I just found out I qualify as diversity, should I put it on my apps?

Rising sophomore here. I just found out that I qualify as part of one of the diverse races. Previously I had just been putting White/Asian on my apps because I didn’t know I was (not connected to extended family so didn’t know, weird situation). So I applied to some firms for soph internships. Would they notice the discrepancies in my race if I put two races now instead of one? Would this have negative affects on my app?

I really just want responses to the question and not a diversity discussion.

16 Comments
 

Absolutely put down the desired URM race if it applies. Anything over 1/8 is fair game, imo. Don’t straight up lie though, you need to be able to somewhat defend yourself if ever get called out 

 

Thanks for the advice. It is above 1/8 lol. My extended family is in a different (3rd world) country though where birth certificates/race stuff doesn't really exist and im not really in contact with them, so I wouldn't really be able to defend myself. Would you still recommend doing this?

 

Absolutely put down the desired URM race if it applies. 

Is Asian even URM though?

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
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If you think about it, the whole point of diversity hires is so that the company can (literally or figuratively) point to you and go, "So yeah, that dude? He's diverse, he overcame the odds, he's a rarity in the field but we made it possible for him."

I'm technically a "diversity" hire if we're going to use the typical benchmarks (half southeast Asian, first gen citizen and first gen to college, child of refugees, grew up poor, yadayada). None of that matters - I look like a crazy rich East Asian. Even if I can prove from birth certificates that I'm a diversity hire it really does them no good to include me in a diversity campaign. 

tl;dr - are you a useful diversity hire or not? 

Go ahead and put it on your apps. Just know that it might not do anything for you.

Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 

Depends who you're talking to. If its a large financial firm (Look at the big IB players), then absolutely. If it is a smaller one, don't. I applied to half of my sophomore internships white (not even white lmao) and half latino, white always got more responses when I applied to smaller shops. Look if they have traceable D&I initiatives. If they don't talk about it too much, oh well time to go in like everyone else. Lots of finance is nepotism anyways, so if you don't know anyone you're already coming at a disadvantage. If they ask any questions about discreptancies explain that your cultural and racial backgrounds are different or something like that

 

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Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes.

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