My son chose “Hispanic or Latino/a/x” in the demographics section of college applications he began filling out two months ago. It was an easy decision for him, though I have quietly agonized over this one box for years. I have encouraged him to excel academically so that no one could claim he had gotten into college because of his ancestry.
As someone who benefited from affirmative action to get into college, I have heard all the ugly insinuations from critics of the policy that considers race and ethnicity during the admissions process. How I didn’t deserve to take up the spot of someone with better academic qualifications. How life must be easy for me since I can check the “Latino” box and automatically get scholarships, awards, jobs, etc.
Opponents of affirmative action argue that simply by eliminating the “race/ethnicity” consideration, the college admission system will automatically convert into a level playing field for all students. Reality is far more complex, as I have discovered now that I’ve experienced the American college journey both as a low-income, first-generation student and, decades later, as a well-educated, middle-class mother shepherding my kids through the same process.
