Pick the racial group that you fit into: white, black, Chicano, Latino, American Indian, Asian.
For many students this is an easy question, but for some multiracial students at MSU, picking one can be a choice between pieces of their heritage.
At MSU, 316 undergraduate students have identified themselves as multiracial this semester, according to admissions data from the Office of the Registrar. Even more students, however, might have not filled out their ethnicity or might have picked one race instead of multiple races.
For multiracial students, identifying themselves on university paperwork is a two-part process. First, they record their "primary race" — the single racial group that will be recorded and sent to the state and federal governments. Then, the student has the option of identifying the rest of their ethnic makeup for the university's record.
"We are required by the state of Michigan to collect the information, but the state has never asked us to report it," said Dugald McMillan, senior associate registrar. "It's interesting because it's an illustration of the changing demographics of the social structure of the United States."
Kristen Renn, an MSU educational administration assistant professor, interviewed 56 multiracial students from six college campuses for her book, "Mixed Race Students in College: The Ecology of Race, Identity, and Community on Campus." The book focuses on college students and the five ways multiracial students categorized themselves — one race, multiple races, mixed, no race and a fifth category that is dependent on the situation.
"In my work, I have found students that identify with one race and some that identify with no groups and some that pick a middle spot," Renn said. "Others, they just pick biracial and the fifth group identifies situationally."
Multiracial students often are asked to choose a single ethnicity.
"Specific to the issue of having to choose on the forms, a lot of the students that I have done research with felt that that is a time when the institution doesn't really recognize who they are," Renn said.
Sonia Singh
When premedical freshman Sonia Singh came to MSU, she planned to run for student government in Bryan Hall.
Then she heard about Black Caucus. Now, Singh is the group's Bryan Hall president.
"I didn't really know what opportunities there were for minority students here," Singh said. "The only one that really deals with minority issues is Black Caucus, so I decided to run for that. That's my passion — minority issues."
Most people think Black Caucus is just for black students. Singh is half white and half Indian.
"Our Black Caucus is so diverse," Singh said. "In the beginning of the year, we had predominately African Americans. Now, we have a lot more Caucasian students and Indian students. I think it's a big accomplishment that we can make everyone feel welcome."
Though she is only half Indian, she chooses to mark Asian on university paperwork. Meanwhile, she stays close with her Indian ties by participating in Indian student groups on campus, including the Coalition of Indian Undergraduate Students.
While growing up, Singh's Indian grandparents stayed in her home. She said she was very close with her grandfather until he passed away.
Singh also keeps in touch with her Indian roots through classes in Hindi, an Indian language.
She said she struggled with being from two different backgrounds when she was younger.
"It was kind of hard when growing up, when I would come to school smelling like curry or spice — (other students) can't relate," she said. "It has made me a bigger person because I can relate to two cultures. I think it gives me the advantage."
Rachel Ramirez
Rachel Ramirez's mother is white and her father is Mexican, but she marks Latino when identifying her race at MSU. The rest of her family is just as diverse, the sociology freshman said.
"I have black cousins, white cousins and Mexican cousins," Ramirez said.
When people find out Ramirez is partially Mexican, she said they often wonder why she doesn't speak Spanish. Although she can't speak the language now, she is taking classes so she can eventually communicate better with the Mexican side of her family.
"My entire family speaks Spanish," Ramirez said. "My dad didn't speak it in the home growing up. He regrets that he didn't teach me. I kind of feel like something is missing. My entire extended family speaks it in front of me."
Before coming to MSU, Ramirez grew up in Texas, close to the Mexican border. But her private school contained predominately white students.
After high school, she decided to come to MSU to get away from home and experience something new.
"My mom went here and my grandpa did too, so that's how I knew about it," Ramirez said.
Today she has many white, Chicano and Latino friends. Chicanos are specifically of Mexican descent, while Latinos are of Latin American heritage.
Ramirez said she identifies fully with both her white and Latino backgrounds.
"Some people will ask 'Well, are you white or are you Mexican?'" Ramirez said. "They're just joking, but I don't think that people really understand what it feels like to be completely one and completely the other."
Nikki O'Brien
It's not just students at MSU who straddle two identities. Department of Residence Life Assistant Director Nikki O'Brien checks both of the boxes for black and white when identifying her race, even when she is asked to just check one.
"I had an experience when I was in an office, and they looked at me and erased one of the boxes," she said. "I didn't see which one they erased. That was probably a good example of institutional racism. Even though I was pretty upset about it, I just let it go."
O'Brien grew up in Illinois, and started her MSU career as an undergraduate student. Now, she does the recruiting for the Department of Residence Life, including hiring students as residence hall mentors.
"I actually came (to MSU) for the hospitality business program because it was ranked second in the nation," O'Brien said. "It was the right environment for me to grow up and build leadership skills. I felt really connected."
As an undergraduate in 1996, O'Brien started a group called the Multiracial Student Circle. The group no longer exists, but there is another student group on campus for biracial students called The Multiracial Identity Experience, or The Mix.
"Biracial students have trouble identifying with racial groups that they belong to," O'Brien said. "But it's not like that for all students."
Edgar Martin
When electrical engineering freshman Edgar Martin is asked to mark a box about his race, he marks two — black and Latino. His father is black, and his mother is Mexican. Martin grew up on the east side of Detroit.
"On my African American side, most live in Detroit or down South." Martin said. "Most of my friends are African American and white, but I do have Mexican friends."
Martin went to a private school in Harper Woods where there were students of several different races.
"Most people just accepted who I was," he said. "People that know me respect me."
Martin said he still keeps in touch with his Mexican roots by celebrating traditional holidays such as Cinco de Mayo.
"There are usually parades in southwest Detroit," he said. "I used to go all the time when I was little. Now, I just really celebrate with my family."
Martin is also Roman Catholic. The church that he attends in Grosse Point is predominately white, he said.
"In my area that I lived in Detroit, there are a lot of white people (at church)," Martin said. "If you were to go to the southwest side of Detroit, there will be a lot more Mexicans."
Martin believes his background makes him unique and knowledgeable because he has the opportunity to experience two different cultures.
He usually listens to rap and R&B, but when he's with his family, it's Latin music.
"You can't judge me by saying I'm half this or half that," he said. "You can't say that I can't understand. I've been around black people all my life, and I've been around Mexican people all my life."
Lindsay Machak can be reached at machakli@msu.edu.
