Let’s be careful not to beat up on the OP here and give her the benefit of the doubt. Honestly, I’d be more concerned with her unfamiliarity with basic cultural norms of politeness and civility than the fact that she’d be an international student or URM at UA.
In general, OP, approach others with respect and graciousness and they will do the same! I’m sure you didn’t title your thread with the intent to be provocative, so live and learn!
Can we help answer any other questions?
i humbly apologise, but surely, I never meant to offend anyone. nonetheless, thanks for clearing my doubts and proving ‘many’ wrong.
I was not offended, I was truly pointing out that I personally think you are focused on the wrong thing. Be concerned with learning All about the school you will attend, don’t listen to gossip, rumors or stories which are blown up in the media. Use your skills to learn about the university. Listen to the people who have attended, are attending, or who have students who will attend The University of Alabama.
The reason I asked if you have ever visited the United States is because we are a very large country, with many different regional areas and a vast amalgam of cultures. We are not called the “Melting Pot” for no reason. Visit the university and judge for yourself.
The state of Alabama has a 26.7% black population, versus 11.5% at the University of Alabama and 7.1% at Auburn University. The state of Florida has a 16.8% black population, versus 6.8% at the University of Florida and 8.2% at Florida State University.
That by itself does not say much either way about whether there is more or less racism at these universities, although black students are underrepresented in both states’ best known universities. The reasons for that are more complex than can be explained quickly in this thread, though they could relate to both current racism in society and/or historical legacy of past racism.
If you are south Asian, then you will likely be perceived as an outsider when it comes to anyone’s (sometimes misguided or stereotyped) assumptions about white or black people.
UA and Auburn are the flagship schools for the state of Alabama, and are the most selective in the state. The average ACT for whites is 20.6 and for blacks it is 16.4 . That alone could account for the difference for in-state kids. The large number of OOS kids also could factor into it, many of the NMSF who attend are in the top 1% of students, who tend to be more white and asian.
As far as being south asian, you are fortunate that most people will just see you as you , and avoid the baggage of stereotypes. Besides, most people of the OPs age see the civil rights movement as ancient history full of historical figures, while their grandparents still have it within living memory.
Also, if you are from India, you may not realize that Indians are the most successful immigrant group in the US. Most Americans know Indians as their local physician or the engineer / software developer they work with, professors and educators , or some other highly educated professional. There are some stereotypes like Gujarati’s owning hotels, or Sikh cab drivers , but for the most part Indians are thought of as smart, hard working families who can eat insanely spicy food (Americans in the south like hot too!). There are even 2 Indian governors of US states - both in the south (Louisiana/South Carolina). It is a far cry from the UK where many Indians are still referred to as ‘Pakis’ .
You will also find the southern US has less prejudice and racial animosity than the north, probably because southerners confronted it head-on two generations ago. It is mostly outsiders (e.g. Northern racial agitators) who stir up trouble to fit some agenda. By now, people with those beliefs are mostly really old and have found a lot more in common toward the end of their lives then when they were young and full of fire.
My son sent me a selfie from today’s game against Tennessee. Also in the shot? His Indian-American friend from Huntsville. 
What a game too. Nerve wracking.
Recent articles in *The Crimson White/i about sorority segregation, the student government voting down a resolution in favor of sorority and fraternity integration, and “The Machine” influence on a student election indicate that some segments of University of Alabama society are still confronting it. Obviously, stuff like this is not unique to the University of Alabama, or the south, but it would be misleading to say that racism is completely vanquished (in the south or elsewhere).
http://www.cw.ua.edu/article/2013/09/the-final-barrier-50-years-later-segregation-still-exists
http://www.cw.ua.edu/article/2014/03/sga-senate-votes-to-end-resolution-supporting-greek-system-integration
http://www.cw.ua.edu/article/2015/10/voter-suppression-begins-at-home
The south also has two states (adjacent to the state of Alabama) whose state flags are based on the flag of those who rebelled to defend the institution of slavery (as they said in 1861: http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/primarysources/declarationofcauses.html ).
The Crimson White is run by “Northern racial agitators”?
Actually, ucbalumnus, you will find that Georgia changed their state flag fourteen years ago, and students at the University of Mississippi overwhelmingly voted to no longer fly their state flag. While the issue of racism is not solved anywhere, including the South, the spreading of misinformation and pessimism can do nothing but hurt it.
As a student at the University of Alabama, I have full belief that the OP will have no trouble because of race.
Ucbalumnus: "The state of Alabama has a 26.7% black population, versus 11.5% at the University of Alabama and 7.1% at Auburn University. The state of Florida has a 16.8% black population, versus 6.8% at the University of Florida and 8.2% at Florida State University.
That by itself does not say much either way about whether there is more or less racism at these universities, although black students are underrepresented in both states’ best known universities. The reasons for that are more complex than can be explained quickly in this thread, though they could relate to both current racism in society and/or historical legacy of past racism.
If you are south Asian, then you will likely be perceived as an outsider when it comes to anyone’s (sometimes misguided or stereotyped) assumptions about white or black people."
Ok, let’s break it down. First, your data is incorrect, just a little, but I think correct data is crucial. The Black population at UA is 12.3%, not 11.5% of its entire enrollment ( hmmm, maybe there has been an increase from the data point you referenced). And notice I emphasized that the percentage of Blacks at those other SOUTHERN schools has greatly declined. See http://savvyroo.com/story-1898766627559-decline-in-minority-enrollment-in-florida-university-system for data about the state of Florida. That was the focus of my argument, not on whether any of these schools enroll anything close to the actual percentage of Blacks in their respective states, including Alabama’s rival Auburn, which somehow, never receives any flak for racial problems. My point is not to imply that there is no issue with race at UA, just that it is strange to focus so much attention on it at UA when the Black enrollment there shows no signs of declining.
But let’s say that there was no affirmative action at most of the nation’s top schools, especially ones in Northern and Western states. Do you have any idea what the percentage of Blacks at these schools would be without affirmative action? Yes, the disparity between Black enrollment at state schools vs. percentage of Black people in respective states could partially be due to racism, but I think it is dangerous to treat Blacks as perpetual victims. One major problem with your thesis is the fact that lower income Whites have an average SAT that is lower than the average SAT of both all Blacks AND upper income Blacks. See http://www.jbhe.com/features/49_college_admissions-test.html This points to cultural factors that must be examined if there is to be progress in closing the gap. It is not always the fault of Whites. But I suspect you already know that, even it it is not politically correct to admit it.
Again, why has the percentage of Blacks at UA stayed above 12 % while that at other Southern schools, not to mention other region’s schools, is declining? The media portrays UA as one of the last bastions of racism. Wouldn’t we expect some significant decline in Black enrollment at UA if the environment at UA for Blacks was particularly bad? My argument cuts to the heart of this meme.
See post #33 for a correction by the author. - FC
As for the UA SGA, I have never supported the Machine. When I was a student there, I fought against it, even ran for SGA Senate. The SGA first tabled a resolution calling on the Greek system to integrate. While I understand their irritation, given the fact that the system had already begun to integrate, it was a stupid PR move. The SGA later voted in favor of a similar resolution.
It is possible that we hear more about race at UA because it has such a large Black population, relative to most other schools, AND it has had a very proud Black Greek system for years now. The average income differential between the races also makes it difficult for the Greek system to take on the demographics of the entire campus.
The current flag of the state of Georgia since 2003:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Georgia_%28U.S.state%29#/media/File:Flag_of_Georgia%28U.S._state%29.svg
The first national flag of the Confederate States of America:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America_%281861-1863%29.svg
In the #30 post above, I mistakenly wrote the following: " One major problem with your thesis is the fact that lower income Whites have an average SAT that is lower than the average SAT of both all Blacks AND upper income Blacks. See http://www.jbhe.com/features/49_college_admissions-test.html " I meant to write that lower income Whites have an average SAT that is HIGHER than the the average SAT of both all Blacks and upper income Blacks.
And please, let’s not debate the Civil War, for we will likely disagree. The Confederacy and its Battle Flag do not mean the same to all people.
