Perceptions of race at Princeton before and after admission

When Cynthia Romero '04 met her roommate for the first time, she was concerned about first impressions. Meticulous with her appearance, from dress to makeup to hair, she kept in mind the "out-doorsy, all-American style" of the stereotypical Princeton student and picked her attire accordingly. She paid particular attention to these superficialities because she hoped that they would divert attention away from what wasn't superficial: her Hispanic heritage.

It wasn't that Cindy wanted to deny her cultural heritage. She simply wanted her roommate to see her individuality and uniqueness. "I didn't want her to know me simply as a minority. I wanted her to first meet 'Cindy,' " Romero said. "I totally wanted to set a non-color based meeting from the beginning."

The perception of Princeton as a white, preppy school wasn't something that attracted her to Princeton when looking at colleges. "Princeton has a really bad rep among minorities," said Romero. "There are a lot of people who won't come here or even apply here because it's too white or too preppy."

Last spring, Romero attended Princeton's minority group open house, but it only served to reinforce her idea of her status as a "quota child" — a student selected to improve public relations and to boost student body diversity statistics. She read online that the eating clubs were social hangouts only for whites, and that minority students looking for social interaction could find it only at the Third World Center.

But Romero still chose Princeton. "My line of reasoning was that I'd be close to home, and that I'd hang out with my friends at home," Romero said. "I knew I was coming here to work hard. I wasn't going to let social ills prevent me from going to the best university and reaching my fullest potential."

Now at the end of her freshman year, Cynthia's original fears have all but dissipated. She recalled that in high school, "I never felt appreciated. Here, I really feel encouraged. I actually feel that I'm not here because I'm a minority, but because I belong here."

According to admissions brochures, nearly 30 percent of Princeton undergraduates are American minorities or foreign students. Twelve percent are Asian American, seven percent African American, six percent Hispanic and another six percent from another country. Another half of one percent is Native American. Both the minority and international student populations have been increasing in recent years.

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Coming to Princeton, Cynthia was adamant about not identifying herself with one particular ethnic group. She didn't want to be categorized by the first impression.

"I do have minority friends, but I like variety and I don't like being pigeon holed," Romero said. "From the beginning, I decided that I was going to hang out with everyone."

It's a decision that is common among minority students who dread associating exclusively with students of their own ethnicity.

Former USG president PJ Kim '01 recalled making a similar resolution when entering his freshman year. Even when he had been school shopping, he said he payed attention to the school's ethnic breakdown. "I glanced at the numbers of what the percentages of minority students were," he said. "I didn't want to be amongst too many Asian Americans."

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Both Romero and Kim said they find at the University they are required to participate in a balancing act of asserting their ethnicity and assimilating in part to Princeton's culture and identity.

For Kim, the summer prior to coming to Princeton was spent immersed in a campaign that for him sparked interest in Asian related issues. "[That summer] really opened my eyes to political issues in the Asian community," he noted.

At Princeton, he became active in many Asian-American clubs. "I got a lot of satisfaction from such a community of shared common experiences and shared life."

He was, however, still careful about diversifying his interests. "I was a little wary about going into an environment where I was unknowingly making an artificial world," said Kim.

Romero, on the other hand, strove to create a group of multicultural friends. She believed that by incorporating herself in many social circles, she would not be labeled.

But she said she soon found the ethnic circles around campus too adamant about asserting their cultural independence.

"The minorities who are here are at extreme ends that I'm not." she said. When she asked a Hispanic friend about the interracial dating scene, she received a response, "We don't even have white friends!"

This self-segregation may be explained by the University's history, according to Janet Dickerson, Vice President Vice President for Campus Life.

"In the context of a nation and University with a history of exclusion, it is understandable that students of color will participate in social and cultural activities that are appealing to their groups," she said. "In social and dining settings, it does not surprise or concern me that students might want to take time to be with those others who share their cultural history, their preferences, and/or their values."

Romero said she believes the talks on diversity sponsored by University eating clubs are a great way to improve minority interaction within the college, but cautions that people need to be open when discussing sensitive ethnicity related issues. "I do think the dialogues are good. If people don't get upset or offended, we could all learn from each other." said Romero.

Kim acknowledged that much improvement could be made in diversifying Princeton's campus by hiring and retaining more minority professors. He pointed out that one of the problems in attracting minority faculty is that many that specialize in ethnic studies prefer a more urban environment. "Princeton's focus on undergraduate education also makes it harder for overseas recruiting," he said, noting that schools with large graduate programs do a better job.

Still, Kim said he sees improvement in minority affairs. "I think [the administration] has been doing a much better job than in past years," he explained. "It's improved dramatically since I've been a freshman."