Possible Consquences about lying that you are a URM?

[sc3pt0r]

University of Houston

[Diecisiete]

Not too sure if this is a state or district thing, but I worked in a California school district where we kept records of every student, including their ethnicity. They were listed with a numerical code (700-white, 600-black, 500-hispanic, 400-asian, etc.) Every student that passed through our elementary, middle, or high school had a profile. I'm sure that if you were a bit suspect in your self-classification (and I'm not talking about the marginal "I can't tell what the heck he is" scenario) the bar could easily dig some of this up.

Also, whenever a minority student accepts an offer at a law school, one of the first people to hear about it are the student leaders of the certain group. Since every year the number of blacks or hispanics at a law school is between 0-15 (looking at NALP stats) each student receives a lot of attention. If you were clearly white as the fallen snow and your name went to the black law students group, I could only imagine the reaction when you show up to orientation. I heard of a student group in CA (at the undergraduate level) that called out someone in a scenario just like this and I'm pretty sure there was a stink at CLS about a female applicant who checked black but didn't look it. I'll try to find more info about it.

Finally, let us not underemphasize the importance schools place on your diversity statement and the effect your race has had in your life (in your PS for example) not to mention factors such as if you were a minority and the first one in your family to go to college, economic status, etc. It is here where you might find yourself in some trouble.   

[Diecisiete]

Just checked: California birth certificate lists your race...fyi.

[sc3pt0r]

I talked to the Bar Examiner's Office (Texas), and they said that they would request a copy of my law school application, and the addendum to the application where I disclosed the traffic tickets that I had received in my life.  They told me that I did not have to include a copy of the personal statement or the resume that I sent to the school.  Perhaps you could just not check any box, and just join the NAACP or a minority group of some sort, and just put in on your resume.  Also, you could, in your personal statement, talk about how you have overcome diversity.  They might make the incorrect assumption...yet you remained honest.

[queencruella]

Not too sure if this is a state or district thing, but I worked in a California school district where we kept records of every student, including their ethnicity. They were listed with a numerical code (700-white, 600-black, 500-hispanic, 400-asian, etc.) Every student that passed through our elementary, middle, or high school had a profile. I'm sure that if you were a bit suspect in your self-classification (and I'm not talking about the marginal "I can't tell what the heck he is" scenario) the bar could easily dig some of this up.

Also, whenever a minority student accepts an offer at a law school, one of the first people to hear about it are the student leaders of the certain group. Since every year the number of blacks or hispanics at a law school is between 0-15 (looking at NALP stats) each student receives a lot of attention. If you were clearly white as the fallen snow and your name went to the black law students group, I could only imagine the reaction when you show up to orientation. I heard of a student group in CA (at the undergraduate level) that called out someone in a scenario just like this and I'm pretty sure there was a stink at CLS about a female applicant who checked black but didn't look it. I'll try to find more info about it.

Finally, let us not underemphasize the importance schools place on your diversity statement and the effect your race has had in your life (in your PS for example) not to mention factors such as if you were a minority and the first one in your family to go to college, economic status, etc. It is here where you might find yourself in some trouble.   

Sometimes the school will make assumptions about you even if you don't mark anything on the application. I have one friend who constantly got pestered to be in a club on the basis of his last name alone and he didn't identify with that group at all.

As for people claiming to be black but not looking it, I wouldn't be surprised if that happened at a lot of schools. I know we had a person claim to be black who didn't look it and I have a friend at another school who says it happens at her school too.

[Matthew]

This has also been a problem for froups that use politically correct terminology.  The person would check the African American box and turn out to be a white person who is actually an African American.

[sc3pt0r]

Actually, now that I think of it, I've received an invitation to join the SBLA.  Don't know if they send it to all of the incoming students, but I did receive one.

[MahlerGrooves]

This has also been a problem for froups that use politically correct terminology.  The person would check the African American box and turn out to be a white person who is actually an African American.

Then that's not REALLY lying, now is it? 

[Matthew]

This has also been a problem for froups that use politically correct terminology.  The person would check the African American box and turn out to be a white person who is actually an African American.

Then that's not REALLY lying, now is it? 

Not if the person was ignorant of what was really being asked.  But I think it would be if they knew exactly what it meant and were taking advantage of semantics.

[wellpreserved]

Not too sure if this is a state or district thing, but I worked in a California school district where we kept records of every student, including their ethnicity. They were listed with a numerical code (700-white, 600-black, 500-hispanic, 400-asian, etc.) Every student that passed through our elementary, middle, or high school had a profile. I'm sure that if you were a bit suspect in your self-classification (and I'm not talking about the marginal "I can't tell what the heck he is" scenario) the bar could easily dig some of this up.

Also, whenever a minority student accepts an offer at a law school, one of the first people to hear about it are the student leaders of the certain group. Since every year the number of blacks or hispanics at a law school is between 0-15 (looking at NALP stats) each student receives a lot of attention. If you were clearly white as the fallen snow and your name went to the black law students group, I could only imagine the reaction when you show up to orientation. I heard of a student group in CA (at the undergraduate level) that called out someone in a scenario just like this and I'm pretty sure there was a stink at CLS about a female applicant who checked black but didn't look it. I'll try to find more info about it.

Finally, let us not underemphasize the importance schools place on your diversity statement and the effect your race has had in your life (in your PS for example) not to mention factors such as if you were a minority and the first one in your family to go to college, economic status, etc. It is here where you might find yourself in some trouble.   

Thank you! Not that anyone here will directly address your assertions but I know my experience certainly proved true the fact that your race is tracked from the moment you register in a public school system. Again, how else would schools know if they were in compliance with bussing and diversity regulations and how would we get those nifty "minority kids fall ever farther behind" statistics if no one was tracking race?

And I was pretty sure that self-identified minorities were acknowleged on campus, thus the school's due diligence in recruiting them (why recruit them if you don't plan to keep track of them in any way?). I can imagine the scenario you named above. Again, I don't think it'd be the adcomms who'd nail you but the other students/faculty who would cause a ruckus. And they don't have to prove anything, just raise enough doubt for you to be known as the lying sack of feces that tried to hold both your white privlege card and a bogus minority card to effectively scam every system. I'm thinking you wouldn't be too popular with career placement.