What is considered diversity/URM?

Hello! I have seen lots of posts about getting SA offers through diversity pipelines, but have never actually seen what the consensus on the definition of diversity is. For example, Asians are generally considered minorities, but I have heard that that becomes increasingly less true in finance (i.e. white males are not disproportionately more present at desks than Asians, be those Asians southern or eastern).

I am not asking this to create some mega-political discussion about oppression/representation and faults of the electoral college, but I am wondering who are considered minorities for these diversity programs since most of the listings define minorities as those who self-identify as minorities. Are they looking for underrepresented groups in the broader US context or minorities in finance (like I have seen that Hispanics are not considered minorities in the US any longer, but certainly are in investment banks).

If you say to apply to these programs if I think I may be a minority, my only qualm is that I do not want them to think of me as a dickhead for trying to take advantage of a program for which I do not qualify. I do not want a misstep like that to be on my file and cause me to be evaluated differently.

Thanks!

18 Comments
 
Funniest

This is largely correct.

Any form of Black, Mexican, Spanish, Native American, LGBTQ+ and any other of the 70 genders that leftists claim exists, and most importantly - women

Cheers

 

Not to get too far into the woods, but are there proportions that you would say are good rules to keep in mind. This kind of strays away from the question in regards to applying for diversity programs, but more in general. Am I a minority if I am 1/2 black and 1/2 white? Or is it my own prerogative to decide?

 

Biracial is arguably more diverse than being 100% black or Hispanic. I am half Mexican and half white, but definitely consider myself a minority. Although this may be a result of growing up in a >85% Mexican community. Either way, you are a minority, plain and simple.

 

Well, I could be wrong, but I believe diversity is an old, old wooden ship that was used during the Civil War era.

 

It's easier to define by what diversity is "not" in the context of IBD recruiting: straight white males and straight Asian males. If you're anything besides that, congrats you're diverse.

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

Elizabeth Warren played this card as a sub-1/100th (probably closer to 1/1000th) Native American, so the question isn't what is diversity, it's what isn't diversity.

 
Most Helpful

A little deviation here, but... If i'm 50%+ Moroccan, the rest being Italian and a small amount of Euro-mutt, is there any way or strategy I could spin this into being a minority? (my skin is very tan/olive -- most people think i'm Hispanic/Latino, SEA, or just have no idea)

Laughable, but I'm not against using any possible advantage.

The thing is, though, my father (100% Moroccan, born there and only came to the U.S. for college), pretty much found no diversity advantages for himself). To be fair, in my father's case, the whole diversity & inclusion thing really hadn't kicked off into the beast it is today.

Don't beat yourself up on this, Eric. Some people like taking the long way home. Who the fuck knows?
 
"Jake Paul" A little deviation here, but... If i'm 50%+ Moroccan, the rest being Italian and a small amount of Euro-mutt, is there any way or strategy I could spin this into being a minority? (my skin is very tan/olive -- most people think i'm Hispanic/Latino, SEA, or just have no idea)

Laughable, but I'm not against using any possible advantage.

The thing is, though, my father (100% Moroccan, born there and only came to the U.S. for college), pretty much found no diversity advantages for himself). To be fair, in my father's case, the whole diversity & inclusion thing really hadn't kicked off into the beast it is today.

This is just pathetic.

 

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