URM Status Question

[ScoffsAtGravity]

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Sorry I know this question has kind of been asked before, but looking at old threads wasn't really helping me. So I am 1/4 hispanic on my mother's side. I don't have a hispanic sounding name or look hispanic (though most of the rest of my family does). I'm trying to decide if I should mark myself down as hispanic on my AAMC application. I have always identified as hispanic. Even though I my Spanish is only decent, my mother tried speaking it around the house a little while I was growing up. She taught me how to make different Mexican dishes, etc. I've also been trying to volunteer at a clinic that primarily serves a hispanic population in order to try and improve my medical spanish. The reason I'm not sure if I should mark myself as Hispanic is because I've seen lots of other people on here talking about someone they knew getting grilled by interviewers for not looking hispanic. If anyone has any advice I would appreciate it.

P.S I have a pretty good application otherwise so I'm not doing this to get any kind of boost in the application process.

 

[ScoffsAtGravity]

Sorry I know this question has kind of been asked before, but looking at old threads wasn't really helping me. So I am 1/4 hispanic on my mother's side. I don't have a hispanic sounding name or look hispanic (though most of the rest of my family does). I'm trying to decide if I should mark myself down as hispanic on my AAMC application. I have always identified as hispanic. Even though I my Spanish is only decent, my mother tried speaking it around the house a little while I was growing up. She taught me how to make different Mexican dishes, etc. I've also been volunteering at a clinic that primarily serves a hispanic population in order to try and improve my medical spanish. The reason I'm not sure if I should mark myself as Hispanic is because I've seen lots of other people on here talking about someone they knew getting grilled by interviewers for not looking hispanic. If anyone has any advice I would appreciate it.

P.S I have a pretty good application otherwise so I'm not doing this to get any kind of boost in the application process.

 

[WedgeDawg]

If you identify as Hispanic, then mark Hispanic. If not, then don't. If people question you about it, tell them what you told us and you should be fine.

 

[The Buff OP]

Did your Hispanic friends called you "guero" when you were growing up?

 

[PreciousHamburgers]

Sorry I know this question has kind of been asked before, but looking at old threads wasn't really helping me. So I am 1/4 hispanic on my mother's side. I don't have a hispanic sounding name or look hispanic (though most of the rest of my family does). I'm trying to decide if I should mark myself down as hispanic on my AAMC application. I have always identified as hispanic. Even though I my Spanish is only decent, my mother tried speaking it around the house a little while I was growing up. She taught me how to make different Mexican dishes, etc. I've also been volunteering at a clinic that primarily serves a hispanic population in order to try and improve my medical spanish. The reason I'm not sure if I should mark myself as Hispanic is because I've seen lots of other people on here talking about someone they knew getting grilled by interviewers for not looking hispanic. If anyone has any advice I would appreciate it.

P.S I have a pretty good application otherwise so I'm not doing this to get any kind of boost in the application process.

Stop drilling, you've already hit oil... Also, what does it mean to "look" Hispanic?

 

[LizzyM]

My college roommate was born in Puerto Rico and 100% Hispanic on her mother's side and she spoke English as a second language. Her name was as Anglo as anything. We adcoms know that not every Hispanic has a "Hispanic name".

And in keeping with @PreciousHamburgers comment, I've been mistaken for a member of my South American homestay family although I have brown eyes and they have blue.... so there is no specific "look" to Hispanics.

@ScoffsAtGravity , I'd strongly suggest you identify with both (all?) of your races/ethnicities which is, I think, permitted on the AMCAS.

 

[The Buff OP]

So even if you are 1/4 Hispanic you can put Hispanic as your ethnicity? **** there is a chance I could probably be 1/4 Native American. Why not make it the ultimate URM applicant (I'm Hispanic)?

 

[touchpause13]

So even if you are 1/4 Hispanic you can put Hispanic as your ethnicity? **** there is a chance I could probably be 1/4 Native American. Why not make it the ultimate URM applicant (I'm Hispanic)?

You "count" as Hispanic for sure. For native I wouldn't put that down unless you have tribal paperwork to back it up.

 

[The Buff OP]

You "count" as Hispanic for sure. For native I wouldn't put that down unless you have tribal paperwork to back it up.

I know a guy. 😉

 

[WingedOx]

Just mark whatever you put down on the census. It's not complicated.

 

[JessebenBenjamin]

.

 

[AvacadosAtLaw]

Not hispanic... sorry dude.

Why would you say this person's not hispanic? If you identify as hispanic then that's all there is to it.

 

[JessebenBenjamin]

I would hate to see him get grilled about this. But you are correct, he can self identify how he pleases.

 

[AvacadosAtLaw]

If he's grilled about it and he says what he said in the original post he should be fine. SDN seems to have this weird idea that people get grilled all the time by adcoms about their race/ethnicity. The adcoms know that many hispanics look "white" or have non-hispanic names.

 

[JessebenBenjamin]

Yeah that's very true.
OP if you actually self identify as Hispanic mark it down!

 

[Ismet]

Merging cross-posted threads.