Race?

[cs&mswaiting]

OK, my dilemma is that its time to sign my daughter up for kindergarten, We are applying for a school in another district because we really want her to go to school there. I am caucasian and hubby is mexican, so on the form on the race should I put hispanic or white?? I thought about putting "other", I'm just not sure. I know I remember in school all those standardized tests it would say white not hispanic or hispanic not white, I think they probably have added "other" on there by now. Just wanted some suggestions!

[tkc1169]

When I signed my daughter up I checked the hispanic box. I figured since she is mixed race she should not really be considered white.

[ojos_de_alicia]

i check off both white and hispanic for my daughters.. noone has said anything to me.. and if they do i will check off hispanic =D their last name is a give away lol

[chilanga]

"Hispanic" is an ethnicity, not a race. And unfortunately, trying to peg oneself in a category is tough. I always put Hispanic down, because ethnically, my children are hispanic. Race is harder. For example, my husband's ethnicity is hispanic. But his race, would technically be indigenous. But you never see that on the forms. You see Native American (which per government rules only applies to indigenous groups within the US border) or East Indian, none of which are right. Hispanic used to be considered a race, but as those of you who have traveled to Spanish speaking countries know, there are many different racial groups within those countries.

[cs&mswaiting]

I wish there were boxes to check, I would just check them both I guess, but its a fill in the blank type of form. I guess if you look at her and at her name, it should be down as hispanic :)

[nsoto]

same deal here. I"m white and hubby is hispanic...we check the hispanic box.

[~MP~]

my children are half philipino and hispanic...from what i can remember i can check off two boxes...so i do both of them. Also they have other sometimes and that is what i check off.

[losguerra]

Hispanics can be of any race, by the way.

I actually consider myself of mixed ethnicity ("other"), but usually I check Hispanic, and here's partly why: Sadly, if you check only "Hispanic", it helps the school qualify for certain status, etc. in terms of federal funding and programming. This kind of funding and status can generally only help the school. It's my opinion that as long as you're OK with it, it doesn't hurt for her to be considered "Hispanic". If she performs well academically, it can help the school look better overall in terms of No Child Left Behind and all that other ridiculous stuff schools go through.

However, if you don't like the idea of your daughter being like a token in a messed up federal system, then I would put "other".

Sorry for the long answer....

[christytorres]

This was an issue back then..what are Mexican considered..and it is on my birth certificate I am of a white race..my ethnicity is Hispanic/Latino..there are only a few races..black..white..Native American..its confusing..right..well my son is half black..and well half white..and plus I am mexian..so what does that make him..?? my crazy MIL told me you always go by the race of the father..but I was not ashamed..and always put other..and explained later..but you can clearly see he is dark..looks nothing like me..so I do get the looks at parent teacher conference..good luck ladies..

[Chapital]

Just recently the US gov't came out with a new system for tracking race/ethnicity. Since I work in HR I was involved in the transition of all our data for employees to the new categories. And although it took the gov't years to come up with this new system it is still flawed. My kids are half Mexican and half white like so many kids in the US and the new system does not have a truly representative category for them. If you check the Hispanic ethnicity there is no no option for mixed race...crazy. I am with LosGuerra, I check the hispanic box because that represents best that they are partially a minority.

[Laura]

Here's a question - let's say your husband is like 90% indigenous Mexican - is he technically "Hispanic"?

[cokezero000]

Here's a question - let's say your husband is like 90% indigenous Mexican - is he technically "Hispanic"?

hispanic

adjective
1. related to a Spanish-speaking people or culture; "the Hispanic population of California is growing rapidly"

I would say he would be if he speaks Spanish. If he only speaks some other language, then I guess he wouldn't be considered Hispanic??? That's confusing. What if someone was born in Mexico to some white Americans and grew up speaking Spanish. Would they then be considered Hispanic?

My ex is Mexican and on his police records they put his race down as white. I don't see anyone calling him a white boy.

[Chapital]

Interesting...my MIL's is 100% Zapotecan (spanish is her second language) so my husband is 50% indigenous. Hispanic is a very general term....but is not typically associated with Spanish speakers from Europe (even if it technically should be). For example, my friend who is from Spain is not considered a minority for employment purposes...and would not call herself latina or hispanic

[y14gemini]

My kids are "Multicultural" !

[djones9714]

I had the same problem when my children were born -- half white/half black. However, one of the attorneys in my office asked her sister who was a school teacher the question about how I should categorize my children, and she responded that I should put black. Why? Because when they go to apply for college scholarships, there are more opportunities for blacks to be awarded the scholarships than whites because they have to be equal in the ratios and there was a much higher chance of obtaining a scholarship based upon being "black" versus being "white" because of the limited availability of blacks being able financially to attend college. I know it may sound stupid but this reasoning paid off for us. My daughter received a 50% academic scholarship to a private college which saved us 50% of the cost or else we never would have been able to afford to send her. It was an excellent college and her degree has already paid off for her in less than 2 years financially.

[Nepthys]

"Hispanic" is an ethnicity, not a race. And unfortunately, trying to peg oneself in a category is tough. I always put Hispanic down, because ethnically, my children are hispanic. Race is harder. For example, my husband's ethnicity is hispanic. But his race, would technically be indigenous. But you never see that on the forms. You see Native American (which per government rules only applies to indigenous groups within the US border) or East Indian, none of which are right. Hispanic used to be considered a race, but as those of you who have traveled to Spanish speaking countries know, there are many different racial groups within those countries.

This fits my husband exactly. His father speaks Spanish as a second language. I will have to ask which two Native languages he spoke. He is from Oxaca.

I am 9/32 (just over a quarter) Native American. I am an enrolled member of a federally recongnized tribe. My children how ever are not enough indigenous blood to have that right. It is to bad they don't count my husband.

I mark my children as hispanic or Native American since they are decend.

[MendozaQH]

I had the same problem when my children were born -- half white/half black. However, one of the attorneys in my office asked her sister who was a school teacher the question about how I should categorize my children, and she responded that I should put black. Why? Because when they go to apply for college scholarships, there are more opportunities for blacks to be awarded the scholarships than whites because they have to be equal in the ratios and there was a much higher chance of obtaining a scholarship based upon being "black" versus being "white" because of the limited availability of blacks being able financially to attend college. I know it may sound stupid but this reasoning paid off for us. My daughter received a 50% academic scholarship to a private college which saved us 50% of the cost or else we never would have been able to afford to send her. It was an excellent college and her degree has already paid off for her in less than 2 years financially.

EXACTLY! The same goes for checking the hispanic box. There are so many more opportunities for children who are considered minorities. Being white, when I was looking for scholarships to be able to go to the university (since my parents refused to pay for any of it....), there was nothing available for me outside of focusing on my major, of which I was undecided. I came across so MANY that were for african american and many for hispanics, but obviously nothing for white........I always check the hispanic box for my daughter, not because it helps the school, but because it helps HER.

[sam1010]

my children have an arabic father, and a white mother. My son looks white, and my daughter has a honey colored skin tone, but I have always checked 'white' on their forms. I just didn't think of checking anything else. I guess because I felt like my husband was always discriminated against by other people who would look at him so hatefully. So, I never wanted my children to ever feel inferior to others.