Hi, I’m an oos junior interested in FSU. I like the campus, love the weather and the enthusiasm of the school. If i get the oos waiver, i’m definitely considering FSU. The problem is, I’m from NY, I’m asian ( more indian), and have dark brown skin. I’m saying this because I need to know if i’m going to be an outcast there. There are great options for schooling in Ny so even though I want to go to FSU, I do believe my confidence and well-being are more important. I’m just worried there is going to be a strong southern presence and with that, racism. I want to start fresh in college, not be isolated and uncomfortable so please be as brutally honest as possible. I don’t want to make the wrong mistake. Thanks!!
Even if people aren’t racist, per se, they still may not date outside their racial pool.
“I don’t want to make the wrong mistake.”
You wouldn’t want to make the right mistake, either, OP.
Have you tried going to the social medial pages of the school, looking at Facebook pages students create about their experiences there, contacting a South Asian student club there? Sounds like you are a little anxious, and if that comes from just a general concern about the South, maybe you could allay those concerns if you understood more about the campus and the area to which you would be applying to go to school.
I think your question signals an awful lot about your state of mind, and it is easy to confirm the greatest fears we have by looking for confirmation of those fears and not being open to the possibilities of the wonder and positivity in the new which may also be present.
If there is anything which has happened which has raised your concerns, anything specific, then you must really do your homework to find out if the area could be welcoming to you.
Having lived in both the north and the south, I have experienced FAR more multicultural experiences in the south. By that I mean seeing people of a variety of cultures (African American, Asian, Indian, Muslim, Hispanic etc.) in normal life settings such as church, the grocery store, local events, stores, school, the neighborhood, my house (my kids’ friends), you-name-it. Life up north is still pretty segregated. It’s still unusual to actually SEE a person of a different race/color in places where you normally go. I don’t specifically have experience with FSU, but I’d guess it pulls students from all areas of the state, not just north Florida.
FSU is a big place. There will be plenty of people who are racist, and plenty who aren’t. You need to decide if you can overlook anything directed at you. There will be clubs you may not be invited to join, there may be individuals who hurt you. I think that could happen anywhere.
@Trisherella: " It’s still unusual to actually SEE a person of a different race/color in places where you normally go."
Boy, does that need to be qualified.
@twoinanddone: “There will be plenty of people who are racist…”
Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone to say that here at CC. It is both alarming, eyebrow-raising, and curiosity-puiqing.
Feel free.
Or, chime in with your own experience.
@Trisherella: I would have to wonder what part of the north you were in to find it difficult to see people of other colors and races, even sans any actual interaction. I would think that an impossible experience in a city, though perhaps more true of those in some suburbs. Mostly, I am reminded of Ralph Ellison when you say that.
How so? It’s not an incorrect statement. There are racist people pretty much everywhere. Some are much better at hiding it than others.
FSU is in a larger city with a population of almost 200,000. There’s bound to be at least a few racist people there- that’s simply a fact of life.
@Pasbal: “How so? It’s not an incorrect statement. There are racist people pretty much everywhere. Some are much better at hiding it than others.”
As I assume most of the people with whom I encounter on these boards do not identify as people of color, I would not expect to hear the very things which get shouted down, scoffed at, ridiculed or minimized when people of color make them main talking points. I have no idea what the background of that poster is, and was surprised to find it being given breath. That is my ‘how so’.
As to speaking on whether or not the statement is correct, often people pointed out as racist do not hold themselves to be - maintaining their desire to protect their values and way of life, which they find to be starkly different and opposing to whomever seems to be encroaching or whittling away at a way of life that was once familiar and comfortable.
I think the OP could assume the presence of “a few racist people.” The comment to which I responded was “…plenty of people who are racist.” Yes, I find that alarming.
Given the population you cite, @Pasbal, what’s your take on “few,” versus “plenty”? I think it is the latter which greatly concerns the OP.
Pro tip: Colleges are all the same (unless you go to a religously affiliated school). It’s not going to instantly change your life. It’s not a Disney movie where everyone is friends. It’s a continuation of high school; only now you have to feed yourself and wash your own clothes.
I love that comment, @loller. I think so much of the truth and clarity of that gets lost in the college selection process for some.
No they’re not racist and won’t isolate you because of your race. There are a lot of Trump supporters but that’s about it.
Tallahassee in general is a left-leaning dot in a generally right-leaning part of the state. More than that, it’s a place with several colleges and universities and university educated people. Residents and students have seen brown skin before, have seen south Asian people before, and you won’t be a novelty. There are, as in any other part of the country, racist people and non-racist people, but there are no more racists in Tallahassee than in most other places in the country (and probably way fewer than a lot of places I can think of Up North). Racism isn’t unique to the south, nor is it the defining feature of southern culture.
The campus is actually very friendly-- almost ridiculously so, sometimes. When my son went for admitted student daays people were very welcoming and very encouraging to the prospective students: not a case of “wow, you’re lucky to be here” but “oh, we’re so glad you’re here!”
I’m from new jersey and I have honestly met a few racist people at FSU (more than I have anywhere around NJ). I’ve also met a lot of very accepting people here too. FSU is huge and even though there may be some close minded people here, you’re bound to find a lot of accepting people here too.