Race, Diversity, and the Development of Political Attitudes on College Campuses

Faced with demographic change, many colleges are offering courses about race and ethnicity. How does taking race-focused courses affect public opinion? We theorize that while White,Latino, and Asian American students develop more inclusive political attitudes through race-centered coursework, Black Americans may enter college with a deeper understanding of racial issues. We test these expectations using two longitudinal multi-racial datasets. First, using a national longitudinal survey of college students, we find that ethnic studies coursework is associated with increased recognition of racial discrimination among Whites, Latinos, and even Black Americans. Second, using an original panel survey from a public university, we find reduced racial resentment and increased affirmative action support - albeit varied - among Whites, Latinos, and Asian Americans after completing race-centered political science classes but not in placebo politics classes that were not focused on race. Our findings have implications for conversations about race-focused coursework in higher education.