what race to mark on LS apps?

[chidochido]

On my race box, I checked "other" and wrote in "Marathon." I'm in it for the long haul, baby.

[TinaTina]

I think the OP put West Indian as opposed to refining further because the Caribbean is known for rampant race mixing so much so that most people if they're from there are mixed even if it isn't immediately apparent.  To the OP if your parent from the West Indies and identifies as mixed with/or black put half black, half chinese.  If your parent is mostly East Indian/White/Chinese just put half West Indian, half Chinese for the sake of convenience.

[jnc18]

Going along the same point I think you were trying to make, you should know someone's full experience before bashing them or their decisions.

That post was not directed at you.  At what point did I propose to know anyone's full experience?  I stand by the comments of my previous post.  If you truly feel yourself to have a legitimate identity within any ethnic group, I believe you should make that known.

You know what my true concern is?  There are thousands of people that are experiencing some very real and grave socioeconomic problems that plague the Native American community today, and I would not want that to be marginalized by a multitude of those who blithely call themselves "Native American."  Not a personal attack on you, as I don't know your life at all.  You understand what I mean?

As for Kevdog, do you think Kobe has any misunderstandings as to what race/ethnicity he is?  He was black in Lower Merion and he was black in Europe.  And if he couldn't play ball, he'd just be a black man walking down the street.

What I still would really like to know, is what race is usually assumed by "West Indian" and what particular race the OP had in mind.

[AH]

I think what I've learned from all this is that it's a very weird process and concept.  I mean, I don't identify with "white culture" at all, and yet no one would expect me NOT to check that box.

Makes sense jay.  There are VERY real problems that are marginalized when every Tom male private part and Harry claims Cheeroke ancestry (seems to be the case around here).

Good luck all.

[Mr Shears]

I think the main point of the Kobe remark was that he isn't exactly facing the hardships that the majority of the black community faces, yet he'd still check the black box.  Really, I think he was just showing an example of how you don't have to face hardships to be a certain race.

Just my interpretation though.

[AH]

Yea kev was def. right on with that.  On the same vein, I've experienced hardships that aren't representative of just checking "white," which is a point I think he got across more clearly in his short example.

[Mr Shears]

Yeah, that was really aimed towards jayscoot more than anything.  It wasn't meant to be argumentative or anything, but rather just my view on the situation.

[AH]

Oh no, it was a great point.  I was half out of it just breezing through the thread earlier, so I wasn't paying much attention.

It gets to be really tricky because obviosuly some random kid in Maine who is like 1/16th, but checks all NA to get benefits from it or whatever, that isn't exactly "right," but, at the same time, I know a lot of kids who depended on URM to help them out with apps and grew up with every advantage in the world.  It also gets tricky for those URMs who struggled, achieved, then have the stigma follow them through school that they just got in on being an URM.

So much to consider!  Which is why I posted in the thread to start!

[Mr Shears]

It's too bad being Lithuanian isn't considered a URM.

[stressed_out]

I'm black, Puerto Rican, and a small percentage (1/8) Native American.  Apparently, depending on what type of hair I have at any given time, I have been perceived as black, Puerto Rican, and arabic.  Imagine how much *&^% I got when people thought I was from the Middle East....