Am I really Hispanic?

Though it's hard to say, you are Hispanic. Though just by being born there might not feel enough. From reading your post, it seems you've dove into the culture and even picked up the language. I am Hispanic myself though I'm not fluent in the language, I feel there is much more to being Hispanic by not knowing the language, or in your case being born in a Spanish-speaking country/ territory. So if this falls into the technically yes but category, I would suggest asking yourself how being born in Puerto Rico has impacted your life and how has it changed you. If you don't truly feel any connection I would reconsider adding it as your identity. I say this to reiterate that being technically part of the culture doesn't fully define you as being Hispanic. One last point, if you don't feel a connection another option could be trying to find that connection. I think colleges would like to see how you are curious about new things, especially about your identity and culture. Overall your story is well-diverse and beautiful. Therefore, however you choose to identify yourself as to how it's supposed to be.

Hi @gsmatte,

This is a great question, and I'm glad you're taking the time to reflect on an accurate portrayal of your identity for admissions purposes! Generally, people who identify as Hispanic come from families that originated in Spanish-Speaking/Latin Countries rather than a family that moved there. The "regardless of race" question is usually placed because there are people of White, Afro, and Indigenous races within these countries.

So, if your parents are White (with European/North American roots, exempting Spain) and Korean/Asian, you would most likely identify as White and Asian but not Hispanic. I think that, for this reason, your friend's comment has merit in the situation, and you may want to consider his opinion.

To better understand this, you may want to consider a hypothetical instance. If someone (let's call him George) whose parents are both White from England was born in Mexico and grew up there, would he be considered Hispanic? Perhaps he would hold Mexican citizenship, but I wouldn't say that he is Hispanic. His familial/ancestral roots are not within a Spanish-Speaking/Latin nation, although he may have adopted and been influenced by certain elements of Latin culture. The same could be said if George was born in China and grew up in China; He's not Asian.

As for your second question, I don't know how identifying as Hispanic would be viewed by AOs, but I think that the Hispanic ones, especially, may share an opinion similar to mine. Also, I'm fairly certain that territorial applicants are viewed as domestic (you should be able to double check this by emailing AOs or Googling); I think this may also help you in terms of boosting schools' representation from different geographic areas of the country (consider how islander/Hawaiian applicants are viewed).

Don't be discouraged though! Growing up in Puerto Rico certainly does make your identity unique, and being a fluent Spanish-speaker is definitely a plus! So, even if you aren't Hispanic, I think your identity may still be viewed as distinct from other applicants just because of how different it is. But try not to worry about race/culture and other things you can't change in the admissions process: Instead, focus on what you can control, like essays, interviews, etc., and you'll do just fine!

Let me know if this helped! Thanks

Students from Puerto Rico are NOT considered "international" students. However, as a boricua, you are legally defined as Hispanic.