College retention in the United States has been a growing concern among minority populations for decades. However, the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population is one of the most overlooked and understudied populations in higher education because of the stereotype that all AAPIs do well in academia. To better understand the various resources needed for AAPI subpopulations, data among this diverse population needs to be disaggregated. This also suggests how resources can be improved to help these specific groups in higher education institutions. Although there have been numerous studies on specific subgroups in the AAPI community, minimal research has included Hawai'i's population in higher education. Retention rates among students from Hawai'i remain invisible. Additionally, retention rates are unclear of why and how these rates occur among students from Hawai'i. This study explored the challenges of students from Hawai'i in a predominately-white institution in relation to retention rates. From semi-structured interviews, commonalities were found from analyzing student responses that attended a public, four-year, predominately-white institution in the Pacific Northwest. This study found that student retention factors affecting college adjustment is pertinent in higher education for student persistence.

The ideology of colorblindness is an issue prevalent in multiple areas of American society. The environment in which college students receive their education could affect whether or not they will develop racial awareness, particularly in terms of privilege. High school educators should have the opportunity to teach students about the topics of race and white privilege and how to recognize the myriad ways that race shapes individuals' lives as well as how they are still embedded in social institutions. Scholarship on this topic highlights how there are many factors that influence the ways in which privilege is (or is not) being taught to American students. White students who fail to realize the privileges that come with their race don't feel like they have social responsibility to others, specifically minorities. This study examines the freshmen college student's awareness of race and white privilege at a predominantly white university. Thus, for the purpose of this study, the colorblind ideology and symbolic interactionism theory of sociology are being used as the perspectives to analyze and interpret the data. The research uses a questionnaire containing many of Peggy McIntosh's questions on white privilege, to observe the racial awareness, particularly in terms of privilege, of the freshmen college students. The results will conclude whether there is a correlation between the student's racial awareness, particularly in terms of privilege and their educational context. Through this research, the discussion of mandating the implementation of a cultural studies course at a high school setting can potentially be opened for future scholars.

This study examines Black-Latino/a race relations at predominantly white institutions focusing on the Pullman campus of Washington State University (WSU), where Black and Latino/as make up 17% of the student population. Focus groups will be conducted with students and in-depth interviews with faculty members and staff to unpack the complexities of Black-Latino/a relations at Washington State University. In such interviews, I will expose common histories, struggles, and the strained relations both of these groups have with one another on campus. The literature review focuses on the complexities, complications, and commonalities of Black-Latino/a relations operating on a larger context in society, and affecting the dynamics between these two groups today. Themes included within the literature review are common histories of the struggle, stereotypes, intergroup contact theory, coalition building, and Black-Latino/a relations in higher education. Two theories are used to situate and analyze Black-Latino/a relations in great depth: (1) critical race theory, originally developed by legal scholars, and (2) intergroup contact theory. Critical Race Theory will aid to understand the relationship of Black and Latino/as relations related to conceptions of race in the U.S., racism, and power. The intergroup contact theory deals with explaining prejudices and other preconceived notions that affect relations between Blacks and Latino/as. I suggest from the findings of the literature review that the strained relations between Black and Latino/a students at WSU, limits activism and friendships that can arise from alliances and coalitions. Therefore, the study posits that students and faculty can take initiative to build bridges on campus between Blacks and Latino/as, to bring both groups together in order for activism and social projects to thrive and benefit our communities of color.