Hispanic question
Why does nearly every online job application ask if you are Hispanic or not? Does this help or hurt your chances to get hired?
The data is only looked at after you get hired, for statically purposes.
It is also looked at in aggregate before closing a pool and selecting a candidate. If a job opening only attracted people of a single demographic, or if one demographic was significantly underrepresented in the applicant pool, they may hold the job open while they expend additional effort to diversify the applicant pool.
Federal regulations identify "placement goals," which are based on a calculation of availability data and the current workforce. Availability data comes from a few sources, including the U.S. Census and terminal degree awards databases. These goals provide clarity and focus on outreach efforts to ensure the applicant pool is as diverse and qualified as possible. Many organizations have full-time "diversity recruiters" to assist them in this requirement. The regulations explicitly state "Quotas are expressly forbidden...[i]n all employment decisions, the contractor must make selections in a nondiscriminatory manner. Placement goals do not provide the contractor with a justification to extend a preference to any individual, select an individual, or adversely affect an individual's employment status, on the basis of that person's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin."
In easier to read format this reads as checking the box won't get you hired, but it may get you an interview assuming an equal pool of eligible candidates.
I’m never sure how to answer these questions because I’m half hispanic. And I don’t speak Spanish (unlike my sister) because I was not talking as a child and the doctor said to only speak English at home because I might be getting confused or something.
Do you support the wall?
Yes. All my ancestors legally immigrated to the US.
Hispanic is asked separately from the race form because Hispanics can be of any race (white/black/native).
Decline to answer this question
It is literally illegal to use that information against a candidate, so if someone is using it against you they are breaking the law and you can sue them (might be hard to prove though). Probably used for statistics only, but I am not in HR to know for sure