleges aren’t in the business of guessing what they aren’t told, and [post</a> #4](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1061012037-post4.html]post”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1061012037-post4.html) for a listing of quite a few colleges that report many students as “race/ethnicity unknown” in official reporting to the federal government, which does require colleges to ask but doesn’t require students to tell.</p>
<p>Im Hispanic , first generation American, how much does this actually help among the elite universities?</p>
<p>it depends… are you qualified, or not? </p>
<p>if you are qualified, and you can significantly show through your choice of activities and essays that your diversity plays an impactful role in your life, then yes… you could get a boost. </p>
<p>but if you just check off “Hispanic” and the rest of your application is lackluster, then it won’t help you much at all.</p>
<p>I feel like i am qualified, but again, that is the admissions office decision.</p>
<p>I just wanted to know what the view of this from all of you</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No one is really sure. Colleges don’t publish statistics that allow estimating how much of a difference that makes.</p>
<p>Being half-Asian [half-Vietnamese, half-Caucasian], I’ve opted to list myself as “Other” in school records under Race/Ethnicity. Does this mean I am a minority? [It is pertinent to mention that I was listed as “Asian”, but then decided to change that because it was not advantageous to be so…]. A strange question, but one that I need help with, nonetheless! :] Thank you.</p>
<p>Nowadays, the only people who are considered under-represented minorities are blacks and Latinos. So it really does not matter what race you put down, because you are either White or Asian, neither of which helps you get anywhere.</p>
<p>I’m guessing that colleges realize that no one who is black/latino would throw away the benefits of AA by putting “other”… so they must realize the “other” consists of all the secretive whites and Asians, lol ;)</p>