Two Unions: Exploring Experiences of Students of Color at a Predominantly White Institution

This thesis explores the history and current state of inclusion and race relations at Union College. By examining Union's history, this reveals a long past of institutional racism dating back to the 1800s. My analysis suggests that although there have been many recent strides towards creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for students of color, there is still a lot of work to be done. I therefore examine the diversity initiatives and policies that Union has recently implemented, and how they have affected the experiences of students of color. Having set out history and institutional policy I then go on to conduct a more ethnographic exploration of individual experiences. In particular, I analyze the role that Greek life plays in creating social divisions between different groups of students, and compare the way students of color experience social life at Union when they join Multicultural Greek organizations or when they join mainstream Greek organizations. I then unpack the description of many students of color of being stuck between ‘two worlds’ as they struggle to find a full sense of belonging on Union’s campus, whilst concurrently reporting increased connection to their cultural identity and ethnic backgrounds after their time at Union because of the challenges they faced. Finally, I consider the implications of experiences with racism and microaggressions on Union's campus that lead students of color to state that they are more prepared for the ‘real world’ beyond Union, as they learn to expect and deal with unequal treatment and racist behaviors.