Directions: A recent trend in college housing is offering dorms themed around minority communities. For example, U.C. Berkeley o
ffers Native American, Asian Pacific American, and African American themed dorms. Reed college in Portland, Oregon offers themed dorms for minority students, intended, according to their website, to allow "students of color to heal together from systemic white supremacy." Stanford has "ethnic themed dorms" that focus on Latino, African American, Native American, and Asian American cultures. While advocates (people in favor) of these dorms say other races aren't necessarily excluded and that they provide minority students with safe, prejudice-free spaces; others argue that the dorms promote segregation and will ultimately harm racial relations. Based on your knowledge of history and your personal experiences, write an essay that discusses the possible positives and negatives of these living arrangements. Consider the following:
Do you think these dorms an example of segregation? Why or why not?
Do you think these dorms will help or harm racial relations? Why?
What historical events might have influenced schools to create these spaces?
Do you think these dorms are an effective way to fight prejudice? Why or why not?
