Fitting in by Race/Ethnicity: The Social and Academic Integration of Diverse Students at a Large Predominantly White University

Abstract

This study examined the influence of racial/ethnic dynamics on the process of social and academic integration. Students of diverse racial/ethnic and academic backgrounds were interviewed throughout their first-year and again at the beginning of their sophomore year about their pre-college and in-college experiences. Results yielded a qualitative description of the process of integration and indicated the importance of peer culture and institutional environment. Racial/ethnic accountability, the pervasiveness of White culture, and the pursuit of a color-blind society led to differences in integration by race/ethnicity. These dynamics, in addition to differences in pre-college learning opportunities, challenged the social and academic integration of minority students, particularly African-American and Latino/a students, into campus life.