Finding a Fit: Understanding Black Immigrant Students’ Engagement in Campus Activities

Abstract

This qualitative study examined how both racial and ethnic identity shaped 23 Black immigrants students’ patterns of engagement. Students more often chose to meaningfully engage in culturally based organizations, differentiating between groups with a racial and ethnic focus. Whereas many students perceived the unique benefits of ethnically focused groups, some students, particularly those who were not first generation immigrants, found these groups exclusionary. Varying levels of complexity in meaning making influenced students’ decision making about which groups to join and whether certain identities were perceived to be in conflict.