Minority Status

[Kawa'a]

I was reading a post that mentioned race as one possible factor in the admissions decision, which got me thinking...do MPA/MPP programs look for minority applicants? When I was an undergrad, I remember that universities were looking for minority applicants, except Asians as they had enough (these are huge generalizations of things I read at the time). If true, that would not have helped me as Asian was lumped with Pacific Islander at the time (not as much these days). Anyhow, is minority status a factor in admissions decisions?

On a tangential note, I noticed that CUNY John Jay College has tons of different permutations of Native Hawaiian listed as an ethnicity option. I never seen anything like it. As a Native Hawaiian, it has me super curious...anyone happen to know what this is about? I copied the exhaustive list below:

Asian A American Indian/Native Hawaiian IC

Asian/Black/Native Hawaiian/White AA American Indian/White ID

Asian/Black AB American Indian/Asian/Black IE

Asian/Native Hawaiian AC American Indian/Asian/Native Hawaiian IF

Asian/White AD American Indian/Asian/White IG

Asian/Black/Native Hawaiian AE American Indian/Asian/Black/Native Hawaiian IH

Asian/Black/White AF American Indian/Asian/Black/White II

Asian/Native Hawaiian/White AG American Indian/Black/Native Hawaiian IJ

Black B American Indian/Black/White IK

Black/Native Hawaiian/White BA American Indian/Asian/Black/Native Hawaiian/White IL

Black/Native Hawaiian BB American Indian/Black/Native Hawaiian/White IM

Black/White BC American Indian/Native Hawaiian/White IN

Hispanic H Native Hawaiian N

Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Black/Hawaiian/White HA Native Hawaiian/White NA

Hispanic/American Indian HB Not Hispanic T

Hispanic/Asian HC Not Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Black/Hawaiian/White TA

Hispanic/Black HD Not Hispanic/Black TB

Hispanic/Native Hawaiian HE Not Hispanic/American Inidan TC

Hispanic/White HF Not Hispanic/Asian TD

Hispanic/American Indian/Asian HG Not Hispanic/Native Hawaiian TE

Hispanic/American Indian/Black HH Not Hispanic/White TF

Hispanic/American Indian/Native Hawaiian HI Not Hispanic/American Indian/Asian TG

Hispanic/American Indian/White HJ Not Hispanic/American Indian/Black TH

Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Black HK Not Hispanic/American Indian/Native Hawaiian TI

Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Native Hawaiian HL Not Hispanic/American Indian/White TJ

Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/White HM Not Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Black TK

Hispanic/American Indian/Black/Native Hawaiian HN Not Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Native Hawaiian TL

Hispanic/American Indian/Black/White HO Not Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/White TM

Hispanic/Asian/Black HP Not Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Black/Hawaiian TN

Hispanic/Asian/Black/Native Hawaiian HQ Not Hispanic/American Indian/Black/Hawaiian/White TO

Hispanic/Asian/Black/White HR Not Hispanic/American Indian/Black/Native Hawaiian TP

Hispanic/Black/Native Hawaiian HS Not Hispanic/American Indian/Black/White TQ

Hispanic/Black/White HT Not Hispanic/American Indian/Native Hawaiian/White TR

Hispanic/Native Hawaiian/White HU Not Hispanic/Black/Native Hawaiian/White TS

Hispanic/Asian/Native Hawaiian HV Not Hispanic/Black/Native Hawaiian TT

Hispanic/Asian/White HW Not Hispanic/Black/White TU

Hispanic/Black/Native Hawaiian/White HX Not Hispanic/Native Hawaiian/White TV

Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Black/Native Hawaiian HY Not Hispanic/Asian/White TW

Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Black/White HZ Not Hispanic/Asian/Black TX

Hispanic/Asian/Black/Hawaiian/White H0 Not Hispanic/Asian/Black/Native Hawaiian/White TY

Hispanic/Asian/Native Hawaiian/White H1 Not Hispanic/Asian/Black/Native Hawaiian TZ

Hispanic/American Indian/Native Hawaiian/White H2 Not Hispanic/Black/Native Hawaiian/White T0

Hispanic/American Indian/Black/Native Hawaiian/White H3 Not Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Black/White T1

Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Native Hawaiian/White H4 Not Hispanic/Asian/Black/White T2

American Indian I Not Hispanic/American Indian/Asian/Hawaiian/White T3

American Indian/Asian IA Not Hispanic/Asian/Hawaiian/White T4

American Indian/Black IB White W

[pea-jay]

not going to comment on university race preferences in admission, but will on that long list of Hawaiian ethnic permutation. It looks an awful lot like the Census Bureau categorizations now that people are allowed to select more than one race/hispanic background. I've worked with Census data and what not and have seen the insane number of potential combinations when you factor in all the possibilities. Usually you will just have Asian/Pacific Islanders grouped together, all mixed race responses reported as "multi-racial" and "Hispanic" reported as a racial category. (It is not.) Plus the definitions of specific racial categories change over time. It's enough to give anyone a headache, but in CUNY's sake, they elected to classify every conceivable combination out there.

[Kawa'a]

not going to comment on university race preferences in admission, but will on that long list of Hawaiian ethnic permutation. It looks an awful lot like the Census Bureau categorizations now that people are allowed to select more than one race/hispanic background. I've worked with Census data and what not and have seen the insane number of potential combinations when you factor in all the possibilities. Usually you will just have Asian/Pacific Islanders grouped together, all mixed race responses reported as "multi-racial" and "Hispanic" reported as a racial category. (It is not.) Plus the definitions of specific racial categories change over time. It's enough to give anyone a headache, but in CUNY's sake, they elected to classify every conceivable combination out there.

Thanks for your insights, pea-jay. My curiosity stems from the fact that this list seems particularly interested in Native Hawaiians. This is there complete list and yet there are many permutations of other peoples not listed. My question is why this seeming interest in Native Hawaiians? As a multi-racial person it's refreshing to see my ethnicity listed as an option, but it is also shocking. I'm glad most organizations have realized that grouping Asian and Pacific Islander is not only inaccurate, but offensive.

If you don't mind my asking, why will you not comment on university race preferences? Is it simply that you haven't head anything? I'm just curious about their practices...

[pea-jay]

If you don't mind my asking, why will you not comment on university race preferences? Is it simply that you haven't head anything? I'm just curious about their practices...

It varies from school to school and probably within schools as ad-com members review applications. This subject is something that garners controversy and occasionally lawsuits. Im not an expert in this field and generally steer clear of of these discussions as I lack any substantive experience in this topic that would be useful for your situation

[Kawa'a]

It varies from school to school and probably within schools as ad-com members review applications. This subject is something that garners controversy and occasionally lawsuits. Im not an expert in this field and generally steer clear of of these discussions as I lack any substantive experience in this topic that would be useful for your situation

I see...thanks for your insights. I was just curious really. I would feel very uncomfortable about being accepted anywhere if I thought I got in for any reason other than my merits. I suppose there are plenty of things that are somewhat of a mystery behind the admissions door...