Why do college kids hang out with their own ethnicity?

Student Lounge College Life
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Part of life? Part of life is learning to adapt, and unless they do, they'll hit a ceiling or maybe worse. People make vital contacts in college and only sticking with people of the same ethnicity is a poor decision.

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<p>They don't chose to do that. Rather, they're forced to do that because they are not accepted by others. I'm South Asian and dude...its much harder to become best friends with white people than other Asian people. There are just too many cultural barriers and it can be really hard to overcome them.</p>

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<p>it wasn't like that at my college. when we would go places together we would joke that the minority machine is arriving, because it was always different ethnicities going somewhere together. 12 of us went to the outerbanks this past May and white was the minority and I think we turned heads a few times going into places.</p>

<p>I'd say my closest friends from college were white, black, white/black, japanese, korean, vietnamese, and indian. </p>

<p>we all mixed and match with each other just fine.</p>

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<p>It is nice being able to flip to a language that you are more comfortable in than English. On that note, I am vietnamese and have maybe two asian friends. That all asian group is too intense for me.</p>

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<p>What school do you attend? </p>

<p>Please elaborate on "...they are not accepted by others."</p>

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<p>I had a lot of friends of different ethnic groups in high school. But my high school was ~50% white, while my college is a much higher percentage white.</p>

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<p>From my high school experience, I have noticed that "internationals" that were born or raised in the US are more likely to reach out instead of staying with his/her ethnic group. And yes, like one poster mentioned, those individuals act like their black/white peers. The main reason why is that such internationals have immediately something in common with others of the same race and thus they naturally bond. I can imagine that if you come from a different culture, you will feel more confortable approaching someone related to you because the person knows what to expect from you and understands your values. Also, people from your ethnic group expect you to approach and befriend them, so it is easier to start an interaction with someone who is open to your persona than with a different group. At my high school, I have found that immigrants that had just come to the us felt somewhat embarassed by their level of language enunciation, so this is another factor that would favor social segregation. In honors and advance classes at my hs, however, people of all backgrounds interacted with each other. I had friends from south america, korea, china, india, and they all respected each other's culture and established enduring friendships, so it was a fantastic, constructive experience. As I make arrangements to go to college, I can only hope that people are aware of this benefit.</p>

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What school do you attend? </p>

<p>Please elaborate on "...they are not accepted by others."

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<p>PSU.</p>

<p>I'm just saying that people usually want to hang out with people that are similar to them. I've seen that happen in middle school, high school and now college. I'm not saying that I don't have any white, black or hispanic friends...i have some but I've had to make more effort to become friends with them than with people of my race.</p>

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<p>"this is so true at u of illinois."</p>

<p>hahaha ohhhhmggg sooo true... im not complaining though.</p>

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<p>seeing how i came from a town with 90 percent white population (i'm asian btw) I'm kind of enjoying the company of other asians. (i'm in so cal now btw. i used to live in the south :D)</p>

<p>I don't think they mean to really hang out with their ethnicities, it just happens because you have alike interests and stuff like that (more so when your race is alike)</p>

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<p>I think it's because the college students are away from their family, and hanging out with fellow students of the same ethnicity would be like extended family.</p>

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<p>No i dont think its wrong. its a choice.</p>

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seeing how i came from a town with 90 percent white population (i'm asian btw) I'm kind of enjoying the company of other asians. (i'm in so cal now btw. i used to live in the south ))

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<p>See, I can understand that. But many Asians from LA/So Cal still self-segregate. If you're from Irvine or "Arcasia"... come on. Like I said, its not like you haven't been around Asians all your life anyway.</p>

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<p>I think self-segregation is a big thing with Asians.</p>

<p>I'm Korean, and I probably would hang with the Asians (mostly Orientals) when I go to college because I'm so used to it, especially at church.</p>

<p>It all boil downs to preference, past experience and compatibility. In school, most of my friends are Asians, half-Asians, and one black dude. I know I probably wouldn't befriend a preppy white guy.</p>

<p>I've been noticing that this factor subconsciously plays into my college preference. Whenever I check a college, I make sure to see if the Asian %age is high enough, usually 15%+. I guess that's how life is. Whether I'll change and open up in whatever college I go to is uncertain at best.</p>

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<p>if you are one of the people that are saying "i really dont understand the asian cliques and groups thing in colleges", let me ask you something. </p>

<p>how willing are YOU to go out of your way (in terms of cultural background and comfort) to go out there and try to make an asian friend? if you aren't willing to make a lot of effort, you can't really expect the asians to do the same for you.</p>

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I think self-segregation is a big thing with Asians.

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<p>And not with white people? </p>

<p>Everyone self-segregates, no matter what race you are. Its just natural. And its not bad either. Of course its good to interact with people that are different from you but I feel that your closest friends are those that are of the same race as you.</p>

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how willing are YOU to go out of your way (in terms of cultural background and comfort) to go out there and try to make an asian friend? if you aren't willing to make a lot of effort, you can't really expect the asians to do the same for you.

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<p>So ****ing true.</p>

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<p>people tend to feel like a family, with similar cultural interests and feel more comfortable in some way</p>

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<p>Some people just feel more comfortable around people of their race cause usually they have similar interests. For example a lot of Asians are smart so if they want to like make friends with interests thats where they go. People have different interests. Also if you are new to a place you tend to befriend those with whom you have at least somthing in common and for most people it's race. </p>

<p>It's not bad but sometimes it's good to make friends with other races. BUT Also not everyone does or thinks that. They tend to go with their own race. They feel comfortable there. </p>

<p>how willing are YOU to go out of your way (in terms of cultural background and comfort) to go out there and try to make an asian friend? if you aren't willing to make a lot of effort, you can't really expect the asians to do the same for you. </p>

<p>Thank you so much for this statement.</p>

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<p>I've been noticing that this factor subconsciously plays into my college preference. Whenever I check a college, I make sure to see if the Asian %age is high enough, usually 15%+.</p>

<p>One of the first things I looked at when looking up college stats were the ethnicity percentages as well. But I think all that is useless when the students there self-segregrate.</p>

<p>I mean, I'm honestly not trying to attack you personally, but I'm half asian. I dress preppy (like other Asians at my school, I don't think it's a white only thing), and if I went to a college with self-segregrating cliques, I'd be afraid to go up to the Asian group, because who knows if I fit their criteria of looking "Asian enough". If I have to hang out with white kids by default, then is it really any different than me going to the University of North Dakota (no offense) with it's 90-something percent white student body?</p>

<p>how willing are YOU to go out of your way (in terms of cultural background and comfort) to go out there and try to make an asian friend?</p>

<p>Currently in HS, I make friends naturally with people of different ethnicities just we have things in common and because their in my classes and such.</p>

<p>Even the Asian Culture Club at our school has a white/possibly half APA President and a white treasurer. I don't think 80% of all the other kids in the club resent them or anything. </p>

<p>In college, I want to make diverse friends; I'm not going to hang out with someone based on their race.</p>

<p>But let's take a student. It's his/her first month, s/he is really looking for people to hang out with, and s/he has some neat conversations with people in his/her classes and dorm. Now, you have to admit that it's REALLY difficult for someone of a different race to approach a group, even if acquiantances or friends are in it, when it's comprised solely of people who aren't the same race. Isn't it carrying a message of "We're somewhat more likely to act coldly or annoyed towards you if you come up to us, based on the color of your skin?"</p>

<p>Bah, I'm so glad I talked to people at my potential college and they told me that making diverse groups of friends isn't difficult.</p>

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<p>Yea at my high school all of the ethnicities are separated. Chinese with chinese, koreans with koreans, blacks with blacks, whites with white, etc... The main reason is that we like to hang out with the groups that are similar to our culture. Like when i hang out with my chinese friends, we talk in mandarin, talk about chinese music, etc.. koreans talk in korean. We like to hang out with people who are culturally like us.</p>