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sally305:
I have observed more integration at small LACs (not the ones you mention) than at larger U’s. When there is not a critical mass of “like” people, they end up in the mix with everyone else. At bigger universities, it’s easier to find a lot of people with your same background. At my son’s small southern LAC, there are kids from Africa, China, South America, etc. (along with American minorities) and they are integrated into campus life (although the international students have their own bond, in part created by often being stuck on campus for holiday breaks).</p>
<p>At the state flagship where I used to work, there were not only large social groups of Asians (subdivided into Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, Indian, etc.) but also smaller groups from other places (including a small group of Italians I used to see every day in the cafe in my building). They would travel in packs speaking their own language. I can’t say whether they ever “mingled” but it would have been easy for them not to.
I don’t know which flagship you’re talking about, sally, but this describes UCLA to a T. I think the city itself exacerbates the issue (i.e. people can self-segregate into Little Armenia, Tehrangeles, Sawtelle/Little Osaka, Pico-Robertson, etc.). </p>