I need a URM clarification

[Rajaredhilu]

My mom is a Sri lankan but has ancestry from the kaffir people of Sri Lanka that descended from Bantu Africans that were brought there as slaves and soldiers by the portugese. Am i not a urm because my mom is from an asian country? Would it be wrong to consider myself a mixed-black American? My father is white as well so idk if I count. Would someone who marks down White, Asian and Black be considered an urm by medical boards even though 2/3 of the catagories that they marked down arnt considered urm

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[peaceloveandmedicine]

I'm sure this is not the first time you've had to indicate race on an application use what you've done in the past (which sounds like Asian or white/asian). We all come from Africa. Don't try to claim blackness to increase your chances.

 

[Rajaredhilu]

I'm sure this is not the first time you've had to indicate race on an application use what you've done in the past (which sounds like Asian or white/asian). We all come from Africa. Don't try to claim blackness to increase your chances.

What Ive marked down in the past is irrelevant to what I actually am. In america race seems to be made up or what you decide to be. My mom and my uncles are 10x darker than any african american I have ever seen.

 

[Rajaredhilu]

I'm sure this is not the first time you've had to indicate race on an application use what you've done in the past (which sounds like Asian or white/asian). We all come from Africa. Don't try to claim blackness to increase your chances.

Plus the Africans were brought to sri lanka after Africans were brought to america. So your comment that " we all come from africa" which implies that the african ancestry in sri lanka is so ancient it doesnt count seems to apply more to african americans

 

[MangoTea8]

The point of the URM designation in applications is not to distinguish between skin tones or to see who has more recent genetic ties to a particular continent. Medical schools want to enroll students who have ties to certain medically underrepresented and underserved groups in the US and will be likely to serve those groups as future physicians. Can you honestly say that you have ties to such groups and do you have the experiences, extracurriculars, community service, etc. to prove it? If so, and you can speak about being a black American in your secondaries/interviews/etc. no one can stop you from checking a particular box. If not, I honestly don't think that checking said box will help you and may end up hurting you if adcoms suspect you are misrepresenting yourself.
But, I am an applicant as well and not an admissions officer so feel free to take my advice as you desire.

 

[peaceloveandmedicine]

Plus the Africans were brought to sri lanka after Africans were brought to america. So your comment that " we all come from africa" which implies that the african ancestry in sri lanka is so ancient it doesnt count seems to apply more to african americans

As stated above, what ties do you have to African American/Black experience to try to claim? What you have marked in the past does matter because you cannot suddenly change your race because it’s more “convenient”. Race is a social construct but it most definitely has a lasting impact on URM. Trust and believe if people could choose their race America would a lot different.
Try to deceive adcoms and I PROMISE you it will only hurt you.

 

[Rajaredhilu]

As stated above, what ties do you have to African American/Black experience to try to claim? What you have marked in the past does matter because you cannot suddenly change your race because it’s more “convenient”. Race is a social construct but it most definitely has a lasting impact on URM. Trust and believe if people could choose their race America would a lot different.
Try to deceive adcoms and I PROMISE you it will only hurt you.

How is it deceptive to put down my actual race? I grew up in a black neighborhood in california, but even if i didnt would that make someone less black? Why do mixed people get bullied into not being in a group or told no you belong here and not over here. Yeah whatever i guess im not any race and dont belong to any "experience" or whatever you are talking about because i am mixed with everything.

 

[Dr.Housexoxo]

How is it deceptive to put down my actual race? I grew up in a black neighborhood in california, but even if i didnt would that make someone less black? Why do mixed people get bullied into not being in a group or told no you belong here and not over here. Yeah whatever i guess im not any race and dont belong to any "experience" or whatever you are talking about because i am mixed with everything.

You are NOT African American . You are Sri Lankan and white. That's what you are. I am sick of seeing posts like this. All of the sudden when it comes time for applying to medical school people start trying to figure out what their "identity" is. There is no URM check box, so just check off your actual ethnicity and call it a day. And like a poster said above, this is not the first time you had to fill out your ethnicity. What you checked off in past job applications and college should be the same for medical school apps also . SMH

 

[Rajaredhilu]

You are NOT African American . You are Sri Lankan and white. That's what you are. I am sick of seeing posts like this. All of the sudden when it comes time for applying to medical school people start trying to figure out what their "identity" is. There is no URM check box, so just check off your actual ethnicity and call it a day. And like a poster said above, this is not the first time you had to fill out your ethnicity. What you checked off in past job applications and college should be the same for medical school apps also . SMH

Yeah i guess dominicans and other people who descended from africans who live on islands shouldnt put black then too huh? I am as black as someone whos mom is haitian, its just a different island.

 

[Dr.Housexoxo]

Yeah i guess dominicans and other people who descended from africans who live on islands shouldnt put black then too huh? I am as black as someone whos mom is haitian, its just a different island.

Lol Nope. Haitians are black and some Dominicans are black also. You are not. If you truly considered yourself black you wouldn't have to come on a forum and ask for clarification. I know plenty of people who are from Sri Lanka and never have I heard one refer to themselves as African American.

 

[Rajaredhilu]

Lol Nope. Haitians are black and some Dominicans are black also. You are not. If you truly considered yourself black you wouldn't have to come on a forum and ask for clarification. I know plenty of people who are from Sri Lanka and never have I heard one refer to themselves as African American.

You misunderstand, yeah sri lankans arnt black, sri lanka is a nationality with several ethic groups living on the island. My mother is from a specific small ethnic group that are descended from africans that were brought as slaves and soldiers. They are referred to by sri lankans as the kaffirs.

 

[Rajaredhilu]

Lol Nope. Haitians are black and some Dominicans are black also. You are not. If you truly considered yourself black you wouldn't have to come on a forum and ask for clarification. I know plenty of people who are from Sri Lanka and never have I heard one refer to themselves as African American.

My question wasnt on if i regard myself as black or not, it was if someone that was mixed would be considered a urm

 

[NoSleeptilBKLN]

OP, why not just put down what you consider yourself to be. However, I can almost guarantee that you will have a lot of explaining to do when you show up for your interview. The adcoms may possibly look past your grades, ec's, etc. and label you untrustworthy. It seems that being mixed does not necessarily place you into the URM box that easy. Just try and rely on the rest of your application to make you seem like someone a medical school would want.

 

[peaceloveandmedicine]

My question wasnt on if i regard myself as black or not, it was if someone that was mixed would be considered a urm

Then no. At the beginning of the group, it is stated what is and is not urm. Being of white and Asian mixed race is not listed.

 

[MangoTea8]

OP like everyone here has said, check whatever box/boxes you identify most closely with. If this suddenly includes African, good for you. But when you get asked a question about it in your interview and your answer appears deceptive to the admissions board, don't say that no one warned you.