Racial microaggressions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Voices of students of color living in university housing

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Racial microaggressions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Voices of students of color in the classroom

This report presents research findings about racial microaggressions that occur in learning environments at the University of Illinois Urbana campus. The research team invited all domestic students of color attending the university during the 2011- 2012 academic year to participate in the survey. Over 4,800 students of color completed the online survey, yielding a 45% response rate.Center for Democracy in a Multiracial SocietyUniversity of Illinois Campus Research Board. Multiracial Democracy ProgramUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Graduate College. Focal Point InitiativeUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. University HousingOpe

Racial Microaggressions and Sense of Belonging at a Historically White University

This study applied critical race theory to explore the racial microaggression experiences of students of color (i.e., African American, Asian American, Latinx, and Multiracial students) at a historically White university. Using quantitative and qualitative data from an online survey ( N = 1,710), we explored the relationship between the frequency of racial microaggressions and sense of belonging using multiple regression analysis. In addition, we analyzed qualitative open-ended responses to better understand students’ perceptions about how the racial microaggressions they experienced affected their sense of belonging. The findings indicated that African American students reported experiencing a significantly greater frequency of racial microaggressions than Asian American, Latinx, and Multiracial students. In addition, students who reported a greater frequency of racial microaggressions also reported lower sense of belonging. We highlight implications for future research on students of color at historically White universities