What Ethnicity Can I Pass As?

July 21, 2004 6:12 AM

obscure ethnicity needed.............

i joined a scheme to train people in making films...
but heres the catch :

3. Diversity
Diverse Screen exists to address the under-representation of Black and ethnic minorities in the moving image industry and support those coming from minority ethnic communities. To ensure that we are fulfilling these aims please chose the category which best applies to you.

q Indian
q Pakistani
q Bangladeshi
q Any other Asian (please state)
q Chinese
q Black Caribbean
q Black African
q Any other Black (please state)
Any other ethnic group (please state)

As you can tell from my profile , i'm not especially chinese.
Are there any obscure ethnic groups i could pretend to be from ?

(apart from scottish of course)

posted by sgt.serenity to human relations (25 comments total)

I would say something like partially Native American if you were from here, but i don't know...could you say you were 1/4 Romany or something like that? what other oppressed minorities are there up there? 1/4 Sami? 1/4 Lapp?
posted by amberglow at 6:27 AM on July 21, 2004

You could just, you know, not lie.
posted by reklaw at 6:43 AM on July 21, 2004

I'm confused. You joined an association that is mandated to assist people who aren't you, and you're looking for a plausible lie to help you do so?

If that's what you're after, perhaps the best thing to do is to skip the question entirely or take the "Any other" option with an "N/A" response.
posted by majick at 6:44 AM on July 21, 2004

I'm lost. You are trying to be a "minority" film trainer? Seems a trainer is a minority in itself in the movie industry. Looking at it - there are more actors than trainers. Scottish Trainer w/ no film credits may not be a minority though :P. Where are your ancestors from?
posted by thomcatspike at 6:46 AM on July 21, 2004

Scottish isn't a repressed minority?
posted by Goofyy at 6:47 AM on July 21, 2004

1/4 Sami? 1/4 Lapp?

Same thing, but that's not a bad idea.

Easiest, assuming that they'll accept it, might be to claim that you're a welshman. Enough British tax dollars go to preserving welsh culture that "unassimilated" welshman seems like it could work. Or Manx?
posted by Mayor Curley at 6:52 AM on July 21, 2004

Gaelic?
posted by goethean at 7:23 AM on July 21, 2004

Tell the truth. You're Pictish.
posted by m@ at 7:47 AM on July 21, 2004

Potato munching Celtic fan?
posted by the cuban at 7:54 AM on July 21, 2004

Ian Paisley's bastard Catholic son.
posted by yerfatma at 8:13 AM on July 21, 2004

how about druid?

(or you could say you're gay--we're minorities, too)
posted by amberglow at 8:28 AM on July 21, 2004

Don't do it sgt.

"Diverse Screen exists to address the under-representation of Black and ethnic minorities in the moving image industry"

IMHO, you blagging yourself onto this course is tantamount to stealing. If you really want to do it, approach them and tell them the truth and say you're really interested in the course.
posted by seanyboy at 8:46 AM on July 21, 2004

But he'd be helping those people get the skills they needed to get into the industry, right sgt?
posted by amberglow at 10:27 AM on July 21, 2004

St Kildan
posted by bonaldi at 11:52 AM on July 21, 2004

its a shit sandwich and we're all gonna have to take a bite.
posted by sgt.serenity at 12:38 PM on July 21, 2004

Ainu.
posted by casarkos at 12:40 PM on July 21, 2004

can i say i'm jewish ?
posted by sgt.serenity at 12:42 PM on July 21, 2004

Jedi
posted by briank at 12:43 PM on July 21, 2004

Won't you have to prove this at some point?
posted by Sangre Azul at 12:52 PM on July 21, 2004

can i say i'm jewish?

We're not under-represented (especially not in film-making :P), and therefore usually don't qualify for affirmative-action type stuff.
posted by kickingtheground at 1:32 PM on July 21, 2004

If you're going to lie, just check 'other' and make one up. Don't fill the quota and take some poor genuine Maori's spot.
posted by ChasFile at 2:04 PM on July 21, 2004

I'd go with Romany. : >
posted by amberglow at 2:58 PM on July 21, 2004

Won't you have to prove this at some point?

thats not a problem : )

hmmm i might try gypsy.........
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:29 PM on July 21, 2004

I'm quarter Chilean, quarter Croat, half Geordie. How's that?
posted by armoured-ant at 5:07 PM on July 21, 2004

Use the term “traveller” instead of gypsy, its an obscure enough distinction to add some authenticity, and whatever you do don't pay attention to the people who are urging you to tell the truth...
posted by snarfodox at 9:32 AM on July 22, 2004