Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: College campuses are among the most racially diverse settings in our segregated society. For many students, especially non-Hispanic whites, college represents the first time they have come into significant contact with members of other groups. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen, this paper explores the effects of campus diversity and interracial contact on the racial and ethnic attitudes of white students over the course of four years in college. While the percent black on campus has a positive effect on the formation of friendships with black students in the first year of college, neither campus demographics nor these friendships has a significant effect on interracial attitudes towards blacks in general in the senior year for the white students in the sample. However, the student’s own rating of their degree of interaction with black students does a significant impact on lowering negative black stereotypes expressed in the senior year. Campus demographics were also significantly related to the formation of Hispanic friendships for white students, but had an unexpectedly negative effect on Hispanic social distance and stereotypes expressed in the senior year. Close contact with minorities in extracurricular activities, however, reduced social distance expressed towards Hispanics in the senior year and having a Hispanic roommate was significantly related to lowered stereotypes of Hispanics. In addition, the student’s self-assessment of their degree of interaction with Hispanic students was related to lower negative stereotypes in the senior year.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: As an indicator of social distance and social inequality, interracial cohabitation nonetheless has been attracting little attention in the past few decades. The current study is the first attempt in sociological academic field to examine the influence of demographic characteristics on the likelihoods of interracial cohabitation between whites and minorities in the United States. Using multinomial logistic regression with the national representative data of CPS (2003-2005), the current study investigates the influences of educational attainment on the likelihoods of interracial cohabitation between whites and minorities (Non-Hispanic Black, Non-Hispanic Asian, Hispanic) in the United States. With an emphasis on the examination of cohabitations between whites and Asian Americans, this paper finds that whites who are better educated are more likely to cohabit with Asian Americans, compared to whites who cohabit with other minorities. And it is true for both males and females. Additionally, contrary to the common idea that Asians are less likely to cohabit because of their deep-rooted and traditional family values, this paper finds that Asians in the United States have the highest percentage of interracial cohabitation with whites. Both findings indicate that, when taking interracial cohabitation into account, the social distance between Asian Americans and whites in the United States are even smaller than we previously thought.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Attendance at college is widely perceived to be accompanied by an expansion of horizons and interests into heretofore untaught topics, both academic and social. Is this general expansion true for interracial friendships as well? In this paper, we use the Campus Life and Learning data to investigate changes in ethnic heterogeneity in friendship networks during the high school to college transition. We find that White students’ networks are less heterogeneous than those of Asian, Latino, Black, and other race students going into college, but Whites gain the most heterogeneity in their first year of college. Investigation of the mechanisms through which these changes occur points to the quality of interracial contact in residence halls: students who say that cross-racial friendships occur in their residence halls are more likely to have heterogeneous networks, as are students who point to the existence of interracial tension in their residence halls. An understanding of the processes through which students’ networks change will help universities design academic and residential environments that foster diversity and interracial contact.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The college campus gives students the freedom to explore friendships in a diverse age-homogeneous society of scholars, but this freedom occurs within the constraints of the university as an institution. The institution can influence interracial friendship formation using residence hall segregation and roommate assignments to maximize interracial exposure in residence halls. Proximity of interracial potential ties around campus, in residence halls, and in the dorm room influence the inter-group propinquity in the freshman student population. The residential university provides the opportunity for repeated contact in local communities and campus social areas, a necessary antecedent to friendship. This study examines the extent to which residence hall segregation affects friendship segregation on a first-year student campus. Using data from a panel study of campus life at an elite university, this study finds that interracial exposure is a key factor in interracial friendship for minority students, but white students form friendship without regard for residential segregation. Both white and minority students find interracial roommate assignments a strong source for out-group friendship. Measures of weak ties find that minority students explore other residence halls to seek out same-race potential ties.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Identities are socially constructed, meaningful categories employed by individuals to describe themselves. They dictate behavior and provide people with a sense of who they are in relation to others. In this study, the role of racial identity is explored as a potential factor for why people attend interracial churches. It is hypothesized that the racial identities of people who attend interracial churches (particularly people of color) will not be a salient part of their overall identities nor will their racial attitudes challenge White normativity and privilege. The results provide partial support for this hypothesis. Race is not a salient identity for White attendees, but it is for Black attendees. Additionally, White and African-American interracial church attendees possess structurally oriented racial attitudes. However, African-American attendees are more likely to rely upon both structurally and individually oriented racial attitudes.