Two Separate Worlds Students of Color at a Predominantly White University

In this study, 21 African American, Asian American, and Latino students were interviewed in order to ascertain the nature of their experience as students of color on a small, predominantly White university campus in the northeastern United States. The data revealed awareness as the overarching theme in the phenomenon, in that awareness (or lack of it) produced "two separate worlds": one for the White majority and another for students of color. The data also revealed a divergence in the phenomenon in that a small group of the youngest participants with the lightest skin color felt very much a part of the same world as their White counterparts. Cultural identity development theory is discussed as a possible explanation for the divergence in that it is linked to awareness and inherently incorporates relevant sociopolitical issues such as race, color, prejudice, and discrimination.