Student Organizations for Multicultural College Students

1:44 PM


The original introduction sentence that I was planning to write went something along the lines of, "attending a predominately white institution is interesting...," but I had to take a moment to reflect. Is it really interesting? I suppose the answer depends on which side of the equation you are on--are you a student of color or are you in the majority? If you are in the latter group, then the answer is probably no. There's nothing spectacular about PWIs. How can anything stand out to you if you fit right into the mold? And if you're in the former group, the answer might still be no. I say this because there's nothing interesting about a PWI as a POC because the world is seemingly a PWI. So, there's little difference in your experience. Nevertheless, there are some things that can make a PWI more interesting, especially for a student of color. Student organizations and clubs that are tailored to the needs and wants of people of color. 

At Iowa State, I am a proud member of the Black Student Alliance. Without my membership in the club, I do not know whether I would want to continue attending Iowa State. Do not get me wrong: I love the campus, the people, and the courses available. It's because I come from Detroit (a predominately black city); so, jumping into a place where I feel as if I have little support from my community is not something I am sure I want to do. Of course, as I mentioned above, this world is definitely a white one. That means I can go many places without seeing someone who looks like me. (I have experienced this, both in Germany and even here, at ISU.) So, when I came to Iowa State, I knew that I would have to reach out and find a place that could be my relief. I am sure many other students of color resonate with what I am saying. I've heard it plenty of times around campus by other students of color, how certain clubs on campus are the reason they stay. 

Considering many high school students are graduating and will be attending college come fall semester,  I wanted to write this post. It's important - no matter where you go - to find at least one place that can be your haven, where you can be completely comfortable. I do not recommend choosing a university that you will never feel comfortable at, in the first place; organizations and clubs are simply an added cushion. 

Student Orgs and Clubs for Multicultural College Students

  1. Black Student Alliance
  2. National Society of Minorities in Hospitality Management
  3.  National Society of Black Engineers
  4. Womyn of Color Network (specifically at Iowa State)
  5. African Student Association
  6. Arab Student Association
  7. Latinx Student Initiatives
  8. Pan-Caribben Community
  9. South Sudanese Assn
  10. Puerto Rican Student Association
  11. Multicultural Student Association

Every university has their own set of organizations and clubs for students of color. If this is something important to you, I highly recommend going to your university's student org's page online and seeing what they have! If there is not a club that fits your interest, you can always start one.


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