<p>What are the race relations like at Columbia? I know the school is statistically very diverse, but I was wondering if that translate into campus life? Do people of different backgrounds and ethnicities hang out or are there divisions?</p>
<p>I think there are race divisions, which really disappoints me. I can't speak from personal experience, but I read this article in the Spec (I'm a dork, and I read a lot of old articles in the Spec b/c I have nothing else to do): <a href="http://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/29/3f77c46ce5136?in_archive=1%5B/url%5D">http://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/29/3f77c46ce5136?in_archive=1</a></p>
<p>You wont find better at any other ivy. Columbia does well, the BSO and hispanic organizations are quite active. Self segregation is common everywhere - including Columbia. More than 50% of my friends are either not white or foreign students though. It really depends on you. Like I said you wont find any better at any other Ivy and Columbia is very proactive (it is the most liberal university on the east coast for crying our loud), but it isn't going to be as racially diverse as, say, UCLA or other state schools.</p>
<p>self-segregation exists but they're there as comfort groups. It's not forced.
if you don't like that and want to be friends with everyone regardless of their ethnic background, that's also super possible. there's something for everyone at columbia.
even though I have friends who share my Asian background and are self-segregating (which is too bad), I have just as many, if not more non-Asian friends who don't mind the self-segregating lot (they are aware of it, however). columbia really offers me a lot of freedom in who I want to hang out with.
C
<a href="http://www.xanga.com/SoHo%5B/url%5D">http://www.xanga.com/SoHo</a>
the best pictures from columbia - 2005.
<a href="http://www.CUfestival.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.CUfestival.com/</a>
Columbia National Undergraduate Film Festival.</p>
<p>EDacceptee: I enjoyed reading that article you linked, but I had the opposite reaction to it. Far from being disappointed, I was pleased to see that there is apparently a willingness to engage in dialogue about exactly this sort of concern. And it is especially nice to see a first-year getting published with that much prominence.</p>
<p>Self-segregation is a general feature (problem?) of American society, and the fact that Columbia students are aware of the phenomenon and actively trying to avoid it speaks very well of the climate on campus.</p>
<p>Because really, all you can do as an individual is make an effort to be as inclusive of everyone around you as you can. The diversity of the activities that interest you is luck of the draw, but is of course enhanced by a diverse student body overall.</p>