Unique URM/Adoption question

[tarheel2011]

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[weezynation]

Hey everyone, I have a question I have been wondering about:

I am (fully) half Mexican American. My father is 100% Mexican, as are both of my grandparents on his side (obviously)(They are from Mexico and unfortunately don't speak very much English). (I have never met my biological mother, she was Italian, which ironically makes me especially brown for being half-Mexican American).

Interestingly, I am adopted and grew up with white parents. However, I walk around the world as a brown skinned Mexican American man. For what it is worth, I also know (and have contact with) my biological family on my biological father's side (all Mexican).

So, when it came time to fill out my AAMC race and ethnicity it was easy for me- white race/Mexican American ethnicity. I mean- I consider myself Mexican, my wife considers me Mexican, my own (adopted) parents consider me Mexican.

But: in an interview, will adcoms find my unique situation (growing up with white parents) as somehow taking away from my inherent Mexican-ness? Even though I have spent significant time with my biological (Mexican) family, I do not feel especially "Mexican" culturally- outside of the unique (read: racist) life experiences that a brown person encounters throughout their life.

Does anyone with interview experience have any thoughts?

Thanks!

You can view yourself in whatever way you want, but if you are worried that it will be an issue if you put hispanic on your application, it will not. You are mexican because like you said, the world sees you as such. Your experiences in terms of hardships are based upon how the world views you. Take Barack Obama for example, if he was just a common guy that was not known, people would say he's Black. Upon finding out he has a white mother and was raised by solely her, he is still Black because his experiences in society are shaped by him being seen as a Black male. People who are bi-racial have every right to personally consider themselves white and black/hispanic in order to respect their white parent, but to the world, they are solely black/hispanic.

 

[Epen]

I can understand the fear of misrepresentation. I am adopted and only half white, but I have a burn-after-five-minutes complexion. Nobody who I've bothered to explain it to believes that I have black, american indian, and asian ancestors. It's frustrating, because I have no contact with my birth family, and I've essentially given up trying to convince people.

What I've come to realize is that the general misrepresentation of my skin really helps to define myself. I don't need to rely on the perception of others to develop and define my personality. I'm sure you've come to a similar realization. If I were you, I wouldn't be ashamed or try to hide your convoluted family history. Accept it, and if they ask go ahead and expand on it. It adds to you, just like it adds to me.

 

[klm84]

"But: in an interview, will adcoms find my unique situation (growing up with white parents) as somehow taking away from my inherent Mexican-ness? "


No.

They won't even ask. If growing up adopted and your family/identity is something you really want to stress because it's meaningful to you, then go ahead. I'd say there's a 99% chance no one will ever mention it unless you bring it up. It may be a little racist of me, but I think schools care way more that their minorities "look the part" rather than what their culture is.