<p>I applied for a Quad (4 rooms/4 people) in the university commons and just received a notice about who my roommates will be. All three of them are African Americans and I am white. What should I do? I think that I would be an outsider if I decide to live there because I would have trouble relating to their lifestyle. I was thinking of changing my apartment but I am not sure whether this is necessary or if it turns out to be, how to do this in a "politically correct" way. My university is addicted to that politically correct stuff.</p>
<p>Why don't you stay and see how it goes? You'd be surprised at how many black, latino, native american, asian students have all white roommates (ie all), and hey! they managed...</p>
<p>I really don't see why you assume they will have lifestyles that are significantly different than yours. I know a couple guys who have been in the same situation, and have wound up learning a lot and opting to stay with the same arrangement for the following 3 years. Also, there are many situations where an African American is placed in a room with three white individuals, which often times works out...I don't see how this is different. </p>
<p>It would make you look really bad if you requested a change before you actually moved into your room and found out how you interact with your suitemates. Give it a shot, you might make some wonderful new friends.</p>
<p>heh. I almost forgot people this close-minded still exist.
Room there & get over it. People are people and you may end up hating them but chances are you'll end up liking them. Same chances that you'd end up hating a "caucasian" [since you're so caught up on being politically correct] roomate.
I can't believe you're acting like they're a disease with the whole "SOS!" bit... like you're about to die or something.</p>
<p>I wrote SOS just to get your attention, and did not mean to offend anyone. I am not close-minded; I just do not want to be isolated from my culture.</p>
<p>What do you mean by 'your culture'? How is it different than their culture? </p>
<p>Also, assuming you're not attending a historically black university, I don't see how isolation could even be possible. The university setting gives room for everyone to indulge in their own interests and beliefs...I don't see how the race of your suitemates will have any affect on what culture you do or do not experience.</p>
<p>Isolation is possible if you sit infront of the computer all day. :) I just think that I would be "weird" for me to live in the dorm/apartment. I never roomed with more than one person in my life. That time being during the preview.</p>
<p>Yeah, you've never faced anything like this before, but college is a time for change and for trying new situations out. The university powers-that-be put you in that suite for a reason... Maybe you four have a common interest. E-mail your suitemates, IM them, chat with them on the phone and get your new dorm/apartment set up. If you go into the situation with an open mind, then you'll be much happier than if you go in closed-minded, convinced that somehow the cultural and racial differences between you and your suitemates are going to dampen your living situation.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>You obviously do not understand the word "culture." You are NOT abandoning your culture or whatever. White and black are not cultures. They are ethnicities...skin colors.</p>
<p>Maybe it's time for you to learn. </p>
<p>I understand where you are coming from, I came from a high school with a total of six African American students, out of 1300. But I had no problem with them because they are just someone else, just like the 1294 white kids. </p>
<p>If you go in there with a mindset of "oh my god I'm the lone white kid" yeah you're going to isolate yourself. Not them, you. </p>
<p>Open up your mind.</p>
<p>Now, hold on. Perhaps vitaliytorian is guilty of perpetuating stereotypes, but the word "culture" is defined as follows, and he's not misusing it:</p>
<p>cul·ture</p>
<pre><code> 1. The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.
2. These patterns, traits, and products considered as the expression of a particular period, class, community, or population: (Edwardian culture; Japanese culture; the culture of poverty.)
3. These patterns, traits, and products considered with respect to a particular category, such as a field, subject, or mode of expression: (religious culture in the Middle Ages; musical culture; oral culture.)
4. The predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize the functioning of a group or organization.
</code></pre>
<p>So all that vitaliytorian is guilty of doing is assuming that his roommates will subscribe to a stereotype colloquially (and even professionally, if you'll be so kind as to run a google search) referred to as "black" culture, simply based upon their race. That's judgmental and probably even incorrect of him to assume that, but consider that there are all sorts of cultures out there, including things like yuppie culture, hippie culture, suburban culture, street culture, black culture, hispanic culture, white culture, nerd culture...</p>
<p>So, if you want to criticize vitaliytorian for something, criticize him for jumping to conclusions based upon physical appearance, not for incorrectly using the word "culture".</p>
<p>Just my two bits. I'm ruined by sociolinguistics and anthropology courses. =)</p>
<p>How about thinking about it from someone else's shoes, imagine you are a black student who is rooming with three white students. Honeslty the black student would prob think KLAN!! lol, this is coming from a black person, your whole comment was kinda ignorant SOS.. i am rooming with black people they're going to make me smoke weed and drink liqour. Ignorance is taught not learned. Your whole definition of being black is screwed. RAP MUSIC & VIDEOS AS WELL AS BET DO NOT DEFINE BLACK CULTURE.. that my friends is stereotypical. </p>
<p>I think you need to re-evaluate what your "cultural tolerance" I think this will prob. be a good experince for you and I HOPE you may learn from it.</p>
<p>But your prob. going to switch out of your room because you feel "uncomfortable" but hey now you can say "but I had black roomates in college"</p>
<p>to the OP: You could be rooming with a white person and it could be a completely different culture as well. So the next white person you see - Scream SOS! and post on the message board, please.</p>
<p>OP = original poster, so no - that wasn't directed at you.</p>
<p>maybe i should delete my comment then lol...</p>
<p>vitalyitorian, i actually was thinking you were some 14 or 15 year old but you mentioned you're entering college and your thing said 18.
oh well.....</p>
<p>i don't think you will have problems with them based solely on the fact that they're black.</p>
<p>did you get along well with black kids in your high school (if you have any)? if you didn't, then you might have some problems. you should consider changing your room.</p>
<p>i think you should see what it is like first though. you could learn a lot from them and they could learn from you too. goodluck.:)</p>
<p>Did they send you your housing assignment and it was like "You're rooming with 3 black people." ??????</p>
<p>Seriously... maybe you weren't exposed to people of other races in high school, but I assure you they are basically the same. I have hung out with groups of high school friends on breaks where I have been the only (or one of the few) white people in groups of 10+.</p>
<p>Unless you sit in front of the computer all day, you will have plenty of access to "your culture", even if it is not the same as your roomies.</p>
<p>"did you get along well with black kids in your high school (if you have any)? if you didn't, then you might have some problems. you should consider changing your room."</p>
<p>if this is the case, don't change your room, change yourself.</p>
<p>Being black doesn't mean they're stupid.
Being black doesn't mean they're good at sports.
Being black doesn't mean they steal things.
Being black doesn't mean they like rap music.
Being black doesn't mean they wear FUBU and Sean Jean and bling (though there's of course nothing wrong with this, I have friends like this (... and a couple white friends like this))
Being black doesn't mean they'll shoot you when you go to sleep (or stab you).
Being black doesn't mean they don't play computer games.
Being black doesn't mean they don't care about their studies.</p>
<p>^^^ Haha. I love the "Being black doesn't mean ...." portion of that post :-D</p>
<p>which college is this? </p>
<p>Honestly though, I'd say that some of these replies are a little mean, but you can't seriously expect people to give you a straightforward answer if you express a huge concern over rooming with 3 black roommates solely based on the fact that they're black and you're not. E-mail them, IM them, call, whatever. Try living with them for a few weeks with an open mind, and if you have concerns THEN, that would be the time to post a thread like this. In other words, treat them like any other roommate assignment.</p>
<p>how do u even know the race of ur roomates???? ur university released that info???</p>
<p>well anyways, my bro lived in a suite at GWU last year and he had 5 white roomates. he didn't complain or move out or anything (i think black college students just assume they will have white roomates though).</p>
<p>I've been the only black girl in most of my classes since the 5th grade and at first u may feel a little uncomfortable and intimidated, but u'll get over it. and ne ways its not like ur gonna chill with ur roomates all day. u got other friends right?</p>
<p>Unless you have some knowledge of them that would prove to be isolating for you - like if their pics/descriptions showed they had very different interests from you, there shouldn't be a problem. Of course, what I am saying about isolation is race-neutral in most cases.</p>