Abstract
Much of the research on racial and ethnic student organizations focus on the organizations’ benefits and the individuals involved. This paper shifts the focus to the student perceptions of race and ethnicity-based organizations. This paper aims to understand how students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds perceive racial and ethnic student organizations based on their knowledge about the purpose, impact, and contribution to the campus community of said organizations. Data analyzed come from in-depth interviews conducted with 53 undergraduate students on a predominantly white, mid-sized, rural, public, Midwestern university. Respondents were of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, including both non-members and members of the organizations. Findings suggest three themes: the misperception of self-segregation, the misperception of exclusivity, and the misperception of necessity. The analysis found a positive correlation between knowledge and positive views of the racial and ethnic student organizations. This research demonstrates how college students’ misperceptions of racial and ethnic student organizations are linked to knowledge and awareness of the organizations’ purpose, impact, and contribution.
Published on October 26, 2020
