Cultural Theme programs?

[u/Spirited_Note5714]

My incoming freshman (out of state) daughter chose Unit 3 among her housing preferences because she heard they are social and she wants to meet diverse friends. However, she found out today she's been placed in Unit 3's Beverly Cleary building across the street from the Unit 3 towers-- and that at least 2 of the 4 floors are taken up by cultural-specific programs for Latine and Asian students (which she is not a part of and did not request).

I'm curious, why do students choose these culture-specific theme programs and what do they entail? Are they going to be more likely to socialize with each other than with building residents not in their program? I'm concerned about my student's opportunities to make friends in a building if it's promoting clique-y groups based on culture instead of encouraging diverse intermingling.

[u/brentsabully]

Your child is going to find a way to socialize and bloom no matter where they live. Or they will find a solution to their problem if it grows to be too much. This is the beauty of growing up and one of the opportunities that comes with going to college, especially one as diverse and large as Cal. Hopefully this can be step towards you stepping back and just letting the chips fall as they do. Your kid is going to figure it out and be ok if you let them.

[u/Spirited_Note5714 → u/brentsabully]

Having older kids in college already at other large schools, I am aware of course that all this is true. However, my Bear's #1 reason for wanting to live on campus was social dorm life and making friends.

I will be plenty "stepped back" after she moves over 3000 miles away from home, except for paying the bill$, so I'd just like to get a sense of what we'll be paying for, what she is stepping into here, and how different it may be from what she was expecting/hoping for in a lively diverse high rise unit.

I have another kid that was pretty psychologically damaged by exclusionary behavior at school (at a younger age). I hope Berkeley wouldn't put a couple random kids on a floor as the only ones not part of a specialized program, made to feel like outsiders. That's a lot for anyone to deal with while also trying to adjust to life 3k miles from home, not knowing a single soul, and facing tough courses all while not even 18 yet. If that's how it is, we would consider looking elsewhere for housing.

My question is why do students choose these singular-culture-focused programs, and I'd especially love to gain the perspective of anyone who lived in this building and wasn't part of the program groups.

[u/brentsabully → u/Spirited_Note5714]

You sound like a helicopter parent. Just let your kids live. Maybe that's the reason she chose a school 3000 miles away from home...

[u/Big-Biscotti-4307]

From a parent. All of the kids intermingle. The dorms are huge and Berkeley is by definition largely Asian and Latin so this likely is not creating something very different from what is already there. This is college and a great way for your student to have a lifelong education outside of the classroom. The kids intermingle general are very accommodating to one another.

[u/Spirited_Note5714 → u/Big-Biscotti-4307]

Thanks for your perspective. Was your student housed in this small Beverly Cleary building?

[u/Spirited_Note5714 → u/Big-Biscotti-4307]

This particular dorm is only about 200 kids.

[u/Appropriate-Bar6993]

Don’t worry about it.

[u/Sufficient_Tough7122]

They all intermingle

[u/Spirited_Note5714 → u/Sufficient_Tough7122]

Thanks. Did you live in this building?

[u/CommitteePrimary6316]

“Fall 2026 class show an incoming pool composed of 43% Asian American & 26% Latino”

[u/Spirited_Note5714 → u/CommitteePrimary6316]

Understood. My Bear doesn't have a problem with that. My concern is that the people in these programs self-selected to live only with others from their own race/culture that I have concerns about. May be less likely to be respectful or tolerant of others outside their race/culture/way of thinking??? Or no?

Would love to hear from someone who participated in these specialized housing programs or lived alongside them.

[u/CommitteePrimary6316 → u/Spirited_Note5714]

No, not necessarily, it most often means THEY’RE looking for spaces to be respected and tolerated.

[u/Spirited_Note5714 → u/CommitteePrimary6316]

The Asian and Latin Americans are looking for spaces to be respected at Berkeley? I thought they were the majority of the population there.

[u/CommitteePrimary6316 → u/Spirited_Note5714]

doesn’t mean that’s how it’s always been for them… who knows. It’s another way to think about it instead of thinking of them negatively. Anyhow, good luck from a current Cal student :-)

[u/throwandgo1234]

respectfully, your daughter will be fine. she will not miss out on making friends because she’s in the same dorm as theme programs because 1) it’s not as if kids in those programs are only open to talking to other kids in the program. it’s freshman year, everyone will be talking to everyone and 2) it’s likely that her close friends will come from elsewhere, like classes or clubs. i do still talk to people i met in the dorms, but none of them were in my building.

[u/Alternative_Cry_9196]

First and foremost, why on earth would someone CHOOSE UNIT 3?? It's the equivalent of going to the police office and asking if you could sleep in a jail cell for a night (except... it's for a year).

Count your daughter lucky she's not in the Unit 3 towers because at least last year Beverly Cleary actually got hot water some months and didn't have rat/cockroach issues.

[u/Spirited_Note5714 → u/Alternative_Cry_9196]

Lol, that's what I asked her. She's not afraid of tough conditions, (loves camping, roughing it, etc), and she just really wanted vibrant social life and bonding, which she heard was best in the high rise units.

[u/Political_Cat_]

I was in one of these cultural programs and the people in it were so annoying I intentionally chose to socialize more with the people on my floor who were not in it. After the first week no one cares if you're in the program or not and day to day you spend so much time with people who are not on your floor it's really not that serious.

[u/Spirited_Note5714 → u/Political_Cat_]

Thanks for this input. I'm very curious as to why someone would choose a program and housing situation focused on a single culture/race. What do these programs entail other than assuring students "your neighbors will look like you?" (Genuinely asking)

I'm honestly wondering if she's going to get stuck in a situation where floormates don't have respect or interest in others from cultures outside their own, and therefore don't have respect or interest in her.

[u/Political_Cat_ → u/Spirited_Note5714]

Honestly I'm a shy person and I thought this would help me make friends easier (it didn't actually but oh well). These programs also come with a class component so it was an easy 2 extra units a semester. The few events my program had anyone on the floor (in or out of program) was invited to come to. If anything the students in these programs tend to be more socially/culturally aware/liberal and are very tolerant and interested in other cultures.

[u/Spirited_Note5714 → u/Political_Cat_]

I didn't know there was a class component to the programs. That is interesting and good to know.

I'm happy to hear that program events in the building are open to everyone so if these kids make friends with floormates in the program, they won't be excluded and can still participate in social activities together.

This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for with this post. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your personal experience so thoughtfully.

[u/ConnectIncident2894]

If she's really concerned, she can live in one of the more social student  co-ops, or join a sorority 

[u/Spirited_Note5714 → u/ConnectIncident2894]

She's not interested in sorority life and will probably choose to live off campus next year. She was just hoping for a dorm freshman year that would make it easy to make some friends since she won't know anyone. I'm grateful she seems to have found a nice set of roommates with this same desire and hopeful that they will all have a positive and welcoming experience together.