<p>Have any of you had this experience with your children?</p>
<p>what if you get a racist roommate? considering this would probably be an awkward and hard type of problem to address to that person, what do you do? do colleges allow students to choose which race they prefer to be roomed with?</p>
<p>note: i havent had this experience, but im just curious of how you go about handling that.</p>
<p>I had one myself, 40 years ago. Anti-Semitic too. He's now a Republican federal judge. Found out the very first day. You learn to deal.</p>
<p>
[quote]
what if you get a racist roommate? considering this would probably be an awkward and hard type of problem to address to that person, what do you do?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well racist or otherwise if you really don't get along with your roommate there are generally always procedures available to arrange a switch. </p>
<p>
[quote]
do colleges allow students to choose which race they prefer to be roomed with?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>During the first year when the housing office generally puts roommates together I'd say probably not... in fact they might not even know the race of each person unless the student volunteered that information (which not everyone does). After the first year you can choose who to live with.</p>
<p>I know that my father ran into an anti-Semitic roomate during his stay at the University of Kentucky. He asked the housing office if they would switch him (he is Jewish and the name gives it away right off the bat), but they told him no. Two days later the anti-Semitic roomate ended up with a broken nose. </p>
<p>Now I do not condone the use of violence against those who are ill-informed about society, but there is something to be said about a flexible housing office. I would imagine nowadays that if you truly explain your situation they will be flexible (especially if your son/daughter is a member of the minority that the roomate racist against).</p>
<p>My DD was in a triple with two other girls who were the same race a different race than DD. One was reasonably friendly, the other was not. TGhey really kept a distance between themselves & her, were not interested in her or her life or sharing anything about themselves and their lives and they told her in a "heavy talk" mid-year that she could never understand them and their race, nor did they want to understand her race. DD was stunned, she had honestly not ever run into race issues in any "real" way before. We had, in our area, friends of many races & religions, including cross religion & cross racial dating throughout HS.</p>
<p>It was a very tough year as DD felt ostracized and left out of everything and was uncomfortable in her room. Nothing seriously "bad" happened, it was just psychologically rough.</p>
<p>Had they had the heavy talk before winter break, DD would have switched rooms, but she thought things would lighten up and they could all become friends. I do not think the other girls have any realization as to how lonely and outcast they made DD feel- they would probably be shocked, but it was almost like a "mean girls" movie with them leaving the room to talk in the hall about things to avoid DD being part of that conversation- very surprising in this day and age.</p>
<p>^ what school was this at, if you don't mind me asking? Only that I noticed your location is the west coast, and Im looking into colleges in that region. (Of course that wouldnt affect my decision, just curious)</p>
<p>Hey interrelations09, my dad went to Kentucky too, and he was also Jewish and ran into a lot of anti-semitism. There was a cross burned on the lawn of his fraternity. This was around 1957-1958. Hard to imagine, isn't it????</p>
<p>mini, "Republican" federal judge? There are just as many democrat anti-semitic types. This probably has more to do with the time period, not the political affiliation. I wonder if you would have pointed out that little tidbit, if the federal judge was a "democrat"? Somehow, I doubt it.</p>
<p>My son dated a girl this fall and found out after a few dates that she was quite bigoted. He told her that he could respect her being a Republican (he is a liberal Democrat!) but not a bigot - he broke up with her shortly thereafter. I don't think my son could stay in a room with racists or bigots - even if the people the roommate hates were a different race or religion than my son.</p>
<p>NJMom- I hope (fully expect) my D would handle things exactly the same way.
Although the Republican would have to be able to handle some heated discussions.</p>
<p>elizabethh, thats crazy. I'm just glad the times have changed.</p>
<p>Keep telling yourself that Adultparentmom! It's always interesting and a bit disturbing to see how many "adults" are ignorant in America.</p>
<p>I remember two dorm floor girls back in the early '70's who decided to be "racist" as one was black and one white- they put a masking tape line down the middle of their room as a joke to separate themselves- and they made sure we knew what it was for. They hung out together and appeared to be friends... I wasn't in their crowd (one of them refused to share some brownies with me once, knowing my anti-drug attitude...).</p>