Here is the link to the excerpt from Beverly Tatum Daniel's book, "Why are all the Black Kids sitting together in the cafeteria". Please read this as you are embarking on your field study journey.
Reminder: Please post your paragraphs to the comments section of this entry and bring your diagram of commons into class on Monday.
Table 1:
ReplyDeleteLocation: Middle of Commons II
The table was made up of 8 girls and 1 boy, almost all sophomores but with 2 juniors. They usually sit together in Commons II, and it seemed that some of them met each other in high school through classes together, and then became a group through having common friends. There didn't seem to be much of a racial identity to the group: I counted 6 caucasians, 2 girls who looked Indian, and a few Asian girls. They did not share common interests in music or sports, but agreed that most of them like to read.
Table 2:
Location: Quad-facing side of Commons II
This table was made up of 5 girls and 1 boy, all seniors except 1 sophomore. They usually sit with the same group in Commons II, and with about 5 more girls when they have 3rd lunch. At this table, there were 3 Asians and 3 caucasians, mostly meeting at middle school and later meeting people from the other middle school through common friends. The one sophomore met one of the seniors through church. This group shared common interests in music and art, specifically anime, but also had varying interests in that some danced, some played a sport in school, and a couple played a sport outside of school.
Table 3:
Location: Parking lot-facing side of Commons II
This table was made up of all girls (though one boy visited at one point), all in 10th grade, predominantly Asian but with a few caucasians. They always sit with the same group at the same table. The main similarity between these 10 were that they all went to Diamond. Some played instruments, a couple danced, and a few were in a club together, but overall it seemed like they had mixed interests and sat together because they were friends from before high school.
Conclusions:
I found that Commons II is very similar throughout, which surprised me because when I sit there I don't know most of the people there (especially during 2nd lunch, which was when I interviewed tables, because there aren't as many seniors during that lunch). There isn't so much of a racial divide within the Commons, but most tables have at least a few Asians sitting at them, and no (or not many) black people.
It seemed that with younger students, there was more similarity in where they live and which middle school they went to, which makes sense because they haven't had as much time in high school to meet people, and those that they know from middle school are more within their comfort zone.
At least based on my own group of friends, I don't think that people seek each other or feel comfortable with each other because of race, but because of common friends. Most of the tables I talked to had a fairly wide variety of interests, and so probably didn't feel comfortable together just because they do they same things outside of school. What made them sit together was being comfortable with a couple of the people there, and after a while the whole group gets to know each other and feel comfortable together.
Table 1:
ReplyDeleteThere were 6 girls, all juniors and cacuasians, but none of them are in the same class. I've noticed that every single girl brought their own lunch in a paper bag and all of them, for some reason, had a sandwich of any sort and then there's lettuce in all of them. According to them, they try to sit together as often as they can-depending on their lunches, but they do not always sit in the same spot. Only two people live in the same neighborhood.
Table 2
There were four sophomore girls-then another one came in with bought lunch. One girl brought her own lunch while the other two were not eatting/did not have a lunch with her. They are all caucasian and have a lot of make up on. None of them live in the same neighborhood and none of them are in the same class. (To be honest, I didn't really ask anymore questions because they were really rude to me).
Table 3
This table consists of all freshmen guys. 4 of them were cacuasian while one was asian. About half of them were wearing caps and half of them brought their own lunch. Again, according to them, none of them share the same classes. Two of them said that they do a sport, but they were of different sports. Only two of them brought lunch, one of them didn't have a lunch and two of them bought a lunch. And I saw two of the cacuasian taking out their calculators and math homework and asking each other for help.
Conclusion:
There are some divisions among common I. For all of the tables I've asked, only one of them have one that's not completely of their color-the freshmen, but even so, that asian freshmen was dressed in the same fashion as the others. I've noticed that the kids sitting together acts similar to the others in their table. I could label each of their "attitude" as I went through the three table.
And as I walked about commons I, I noticed that there were some tables with only one race-like one corner had a table with only black kids while another section of a table with only asian kids.
However, I was rather surprised when all three of the people say that they did not share any classes together. They might sit together because they had one together in previous years in high school or in middle school.
Table 1:
ReplyDeleteLocation: Long table at left side of cafeteria
This table was comprised of a mix of boys and girls, but had more girls than boys. They are mostly all freshmen with one or two sophomores. Most of them are Asian, with the exception of three Caucasians and are all friends through classes. They have known each other since elementary school, which tells me that they live in relative proximity to each other. They have a few of the same classes together and always sit in the same place at lunch.
Table 2:
Location: Booth
This table was comprised of four sophomore girls. They have the same interests in sports and in clothing. They have all the same lunches with each other and sit in relatively the same location each day. They are all Caucasian and went to Clarke. They were a bit stuck up and cocky when I asked them about the similarities between them, so I didn’t ask them any more questions.
Table 3:
Location: Booth
This table was comprised of six boys. They are all sophomores and either Caucasian or Asian. They have similar interests and all of them play a spring sport, either baseball or lacrosse. The location of where sit varies slightly, but they always sit at the same table on Thursdays. The boys are all friends either from classes at LHS or from middle school.
Conclusion:
I found that there were a few divisions in Commons I. Students mostly sit together because they know each other from a class either at LHS or from elementary or middle school. They have a similarity that makes them friends, sports, a common interest in music and clothing and most friends act in similar ways. I found that some people who have cocky friends are cocky themselves when they are around their friends.
As I observed the students at each table, it appeared to me that people of a similar racial background tend not to sit together. Most of the tables are racially mixed with the exception of a few tables. There are two or three tables where black students sit together without any other racial groups and there is another section where only Asians sit together. Otherwise, the tables are fairly mixed in race. Caucasians don’t appear to mix as much with Asians and do people who appear Indian do with other people of Asian descent.
I do think the idea of racism being an environmental stressor plays a slight role in who students sit with at lunch. Students at LHS don’t tend to branch out beyond their “comfort zone” and make friends with people of other races unless they are forced to for class or unless there is an obvious similarity in interests. Though I interviewed only younger students, it seems like as people get older, they mix and branch out more. In observing the tables of upperclassmen, they seemed more racially mixed. Younger students are more afraid of what other people think of them because they are not sure of themselves yet. Thus, the idea of racism being a stressor is a bigger factor for them. They don’t want to be racist by excluding other students, but they also don’t want to branch out in fear of being made fun of for who they are friends with. The younger students tend to have more in common than the older students do because the older students have had time to meet more people and become friends with people who might be slightly different from them.
Table 1-Far right hand (parking lot) corner of Commons II
ReplyDeleteThis table is made up of 8 girls, all of whom are seniors. There are three Asians, three Caucasians, and 2 who identify themselves as half Asian, half Caucasian. They always sit in Commons II, but not always in the same place. Half of them live in the Bowman district, and the other half live in scattered districts. However, six of them went to Clarke, and those six said that they’d been friends in middle school. All but one play some type of instrument.
Table 2-Front left of right hand (parking lot) side of Commons II
This table is made up of nine girls, all sophomores. They usually sit together in Commons II, but not always at the same table. Most of them went to Diamond, and a couple of them are neighbors. There are six Asians and two Caucasians. Four of them play musical instruments, three are in the same club, and two dance. They don’t have many classes together this year.
Table 3-Front left hand corner of left hand (quad) side of Commons II
This table is made up of six people, five girls and one boy. They usually eat in Commons II, but not always at the same table. Half of them are Asian and half of them are Caucasian. Five are seniors and one is a sophomore. They live in scattered neighborhoods, but four went to Clarke and only two went to Diamond. One plays a school sport, but five of them play a musical instrument while the other one sings.
Conclusions
I wanted to survey Commons II because I wanted to see whether it truly is the “Asian Commons” as many people say and why, if so, all the Asians sit there together. I did notice that there were many tables that seemed to be entirely comprised of Asians, but the three tables I interviewed do have some Caucasian girls (Tables 1 and 3 actually are half and half). Most of them had known each other since middle school or (Table 1) elementary school.
What I did find interesting was that many of them played some type of musical instrument. It’s a racial stereotype that Asians will play musical instruments like piano or violin. Indeed, certainly in Tables 1 and 3, most (but not all) of the Asians play musical instruments. But what I found most interesting is that all of their Caucasian friends also played musical instruments. It seems that people are willing to step over racial lines if they have common interests. However, I guess it could also be said that the Caucasians are feeding into racial stereotypes and sitting with Asians because they feel like they are like them because they play an instrument. However, in Table 2, this is less defined: some of the Asians and some of the Caucasians play musical instruments.
Table One
ReplyDeleteLocation: Long tables in commons I
At this table, there were five senior girls. Three of them were Caucasian, one was Asian and one was half Asian and half Caucasian. Three of the girls were Jewish and four had gone to Diamond, although none lived in the same neighborhood as another. The girls said that they usually sit in the same location when they have lunches together, which is three or four times a week. Two had brought their lunch from home and three bought it at school. They also had varying interests, although none played a sport at school. One did horseback riding, another was a dancer. Two of them played an instrument. The girls said that they were sitting together because they were friends and didn’t have many classes together, so they sat together during common lunches. These girls have been friends since middle school.
Table Two
Location: Long tables in commons I
Here sat three people, two girls and a boy. All of them were sophomores and the boy and one of the girls were dating. The other girl was another friend. All three of them were Caucasian and active in school sports. One girl was in band. The three had a couple classes with one another, but had all been close friends from middle school (they all went to Clarke). They said that they usually sit in commons I, but at different tables, depending on who has the same lunch. All three people here had bought lunch from the cafeteria.
Table Three
Location: Long tables in commons I
Here sat eight seniors who say they have been good friends since middle school. They all went to Clarke except for two of them. There were six girls and two boys, all Caucasian. Three were Jewish. Some of them did sports, some played instruments, some worked after school. They were in some classes with others at the table. They said that they sit together 3 times a week, when they all have the same lunch and sit around the same location. They say they do this so that they will be able to easily find one another during lunch. Five people brought their lunch, and three bought it from the cafeteria.
Conclusion:
In commons I at LHS, there are no tables reserved for one race or another. I think that people do things out of habit, which is why they repeatedly sit with the same people in the same place. It is interesting to note that all the groups of friends I talked to insisted they were good friends, but had very few obvious interests in common. For example, not every did a sport, or played an instrument or something. This shows that it is personality that determines who you truly are, although no doubt your interests can alter you personality. Two of the tables I interviewed were seniors, people who have been friends for years and feel comfortable at the school.
I observed that generally, tables were comprised of people of the same grade, but other than that, the similarities were not obvious, although many groups were composed of predominantly one gender. I could not immediately separate tables by race, interests, ethnicity or class.
This tells me that LHS students aren’t as discriminating as the article suggests most people are. The race line is not as clearly drawn at LHS as in the situations the article describes. Lexington’s community is more open and accepting of differences and this value has been passed on to the students and reflected in their behaviors.
Table One
ReplyDeleteLocation: end (closest to the outside doors) of second long table
This table consists of 3 girls. One is half Asia, one white and one African American. All three girls are in 11th grade. They always sit at this table in the same exact seats each day. They sit here everyday together. The girls choose to sit together because they have been friends for a long time. They all live in the Clarke district of town. They never sit anywhere else or with anybody else. Two play sports, but they all have a lot of other similar interests. One major reason they said they sit together is because this is where they feel comfortable.
Table Two
Location: booth, alcove in hallway
This table consists of 7 people. There are 3 guys and 4 girls. There is one Indian, one Latino, and 5 white. All of them are in 12th grade. They don’t all have the same lunches but normally sit with each other (just depends on who has the same lunches). They try to sit in one of the booths, large or small, which ever is available. If a booth is not open they will sit in the alcove in the hallway, so they can have lunch together. They don’t exclude people who want to sit with them, they said if there’s room they don’t mind if people join. Sometimes a few of them will go to other tables for a few minutes and talk to other friends, but mostly they sit together. The only reason they said they sit together is because they hang out together and are friends. They gradually got acquainted through each other. This group seemed to have very diverse personalities. They were very comfortable with who they are and felt comfortable with each other.
Table Three
Location: middle of the cafeteria at one of the long tables near the lunch lines
This table consisted of 10 people. Nine are girls and 1 guy. Three of the girls swim, and the rest play track or other sports. Nine are white and one is Pakistani. Six of them always have the same lunches. Four live in one neighborhood, another three live in the same neighborhood and two in another neighborhood. Nine are in 11th grade and one is in 12th grade. They sometimes switch which long table they sit at but always sit at one of them. They said the reason they sat together was because they were friends and they have the same interests. When I talked to them they were telling me the info and also laughing as they talked about the day and past lunches.
Conclusion:
I found through asking people these questions that people sit where they are comfortable. Most of the time there were similar interests or just friends sitting together. In the cafeteria I did not feel like it was sectioned off racially. I think that most of the time students section themselves off by similar interests and how comfortable they feel. Most of the time, I think the people choose their seats in the cafeteria where they feel comfortable. Also all three tables pick tables that accommodated them the best. For example, the all seniors table would sit in the hallway to sit together if there was not enough room in the cafeteria.
With the tables I surveyed, I found that when guys and girls sat together, there were more girls than guys. Also I noticed that the all seniors table seemed more comfortable with themselves and had a more diverse table than the rest. The seniors at the table gave the impression that they understood their identity and were able to be more open to others. Even though the three juniors isolate themselves people did stop by their table to say “hi” or have a short conversation. The other long table, sat in the middle of the long table so they mainly talked just to themselves.
I don’t think any of the tables were conscience that they were sitting with a majority of the same race. It did not appear that they choose who to sit with based on race. The main reason people sat with certain people was due to where they felt comfortable and who they identified easily with. I think that since LHS is a diverse place, people just sit with their friends and don’t consciously separate themselves by race. At first glance it could seem like there are certain sections for different races, but I don’t think this was done purposely.
I know for me I sit at a table with people I have sat with since freshmen year. Throughout the last few years, I have made new friends but for some reason always sit at the table were I know people since the beginning of high school. Slowly through mutual friends the table became more diverse. Now I even though I sit at the same table with the same people, I am only have one close friend at the table. It’s the place I feel oddly comfortable sitting with even though I am not as close to these people as I was at the beginning of high school.
When ever I enter the cafeteria, people definitely sit in the similar places. For most people the people they feel comfortable are the people they eat lunch with because it’s what feels right.
Table 1
ReplyDeleteThis table was near the vending machines to the left. One black male, one white male, and two white females sat together- all seniors. They were doing physics homework together, and though they all have the same teacher and are in the same level, they were not all in the same class. They are all intelligent and diligent with their homework assignments. Their grades are all similar, and their test scores fall in close range usually. They often sit together at this location.
Table 2
This table was at the back of the cafeteria, by the doors leading outside and the cash registers. Three white males and one Indian male were seated together. They sit together because they are friends, and their most common thread was the JV soccer team. They all purchased their lunch and they all bought some variety of sun chips. They discuss soccer usually and have few classes together. They are Sophomores, as well, and claim to always sit in this area.
Table 3
Table three was at the front of the cafeteria by the bulletin boards. One white male was seated with one white female and one Asian female. They do not sit together regularly, or in this location. The reason they sat together was through the National Honor Society. They were selling used AP books to fill their required community service hours for NHS. They all have good grades and play some type of sport for the high school. They are all seniors as well and have some overlaps in courses. Each is taking at least one Honors/AP course.
Conclusions
Groups that collect do so from either a common interest, a shared requirement or goal, or because of a similar personality type. Gender did not seem a very large factor in the grouping except for with those united by a unisex sports team. Race also did not seem to be something which contributed to how the tables were organized- instead it was about finding people most similar in pursuits. These interests, whether they were academic or casual supplied a central theme to the collected students. Also, all the group members were very at ease with one another- even those who were members of the NHS and weren’t friends talked together and were amiable.
Table 1
ReplyDeleteLocation: mid-back of Commons I by the windows
This table consisted of 8 boys, 7 of which were white and 1 was black. They were all juniors. They sit together because they all grew up together, and they have known each other for most of their lives. They sit together whenever possible, because they really enjoy each others company. They all have the same lunches, and they always sit together at the same table. They have similar classes, but they don’t get similar grades at all. They all live in different neighborhoods. Some things that they all have in common are friends, sports, similar humor, the enjoyment of snowboarding and partying, and the “appreciation for the ladies.”
Table 2
Location: middle of the first long table in the middle of Commons I
This table consisted of 10 girls, all white, and all juniors. They sit together because they are all friends. They said that they became friends because they had all attended private elementary and middle schools, and so when they got to LHS, all of them not knowing anybody else, they “found each other.” They all have generally the same friends. They always sit at the same table, and always with the same people. They have all of the same lunches. Two of the girls play sports together, but other than that the only school related thing that they have in common are classes. Although they take similar classes, they do not get similar grades. They all live pretty close to each other, and all but one of them share generally the same family background, (ie: being the oldest of 2 or 3 siblings, no divorced parents, etc.).
Table 3
Location: back corner of Commons I
This table consisted of 6 boys, all of whom were black. 4 of the boys were seniors and 2 of them were juniors. They were sitting together because they are all friends and have lots of mutual friends, and because they get along really well. They always sit in the same area of the Commons, but not necessarily always at the same exact table. They usually sit with the same people, but sometimes a couple of them will sit with other people. Their lunches are all the same. They don’t all take the same classes but (by grade), they take mostly the same classes. They do not all get the same grades. They don’t all live close together, but something that they all have in common is that none of them live in Lexington. They also have some sports in common, and similar humor.
Conclusions:
It surprised me to see that all of the people whom I interviewed sat exclusively with people of their own gender, and for the most part, also exclusively with people of their own race. When I think of LHS I think of a pretty nicely culturally diverse school compared to the schools of some of my friends in other towns or states. Yet, when I narrowed in on an everyday thing that is totally up to the decision making of students, the simple decision of who to sit with at lunch was the complete opposite of diverse. Although tables tended to consist all of people of the same race, when I interviewed people and asked why they sat with the people they sat with, none of their answers had to do with race - instead, they had to do with activities and other things that they had in common. So, despite the lack of racial diversity at lunch tables, I don’t believe that race is a major deciding factor of where or which people a person sits with during lunch.
All of the people who I interviewed said that they sat together with the same people in the same place every day. I do this too, and it never really occurred to me why I did it until I talked to other people during this project. It seems that the reason people do this is for the sake of comfort. It has happened to me twice throughout the entire year where I have walked into lunch and there has been someone else sitting at the table that I ordinarily sit at. When that has happened, my first thought has been, “oh no…now where am I supposed to sit??!” So, I think the same goes for other people as well. I think that by always sitting in the same place, it secures that you won’t have to go out of your way and disrupt your normal routine just to have lunch.
Table 1
ReplyDeleteLocation: left side of cafeteria, long table
This table was made up of 8 girls and 1 boy. They are all juniors and at first glance, all appeared to have lighter skin. This group of people sits at the same table everyday, with almost the same people everyday day. The one thing that I noticed was that not a lot of them went to public schools. # previously attended Waldorf together. Waldorf is an extremely small private school in East Lexington with only 200 students, meaning there are about 20 or so people in each grade, so these 3 knew each other very well. Tow other girls went to other private schools, but not the same one. The rest of the kids went to Clarke. None of them are really involved in extra curricular activities together, they are just friends. One of them sings and another girl is on the swim team.
Table 2
Location: right side of cafeteria. Booths.
This table was made up of 7 girls and 1 boy. There are all juniors and seem to have a mix of races. The one boy is Asian and the girls are a mix of white, Indian, and Asian. They all have 3rd lunch every day and usually try to get a booth in cafeteria, preferably the longer ones so they can fit everyone. They all seem to be really close and laugh a lot. The people who I wasn’t talking to at the end of the table were practically laughing the entire time, sharing inside jokes with one another. All of the kids at this table seemed very enthusiastic about answering my questions.
Table 3
Location: Long Tables, usually on the right.
This table was made up of 3 boys and seven girls. Except for 4 girls, everyone went to Diamond. 5 people went to Hastings together, so they have known each other since Kindergarten. This group usually sits at the long tables, switching to a different table each day, but usually staying towards the end of the table near the windows. Most of them bring in their own lunch, but 2 buy from school. Everyone has third lunch except for 3 people, who have third lunch only three days a week. Everyone has lighter skin, but two girls have very dark hair and tan skin. One girl and one boy are Jewish, and often gossip about the people in their temple. Three of the ten are very serious skiers, so they bond over that, and most of the kids play sports, just not together.
When I was looking around the cafeteria, the racial segregation isn’t at all as extremely as the article says it is. Yes, there is a section in the back right corner where all the Metco kids sit, and the booth section is predominantly seniors, but certain groups of people can’t be identified just by looking. Many of the groups I interviewed were predominantly white and most of them were female with a few males. I actually think the segregation is more between males and females. I looked at a table where there were boys sitting together and a group of girls sitting right next to them. I happen to know that these two groups knew each other, but neither of them was interacting with each other.
I noticed that in the senior section with the booths, there was a more diversity of races and gender. Boys and girls seemed more comfortable with each other as they got older, and kids with different appearances in terms of race seemed to get along just fine, unlike what the article. But there is some truth to the article. People do seem to sit with relatively the same people every day. It makes sense because I feel most comfortable with the group that I have taken the time to get to know, not just a random group of stranger who happen to be sitting at the same table.
I also noticed that while the majority of the cafeteria is not as segregated as it seems, one can clearly see the section in the corner where the majority of the Metco students sit. I think the fact that they all live in the same area and live a different lifestyle than kids in suburbs helps them connect better with one another.
Unfortunatley, I was only able to do one table.
ReplyDeleteTable 1: Location: 2nd column of booths from entrance through main halll.
This table was made up of six freshman girls who were all white. They were sitting together because they were friends. They also were in classes together. They usually sat together often. E.G had blond hair and was wearing a black sweatshirt jacket. R.C had brown hair and she had on a purple shirt. M.G had blond hair and had on a black and white thick (or wide) stripped sweater. T.T had brown hair and was wearing a green shirt. T.E had blond hair, and had a headband (not a sports headband, but a C-shaped headband), and she was wearing a tye-dye shirt.
- Even though I did only one table, I can conclude from what I saw, and past experiences that people sit together because they have something in common, they may be friends or they went to the same middle school or elementary school, they are in the same classes. Even though the classes sit together, it doesn't happen all together. The upperclassmen sometimes have different lunches than the lower classmen, so they might not be able to sit together, but if lunch blocks are the same, they do sit together.
Group one.
ReplyDeleteLocation: the elevator.
This group consisted of 8 girls, two of which were asian, one Indian, and four white, all of whom are in the 11th grade. They like to sit up in the elevator instead of the Commons because it’s less crowded, and noisy up there, and they can all see each other (and as long as they clean up their trash no one really minds them up there). They all live in Lexington, in various neighborhoods, some of them live in the same neighborhood, and others don’t. A few of the girls have known each other since their early elementary school years, and as the got older they slowly added new people to their little ‘cliché.’ All their interests and hobbies varied, but majority of them had at least one interest in common with others.
Group two
Location: The left side of Commons 2
This group was made up of junior boys of mostly whites and Asians. They all have different interests, though majority either liked art, or sports. They have all known each other for different amounts of time (some have known each other since middle school, some elementary, and some just met recently in high school). They like to sit together because they like each others company.
Group three.
Location: Right side of Commons 2
This table was made up of white freshman girls. Most of them knew each other since middle school, the rest had become fast friends just this year. They all have similar music interests and like the same shows on T.V. so they easily find something that all of them can talk about, which is why they all like to sit together.
I have noticed that all of the groups I interviewed were all either the same gender, or in the same grade as one another. They all also share some sort of interest, and most have known at least one person in the group for at least a year. Most of them had said they sat in the same spot (or somewhere close to it) almost everyday. Some tables are more diverse than others, and that probably has to due to the fact if they know each other or not. Though there were some other tables that were made up of students all from the same race, not all were. From the three tables that I had interviewed I have concluded that most of the time people sit with others that they either know and have known for a while, or with people who they can relate too.
Table #1:
ReplyDeleteThis is the table i usually sit at, located in the middle of the two long tables in commons 1. It is all girls (boys are towards the end of the table) and we are all friends or friends by association. We are all juniors and all usually eat a homemade lunch that is more often then not healthy. We are mostly in the same social class, some wealthier than others but for the most part the same. We originate from both middle schools and have mixed ethnic backgrounds (except i am the only one of african/american decent). There is music we all like and then we all have our own separate likes and dislikes.
Table #2 :
This table (or group of tables) is usually referred to as the black corner. It is located in the back of commons 1 and consists of mostly black students. Music choice tends to be in the same genre but some prefer different aritsts over others. Most bought lunch and most live in Boston , some in the same neighborhoods. Some live in lexington but are also afircan american. They sit together most days and are always at the same tables. This location has been the same since years before i went to LHS. Grades/classes vary. Mostly boys but a lot of girls as well.
Table #3
Located on the tip of the long table (closest to auditorium). All seniors, mixed between girls and boys mostly white, some asian. Style seems to be similar, artsy most have SIGG or environmentally friendly water bottles, and north face backpacks. All or most do well in school and will be moving on to prestigious universities. They usually sit together and and in the same location when they aren't out to lunch. They come from both middle schools.
It seems the determining factor in lunch tables is friendships. We pick our friendships with people we have things in common with so the lunch tables are no different. I didn't interview any tables in commons 2 but it is often referred to as the "asian caf" because its predominantly asian. Many that eat in commons 2 stay after school for activities or to hang out in commons 2 while many that eat in commons 1 stay after school in commons one to hang out. Location in the cafeteria usually has to do with tradition. At the beginning of the year my friends and i started sitting in the middle long table and stayed there for the rest of the year. The black corner has been famously the black corner for many years and i don't know the history behind the asian caf but i assume it has to do with tradition as well. In the article it says why are all the black kids sitting together the in cafeteria but all the whites and asians are too with infrequent mixing.
Table 1
ReplyDeleteLocation: in a booth in the middle of Commons 1
9 girls and one boy sat at this table. They were all Freshman, with the exception of one of the girls; who was a Senior (she was the sister of one of the Freshman). They said they all had mostly 1st lunch, with the exception of the Senior girl. 8 of the girls, and the boy all considered themselves to be Caucasian and the remaining girl identified as Indian. At first they were a little quiet, but then they opened up and started talking more. They sit with eachother every day (again, apart from the Senior..) though they sit at different tables, depending upon "wherever's easiest". They have many classes together, but they initially met in middle school and have been friends for awhile.
Table 2
Location: back wall of Commons 1, relatively near vending machines.
The makeup of this table was 3 Caucasian males, and 2 Caucasian females; one of whom was Jewish. They explained that they also had a friend who was an Asian male who normally sits with them, but he wasn't there at the moment because he was with his girlfriend--they noted that she was white without my asking. The table they were sitting at is what they called their "backup backup table". Their "backup table" was a few tables down, and their "favorite table" was also close, but a group of girls had gotten there before them. Overall they were very friendly and outgoing, and they informed me that they all knew each other from middle school.
Table 3
Location: far end of Commons 2, nearest to the quad.
The kids sitting at this particular table were extremely quiet, and they didn't seem to want to include much detail, so my interview was a little sparse. The table was comprised of 2 African American males and four Caucasian females. I asked them what they had in common, and they were pretty hesitant to answer, so I asked them how they knew each other. They told me that they, like the kids at tables 1 and 2, knew eachother from middle school, and had stuck together since then.
Conclusions:
It seems that race isn't really a determinant as to who sits where; at least amongst the Freshman/Sophomores. Most kids have a preferred location, but space availibility and size accomodation of lunch tables proves to be more important than ideal location. In the lunch groups, I noticed tables of mostly one race- with one or two kids of another; as opposed to tables of more than 2 races, or evenly split between races. Every table I interviewed sat together because they had been friends in middle school. This is an indicator of seating choice being relative to "safety", or socially familiar situations. This could potentially point to the basis behind the trend of members of the same race generally sitting together.
Table 1
ReplyDeleteLocation: Right side of Commons I, booths
There are four girls who sit at this table, all Asian and all juniors. They sit together because they are friends and are comfortable with one another, however they don't always sit together, and they don't always sit in the same spot. They will take whatever table is available. They all have a some interests in common; they share the same taste in music and tv shows. Two of them have known each other before high school, and even though they don't share the same classes this year, they are all mutual friends.
Table 2
Location: Right side of Commons I, middle booths
There are five girls and four boys who sit at this table. Some are white and some are Asian, but they are all seniors. They always sit together during lunch, and always sit in the same spot; the first one into the cafeteria always reserves this spot. They sit together because they like each other and entertain one another, and a few of them share the same classes. They all live in different neighborhoods, and some have been friends before high school, however that doesn't affect their group in any way. They all share something in common, though for the most part their interests are different. Even so, they always seem to have something to talk about with each other and are very boisterous.
Table 3
Location: Left side of Commons I, long table
There are eight junior girls who sit at this table, mostly white, but with a few Asians. They always sit together, and usually in the same place, but if their table is taken then they will move somewhere else. A few of them love to draw, and are always drawing during lunch in sketchbooks, while everyone else likes to see the results of their drawings. Several of them share almost the exact same taste in music, and often share iPod earphones with one another while they eat. A few of them share one or two classes together, but most have known each other since before middle school, and are very good friends. Some of them are also involved in the same clubs after school. None of them live exceptionally close to one another, but they always go to each other's houses nevertheless. Only two of them are athletic; most are artsy.
Conclusion
When I looked around the cafeteria, I found that in actuality very few tables sit only one particular race. Instead, most of the groups who sit together are incredibly diverse—rather than sections designated for only whites or blacks or Asians, there are smatterings of every race within almost every group. However, class-wise, it seemed like the people in the same grade tended to sit together—probably because they share some of the same teachers, have known each other longer, and are going through relatively the same experience at school. Also, at tables where there are both boys and girls, it seems as if there are always more girls than there are boys. Observing Commons I in general, for the most part boys and girls seem to sit separately.
The one thing that apparently makes these people eat lunch together again and again is the fact that they've known each other for some time, and are good friends. People are most comfortable within a familiar environment, so it's expected. On the other hand, the places they sit don't seem to be very important, from what I've gathered, but they will sit in the same place if it's available. It's their friendships with their tablemates that determine who they eat lunch with.
The diversity of the cafeteria really surprised me; I moved here from a place where whites sit together with whites and blacks with blacks, and if there were any Asians, then, well, the Asians all huddled together. Like sitting with the same people every day, racial groups are probably the most comfortable, because for the most part everyone shares the same interests and same experiences. Once you leave that comfort zone, everything gets awkward—that's what makes lunch the worst part of being a new student at a different school.
Table 1: 3rd row from hallway, middle big table in Commons I
ReplyDeleteAt this table were 9 people, all girls and all sophomores. They sit together every Tuesday and Thursday during 2nd lunch, and usually sit at the same table but if that one is taken they sit at another one of the longer tables. A lot of them have classes together or had classes freshman year together. There were groups of friends within the table, but some of the girls were friends with the other groups, so everyone at the table was at least friends by association. They were all white, and either 15 or 16 years old.
Table 2: First row (closest to hallway) smaller booth
This table was 4 girls, all sophomores. They have been best friends for a while, some of them since middle school. They all have had classes together either this year or freshman year. Two of the girls play soccer together and the two other girls both dance. Every Thursday 2nd lunch they sit together, but not always at the same table. They always sit at a smaller table though; they don’t like eating with a large group of people. They are all white and are either 15 or 16 years old.
Table 3: Middle of Commons I, 2nd big table from hallway
This table consisted of 11 girls, all juniors. They eat together almost all 3rd lunches on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They are all friends and most of them have been friends since middle school. A lot of them have classes together this year or have in past years. A lot of them have things in common, like hobbies or what classes they are taking this year. There was one Asian, four Indians, and 5 Caucasians. All of the girls were either 16 or 17 years old.
Conclusion:
I don’t think people sit together based on race for the most part at LHS. At first glance it can seem like the back corner of Commons I is predominantly African-American and Commons II is mostly Asians, but I think people sit together at lunch simply because they are friends. People like to spend time with their friends and people who they enjoy because it is more fun. If people have friends for the most part within their own race, I think that is coincidental in the Commons. People seem to be friends based on common interest, age, and grade; not solely on race.
In the article from “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” it states that African-American kids sit together because they want to be with who they can identify with, and that is people of their race. This may or may not be true at LHS, I am not an African-American so I cannot speak for that; but from what I observed in the Commons it seems like people sit together because they are friends and enjoy each others company, not because they are of the same race.
Table 1:
ReplyDeleteLocation: End of long table on left side of the cafeteria
This group was comprised of three junior girls, all of whom have been friends since elementary school. They usually sit at the same long table, at different places along it. They are connected by their participation in the same sports, including soccer, basketball, and field hockey. They are diverse and are of many different ethnicities; one of them is white, another is black, and the last is Asian. They even refer to themselves as a “Billboard advertisement,” because they represent a lot of different races and ethnicities.
Table 2:
Location: Booth table closest to the cafeteria itself
This group was made up of four junior girls, who always sit at the same table every lunch they have together. They always sit with the same people, and have been friends since middle school. They have no sports connection, but have a few classes together. They are sometimes joined by one or two other people, depending on what day it is. They are all white, and do not live nearby each other.
Table 3:
Location: Long table in the middle of the cafeteria
This table was comprised of three juniors, but there is occasionally a fourth senior who joins them. They are connected by their participation in the improv class and theater. They have no sports connection, and sit in a different part of the commons every day. They have similar taste in music, and have a varied family structure among all of them. They have varied grades, and are all white. Also, they do not live near each other.
Conclusions: Overall, the biggest factor that determined where people sat in the commons was really just friendship. True, among the three tables I chose to interview there was little diversity in terms of ethnicity, but I could see that the commons was full of groups of people who sat together, regardless of what the color of their skin was. Sections of the cafeteria weren’t really restricted to a certain kind of people, and students were really mixed throughout. In some cases, sports or some other after school activity was a connecting factor. In others, people just sat together because they were friends from previous years of school. Many people knew their friends of today because of mutual connections from middle school, or elementary school.
Because I have third lunch every day, it was mostly upperclassmen that comprised the group of people sitting in the commons when I was observing it. For this reason, there was a lot more diversity among the people than I remember there was back when I was a freshman, or even a sophomore. Like the article stated, kids at younger ages are trying to find themselves, and in order to do so, they tend to stick with people of their “own kind,” those who are clearly more similar to themselves. This wasn’t the case when I looked around at lunch, because as juniors and seniors, the bigger portion of us upperclassmen have had more time to “find ourselves,” and are far more comfortable to make friendships with people that we may not have originally have thought to be potential good friends.
The fact that most people tend to sit in the same place every day, I think, shows how we just get comfortable with what we know is familiar. In my English class this year, we have no assigned seats, and yet, we all sit in the exact same place every single day. It’s just another factor of human nature, that shows that we’re always more comfortable sticking with what we are the most familiar with, and we tend to be afraid of venturing out into the “unknown.”
Table 1
ReplyDeleteLocation: Booth in the middle, towards the hallway.
In this table there were 10 seniors who usually sit here together in second lunch. When I asked them why they sit here they said: “Because we love each other and we are friends”. It’s interesting that everybody brought their own food, and that they didn’t have the same classes together, they knew each other from earlier grades. The ten girls had different races and heritages. Indian, Asian, Pakistani, Whites… It was all mixed together and it wasn’t a reason why they sit together. It was kind of gender based, because there were only girls. They preferred the booth because it is more comfortable to sit, talk and eat together.
Table 2
Location: Booth on the very right, also near to the hallway.
The main reason why those six juniors sat together was because they are good friends, have classes together and some of them live near from each other. Two of them were sisters and my impression was that they also sat together because they are all foreign. Two kids are Greek, one Lebanese, one from Turkey and even one Italian kid was there. Languages connected them also; they could speak some French together. They were all white, five girls, and one of the girl’s boyfriends, who liked to sit in a booth because it is more comfortable and you can cuddle with your girl while you talk to others.
Table 3
Location: Chairs/long table on the left, in the middle of the table.
The thing that connected these sophomores, who knew each other from mid-school, was that they have many classes together. They also buy food together so they don’t have to stand in line alone. The four boys sit together every day and are born in America. They are really good friends, meet up together after school as well and sometimes study together.
Generally one of the most important thing that makes friends to friends is that they have something in common. If it is the same classes, neighborhood, heritage, the same past, people they know, activities they do, dreams they have or even race.
When I asked the question why they sit together some kids started to laugh, or were unsure what to say. I don’t even know why I sit with my friends. I mean, basically I could sit with some random guys too. But I choose to sit in the same booth every lunch (If I don’t eat outside of school what I do from time to time). Most of the asked kids said that they sit together because they are friends. Makes sense, huh? It’s probably normal to feel more comfortable eating, talking and interacting with your friends instead of with strangers.
Races weren’t a factor, but maybe the same past. At one of the tables all the kids came to the US during the high school, so they were all pretty new to this environment.
I read the article and still I don’t really understand why there is this black corner in commons one. I realized that I, too, have basically no black friends. I found Indian, Dutch, Canadian, Asian (Koreans, Philippines, Chinese, Japanese etc) friends, but hardly any blacks. I have no idea why because I don’t think that I am racist, or that I would be repellent toward black kids.
So, to conclude all this stuff again, I would say that although there is this black corner I don’t think that the reason why people sit together is their races but the things that connect them, all kind of stuff.
FIRST TABLE: the first table i spyed on was a booth over by the vending machines. In the booth were four males, two black and two white, all of them in 12th grade. Two of them played football and other sports together, and the other two were aquaintences from around school. They had a freeblock at the time and were talking about their plans over the weekend.
ReplyDeleteSECOND TABLE: The next table i spyed on was composed of six sophmore girls. They were sitting together at a table in the center of the cafe, one black girl, one asian girl and four white girls. None of them were particularly attractive and were waiting for their other friends to arrive. They have all been friends since elementary school.
THIRD TABLE: The last table i spyed on was made up of juniors and seniors, two girls and three guys. The two girls were both white, and juniors, and the three guys were seniors. One of them was black and the other two were white. The black senior was dating one of the junior girls and the others were all friends. They seemed to be very loud and funny.
FINAL THOUGHT: I actually thought it was very interesting to see how people sat throughout the cafe. Through my own experience from freshman year to junior year i always sat in the same place, with the same group of people. A few were Asian and a few black people would drop by every once in a while, but the table was predominantly white. I think people just tend to sit near and around their friends, so it tends to look like all the black kids are sitting together, which they kind of do because a lot of them are friends.
Table 1, the elevator shaft:
ReplyDeleteThis area was chosen because the occupants can not usually find enough seats in the Commons and they find it to be too loud. In the elevator shaft, there are two asian girls, five white girls and one indian girl. They are all juniors and don't play any sports. The 'group' was started by two of the girls meeting in first grade and has just expanded since. Some of the girls live close to each other, but most don't.
Table 2, a booth near the front of Commons I:
The location of the booth depends on how fast the occupants of the booth get there. There are usually eight or nine white girls and one asian boy at the booth. They are all juniors. Some have the same classes as the others. And some sit at the booth because their friends sit there. A few of the people dance out of school, but most of them do not play any sports.
Table 3, a long table near the back of Commons I:
This table usually has five asian girls and three white girls sitting at it. They are all juniors. All of the girls have known each other since middle school and some have even known each other since elementary school. Most of them play some type of sport be it basketball or track. Some of them have all third lunches and others have third lunch every other day.
Conclusions:
From what I have read and seen throughout these past few days has just added to what I already know. In the field study, the main factor of people sitting together was friends wanting to spend some time with friends they may not see for the rest of the day. In a school like Lexington where pressure is constant and there is so much diversity, people automatically congregate to a common link. Friendships form based on common ideas and feelings and yes, sometimes race.
Table 1
ReplyDeleteLocation: Commons II, parking lot side
This table was made up of a group of 11th and 10th grade girls. They all appeared East Asian, and were all friends with each other. Many share several classes together, and have known each other throughout high school. They usually sit together, if they shared the same lunches, but where they sat in the cafeteria depended on what tables were available.
Table 2
Location: Commons II, near band/orchestra rooms
This table consisted of several senior girls and two guys (also seniors), split about equally between Asian and Caucasian (my guess, based on appearance). They sat together regularly, when they had the same lunch blocks, but not many of them had classes with each other. Not many similarities could be found within this group, apart from the fact that they were all friends and had known each other for the majority of high school.
Table 3
Location: Commons II, center
This table consisted entirely of Asian guys, mostly seniors and juniors. They sit together fairly regularly, not always at the same table but usually in the same general area (for ease of congregation?), and many share the same classes and extra-curricular activities. Many have known each other for several years, starting in middle school, and so are close friends.
Conclusions (but only inconclusively):
The driving factor behind LHS lunch table groupings seems to be friendship -- the basis of LHS friendships, on the other hand, is still up for debate, but seems to be at least partially divided along racial lines, especially among the Asian crowd. It is hardly esoteric knowledge that all the Asian kids hang out together in Commons II after school (hence its being dubbed "the Asian commons"); lunchtime doesn't seem to be much different.
As Beverly Daniel Tatum's article mentions, such divisions among teenagers could be due to the question of identity, which is problematic during this age/developmental stage. However, in the case of LHS, I think the highly concentrated Asian population may be more at fault. Asian parents, especially, seem to have a supernatural ability for recognizing every other Asian person within a fifty mile radius. (My mother knows more Asian students at LHS than I do. Creepy.) With that kind of a social network embedded in your family/upbringing, it's not surprising that so many Asian students flock together, having been made childhood friends or at least unwilling playmates, thrown together by friendships between their parents.
...but I digress. What I really wanted to get at is this: that race can be a factor in lunchtime seating arrangements, but it is only one factor among many. We shouldn't be so hasty as to pin everything to, "Oh, they're all Asian/Caucasian/Jewish/Vulcan, so that's why they sit together." There are other factors at play in the development of such acquaintances, such as interests, common classes, long-term friendships, extra-curricular activities, etc.
Of course, race plays a part in these other factors as well, and it is a topic that deserves to be examined on its own. All I'm saying is that nothing can be traced quite so directly to race; rather, everything is a web (or mess, if you'd prefer) of complex causalities.
Table 1
ReplyDeleteFirst we questioned a group of six girls sitting together. Two were Asian, two were white, and two were Indian. They said they were all friends and had known each other since middle school. They always sat together at lunch, but not at the same table. They were also all in the same grade, freshmen. They were all eating different kinds of food. They all lived in different neighborhoods for the most part.
Table 2
Next we talked to 4 African American girls sitting together. They said they sat together because they “related to each other”. They had the same social interests and hung out together outside of school. They also always sit together at lunch but at the same table. They said that once they got mad when some “Lexington kids took their table”. They were all eating different kinds of lunches, but they said they all shared their food anyway. They generally all live in the same neighborhood. They were all seniors and had known each other since middle and elementary school.
Table 3
We then talked to 3 boys, two were Asian and one was African. They all sat together because they were friends. They always sit together at lunch, but at different tables each day. They met in their English Second Language class. They each had different lunches. Two boys were freshmen and the other was a junior. They all are on the track team for LHS. All of them spoke broken English, but were very eager to answer our questions.
Table 4
Finally we talked to a group of white sophomore boys. They were all friends and always sat together at the same table everyday. They all live in pretty much the same neighborhood. They play similar sports, such as baseball. They have known each other for between 2-4 years. Half of them brought their own lunch, and half bought it at school. They were reluctant to answer our questions and seemed slightly offended.
Conclusions
In general, most of the kids we talked to were sitting with people of similar racial backgrounds. They had some other common interest as well, whether it was where they lived, what sports they played or what grade they were in. People mostly sat together by age too. The kids tended to always sit with the same people, however where they sat was not as important. As stated in the excerpt from Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria and Other Conversations about Race, the African American students were sitting together at lunch, and so were the white students. It is quite possible that the students were sitting together because the “environmental stressor: racism”. The black girls did say they related to each other, but that does not mean that they don’t also relate to other white people. I think people just sit with who they have common interests with, and race does play a role in that decision.
Table 1
ReplyDeleteLocation: Table at the far end of Commons I by the cash register.
This table was made up of six people—two girls and four boys, all white. They are all sophomores, and are all friends. Three of them went to Bowman and they all went to Clarke. None of them play sports. Something they all share in common is that they all bring their lunch. They all agreed that the cafeteria food was bad. They do not share any classes but say that they try to sit together at lunch whenever possible.
Table 2
Location: One of the middle tables in Commons I.
Eight people sat here, seven boys and a girl, all white and all juniors. They have been sitting together for all of high school. All of them play sports, mostly basketball and baseball, most of them buy lunches although some bring their lunch from home. The common thread here is the sports—they spend their lunches talking about them. A lot of them share classes with each other.
Table 3
Location: A booth by the hallway entrance to the cafeteria and near the vending machines.
Four sophomores sat here—all boys. Three of them were white and there was one Indian. Three of them are in the same science class, while the other shares an English class with one of the others. They have been friends since middle school. Like table 1, none of them play sports, but two of them are debaters and the others play instruments.
Conclusions:
Tables one and two were all white, while table three had one Indian male sitting at it. I found it interesting that only one table that I interviewed was a mixed race table. The friendships go back as far as elementary school, so some of this grouping stems all the way back to early childhood. Humans, for the most part, are creatures of habit, and so it is easy to see why these tables would remain the way they are. I’ve sat with the same friends for pretty much all of high school.
As some other people said, there is much more separation of males and females as opposed to racial separation. It is true that there are a few places where one race dominates over the other (The back corner where it is mostly African Americans, and a table where mostly Asians sit), but the trend seems to point to a bigger issue of gender separation. I think this is because it is much easier to make friends with people of the same gender, and the reverse is true—it is more easier to accept people of the same gender into your group.
Table 1: Commons I
ReplyDeleteThis table had 5 people sitting at it, 4 girls and one boy. All of them were Caucasian and were seniors. They all sat together because they have classes together. They have known each other all through High school. The girls all ate lunches that they brought from home. The boy bought lunch from the school but took what the girls were not finishing. Three of them went to Diamond, and were friends there, and the other two went to Clarke and were not friends before coming to LHS. The only main tie that they all have that makes them linked was that they were all seniors.
Table 2: Commons I
This table had 4 girls sitting at it, three of them were from the Metco Program one of them was from Lexington. There were 1 junior and 3 seniors sitting at this table. All of them have known each other from Middle school. They all purchased their lunch from the school. Some of them have classes together this year, however their friendship is mainly based on time spent together outside of school. They all went to Clarke Middle School, which is how they initially met. Only two of the girls went to Elementary school together. The main tie at this table was that they are all from Clarke and that they are part of the Metco Program.
Table 3: Commons I:
This table had 6 people sitting at it. There were 4 girls and two boys, they were all Juniors. They were a mixture of African American and Caucasian students. All of these students had their chemistry homework out and were studying for a big test that was the next day. They did not all have the same teacher, but they were being tested on the same material. They all ate lunch that they had brought from home. The main tie between this group of students was that they all took Chemistry and they had a test that they were preparing for.
Conclusions:
It seems like within Commons I people have a tendency to sit with mostly people in their class. It does not have anything to do with their race or their identity. The most deciding factor to who students eat lunch with are people who they have classes with or had classes with earlier on in their High School Career. It is also apparent in the Commons that one table/area is not designated to a certain group or class no matter what, people sit where there is an open table and there are no consequences to that. Students at LHS do not appear to be as discriminating as students in the book “Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria?”.
Right Side of Commons II
ReplyDeleteThis group had 5 girls and 3 boys, 7 people were white and one of the girls was Asian. They are all in the 11th grade. They sit in the same area of commons II with a similar group of people every day, depending on who has that lunch together. They said they sit outside if it is nice out. A few of the people that usually sit at the same table sometimes move to sit with other friends, but that they generally sit in this group. Most of the group had met in elementary or middle school, and most had gone to Diamond. Two of the boys were friends from Clark and joined the rest of the group in high school because they had classes together. Some of them are involved in music, in different things (one is in band, one in orchestra, another sings). They sit together because they are friends and are comfortable with each other. It didn’t seem like there was one common activity or trait that tied them together.
Booths in Commons I
There were 5 girls and 1 boy at the table, the 5 girls were white and the boy was Asian. They were all in 11th grade. They had all gone to Clark together and knew each other from when they were younger. They said that they sit together often, whenever they have lunch together. Most of them have third lunch every day, but a few girls said they have second twice a week, but they still sit in the same place even when they have different lunches. They usually will sit in the booths when one is open and they try to sit in the same one. They are all good friends and some of them have a few classes together this year.
Long table in commons I
The table was made up of all girls. There were 12 people at the table and all of them were juniors. 10 of the girls was white, one was African American, and one who was Indian. They were sitting together because they are all friends, there wasn’t a specific activity that they all did. They said that most of them sit together every day when they have the same lunch, and most of them have third lunch. They said that they always try to sit in the same place when they have lunch. They were from all over Lexington and this big group formed when they met in high school. This group seemed to be made up of smaller groups of who were friends from middle school. There were even amounts of people from Clark and Diamond and girls who had gone to the same private school before high school. The groups met each other to form this larger group because some of them had classes together and had met through mutual friends.
Conclusions
From my observations of these tables, it seems like the main reason people sit together at lunch is because they are friends. Also, all of the people I spoke with sat with people who were in the same grade. When there were boys sitting at the table, there usually seemed to be more girls then boys. Most of the people formed friendships before high school and then had their groups of friends expand from people they met in classes in high school.
Race didn’t seem to be a main factor in where the people I interviewed sit, and there was usually some diversity between the people sitting together, although they were mostly white. I have noticed that there are a few tables that are made up of the same race, like in commons II there is at least one Asian table, and there are tables of only African Americans, and of White people, but usually people are mixed together and there is no specific section of the commons where one race sits.
It seems like the main reason people sit together at lunch, and sit in the same place every day, is because they are comfortable with each other and with that area. Also, people usually sit with others that are in the same grade, because they are friends with people in the same grade. Where they live and the activities that they were involved in didn’t seem to have much of an affect on where people sat, although I am sure that they are some tables where all of the people are involved in similar activities.
Table One:
ReplyDeleteLocation: middle of the caf. towards the patio.
There were three girls, all of different race but of the same age( juniors). When asked they said that they had met through mutual friends and through elementary school. They all play sports, different ones at that. They mostly sit by themselves, sometimes a boy will come and sit with them. They like their diversity. One of their moms calls them "a billboard for diversity".
Table Two:
Location: On the far side of the caf, near the patio and the food area. The LONE booth.
There were four girls, all juniors. They ALWAYS sit in the exact same place with the same seats. They don't all have the same lunches so therefore they don't always sit next to each other. These girls are all white. They don't live near each other and they don't play any sports. They met in middle school and have few classes together in high school.At most they have two more friends that come and sit with them.
Table Three:
Location: Middle of the caf, at the long tables.
There are three of them. All Caucasian, two girls and one boy. They don;t all have the same lunches and therefore don't sit with the same people at every lunch. They always sit together for third lunch but at different tables in the middle of the room. They all do some sort of theater or performing arts, but are not all in the same class. They met through mutual friends in middle school and do not live near each other. They have varied grades and different family structures.
Conclusions:
Of the tables that I observed, they all sat in the same regions of the caf. They might not sit in the same exact place, but each group had its favorite spot. Throughout the caf it seemed as if everyone had a designated area.
Of the three groups they all sat with people of the same age and normally of the same race. They might not have had the same classes together but they definitely still had lots to talk about. All groups had either met through school or mutual friends, so the bonds were old.
To sit together, all they needed was a connection that they had shared in the past. Those who played sports did not do the same ones as their table mates. They might not have lived in the same area, but all the people that I observed definitely were all great friends.
Table 1:
ReplyDeleteLocation: Left hand side of cafeteria, in the back.
Ten people sat in this group. There were nine girls and one boy. There are nine juniors and one senior. All ten of them play a sport of some kind, and three of them swim together. Nine of this group identify as white, and one identifies as Pakistani. When I asked why they all sit together they said it was because they were all friends. It, of course, helped that six of them have third lunch every day. The group came from many different neighborhoods and middle schools. They said they don’t choose the same spot to sit in every day but they sit in the same general area each day.
Table 2:
Location: Middle of the cafeteria.
This group also had ten people in it. There was an even mix of boys and girls and they were all seniors. There were three Indians and seven whites in this group. Just two play sports. They said they always sit in the same place. When I asked why they sit together they said it was because they were inseperatable.
Table 3:
Location: Back corner of commons 2.
Eight senior girls sat at this table together. Two play sports, and seven play music. They all went to different elementary and middle schools. Five of them were Asian, and the others were white. They said that they always sit in commons two but not always in the same place. They sit together because they are friends.
Conclusions:
The reading said that people from different races sit together at lunch. If you were to quickly glance at the LHS commons you could make some generalizations as to where different races sit. But I think the author of the reading over simplifies things, because if I pointed to a section of the LHS cafeteria and said that most African Americans were sitting there, there would be Caucasian kids there too. The same is true of any of the sections of the commons. Many different races are mixed in with the largely white section. The Asian section is not solely Asian. But it is interesting to note that people of similar races do tend to group. And I think the reading makes a good point when it says that it is because often race is something that people have in common that could start a friendship. Of course, there are also a million other reasons to start friendships, and those are not based on race.
The three groups of people I talked to each said they sat together because they were friends. I don’t think many people look too deep into their life decisions to notice deeper motives to their lunch table decisions. But if I had to make assumptions as to why these people are friends based on the information I have, I would say that the first table is a group of friends because most of them are junior girls who play sports. But when I asked them if they talked about their sports a lot they said no. The second group seems to have nothing but their friendship in common, but that is all that is really needed. The third group had a common interest in music. And although they were sitting in what is dubbed as the Asian commons, almost half of them were not Asian.
Table 1: Commons one far left table
ReplyDeleteThis table is a fairly diverse table. it includes all different types of people. What brings them together is that for the most part they went to Clarke. A few of them met this group when they came to the high school, but the commonalities between the group ranges. Part of the group loves fantasy sports, or other sports related topics, another part loves gaming, some lay sports together, while others have just been friends for a while and wish to continue so.
Table 2: right to the right commons one as walk in
This is the cheerleaders table. most of them are on the cheerleading team. not all of them do both fall and winter cheerleading, but they know each other either from cheerleading, or friends in middle school. those that know each other from middle school went to diamond, otherwise they're from clarke
Area 3: far back right commons 1
This is the "black area" most know each other because they grew up in boston at one point or another, but there are a few exceptions. a few moved to lexington during high school, while others have lived in lexington for a while.
Conclusion: Commons 1 is a very diverse commons, many of the tables have groups which themselves are diverse with friends met in various places, it is really only the right side as one walks in which the groups aren't as diverse. The rest of the commons have tables with both freshman and seniors, and many other types of people at them, jocks etc
Table 1: Long table, left side of Commons 1, close to doors
ReplyDeleteThis was a relatively large group of people, and consisted of more girls than boys. All of them looked white. They were all seniors, but most said that they did not have many classes in common with each other. They have most lunches together, and they usually sit near where they were sitting when I talked to them. Most had known each other since elementary school or middle school, and said that they were friends because they all had similar senses of humor.
Table 2: Long table, left side of Commons 1, close to hall
This was a small group of juniors and senior girls. They were mostly Asian, except for two white girls sitting with them. They said they usually sit in that same place, and they have all their lunches together. They had been friends since middle school, and were in some classes together. From what I could tell, the Asian girls in the group had been friends since elementary school, and lived very close to each other. All the girls had some similar interests: they all played an instrument. However, many had their own interests that often were not shared by others in the group.
Table 3: Long table, middle of Commons 1
This was a large group of boys sitting at the end of a long table in Commons 1. They were talking and laughing very loudly together. They were white, Asian, Indian, and black all sitting together. The main reason they knew each other, and that they were friends, was because of the sports they participated in after school. The majority were very involved in track, but a couple played lacrosse or soccer. They were mostly juniors and seniors, and some of them had been friends before high school, and had met in elementary school and middle school. They all lived in different parts of Lexington. They were in some of the same classes and some had similar interests outside of sports.
Conclusion: As a result of this study, I found out (and this was somewhat expected) that the main reason students sit together in the cafeteria is because they are friends. This friendship usually comes from shared interests or activities, during which they are given a chance to bond and form new relationships. These activities also provide shared experiences that can be subject for conversation between new friends. If the friendships were old, they usually come about through similar personalities in elementary school, when the friends were young.
With regard to the book, I think one of the reasons “all the black kids [are] sitting together in the cafeteria” is because of a common experience. Most of the black students at LHS come from Boston. The METCO program, and all that it includes, creates a situation where it is easier to make friends with the people in your neighborhood, because they are also on your bus, and have been in the same program for their entire school experience. This sometimes makes it more difficult, at the elementary school level, to make friends with people from Lexington.
Overall, it seems that people do not think about race when choosing who they will sit with at lunch, or when considering who their friends are. They base their decision on common interests and personalities.
Table 1
ReplyDeleteLocation: Middle of the first long table nearest the Commons 1 Entrance
This table was made up of two white girls, one Asian girl, one Indian girl, and a white boy. They sit together only on Tuesdays and Thursdays during third lunch. They are juniors. They are all friends but are connected in different ways. Three went to Clarke, two went to diamond. One of the white girls dates the white boy. They each bring half a lunch and pick pieces of the other’s lunch with their fingers. That white girl has chemistry with the Asian girl. One of the other white girls has math with the Asian girl and the Indian girl and the Asian girl have Lit together. They hang out outside of school but also have other friends. The Indian girl usually only stays for part of the lunch and later goes to the library to finish homework. They all seem friendly and yet extremely unconventional. They sit sometimes talking, sometimes observing, completely oblivious to what others think of them. They all have their licenses.
Table 2
Location: Far booth near the middle of Commons 1
There are four junior boys at this table. Two of them wear varsity hockey jackets and two of them don’t. They are all white. One of them seems amiable and dates the white girl sitting at the booth to the left of him. He wants to play D1 hockey. The boy to the right of him, also rocking a varsity hockey jacket, says they have been friends for a long time and have been playing hockey together since they were four. They smile confidently and sometimes make a scene. They are cool and friendly to an extent but are ill-tempered. They always sit at this table. They all went to diamond. The two white boys do not play sports and when I ask them one of them asks me if beer-pong is a sport. Even though these boys don’t play sports they are connected to the hockey boys across from them and may appear to others as jocks.
Table 3
Location: Bigger booth near the end in the middle of Commons 1
This table is made of up junior boys and girls who are white and asian. One asian girl at the table used to date one of the white boys but after they broke up she started to go out to lunch more and more. Another asian girl dates a different white boy at the table. The boys at the table all hang out together but are pretty different. One of the white boys plays basketball and baseball, another plays golf. The half Korean boy plays the saxophone. They all enjoy Call of Duty, Rock Band, and specific Wii and X-box games. There are two white girls. One of them seems to be a good friend to the boys at the table. The other one seems oddly out of place. She tries to flirt with all the guys who easily ignore her. Some of them have classes together some of them don’t. The boys do hang out together outside of school and with their girlfriends at the table. Many of them came from Clarke (only two from Diamond). Many of them live in the same neighborhood and drive to school together.
Conclusion: Mostly, there weren’t specific sections of the cafeteria devoted to certain groups. Since white people and Asians are probably the most abundant in school, they fill most the tables but most of the tables are mixed in race. Many of the tables I noticed were either all girls or all boys but there were also many that were mixed. Also, it was weird that people mostly sit in the same spot every lunch. They don’t switch tables every other day. The big tables, though they had tiny gaps between different groups, often did not separate very different groups like Senior white, Hispanic, and Asian boys and girls from Junior Asian, White and Indian boy(s) and girls. Also, what people took for classes didn’t really separate them from one another nor did class of rich or poor.
I don’t necessarily think the point the article made of the change in crossing racial boundaries from elementary school to high school is correct. One of my closest friends in elementary schools was black and many others were white. They are still my closest friends and we hardly ever talk about race except to poke fun at it. The only major difference between now and then seems to be that I can drive now.
I was confused when the article talked about questioning your ethnic identity during puberty. I can’t recall doing this. What it means to be half Asian never really quite did justice for me as what it means to be me: Sammy Woodward. Sure, I feel like I’m losing myself sometimes and feel lost as much as the next person but I cannot remember puberty causing me to question who I am. In The Color of Water, James McBride talks about being black and how he considers himself black. Sometimes people talk about how you can only identify as one part of you. I identify as the whole enchilada: white (French, English, German, Irish), Asian, and Native American. Like the authors ten year old, I consider myself to be a hockey player, soccer player, student, tall, athletic, and generally many things before I even think about my race.
Although I don’t really like to think about it, I agree with the article when it states that right from the get-go the media puts it in people’s heads that it is better to be white and puts white as a role-model. If the media can make people feel bad about their weight/body type it can certainly make people feel bad about being something other than white in America.
Table 1
ReplyDeleteLocation: back of Commons 2
This table consists of two girls, both white and juniors. They sit together usually three days a week, mainly because they are good friends. Both of them have brought their lunches from home, are in the same Girl Scout troop, played soccer together in the past, and have IEPs. One of them seems to be very athletic and plays many sports while the other doesn’t normally participate in sports. They have gym class together and have been attending school together since the middle of elementary school. They don’t usually sit in the same location during lunch.
Table 2
Location: front of Commons 2
This table consists of about seven sophomore girls. All of them are white except for two, who are black. They all sit together because they are friends and they’re “awesome”, says one of the black girls. They usually sit together at lunch in different locations but always in Commons 2. They seem to all have similar personalities and interests, and like most of the same television shows. Two of them play softball together. All of them went to the same middle school except for two of them, and some of them even went to the same elementary schools. Most of them have bought their lunch at school. Both of the black girls are from Boston and all of the white girls seem to be from a variety of neighborhoods. They have some classes together.
Table 3
Location: Commons 2, towards the back
This table consists of four girls. They are all juniors and sit together because they are friends. One of the girls is white, one is Indian, another is Chinese, and the last one appears to be mixed, but mostly white. They sit together three days a week in the same location. They have all brought their lunches from home. They have some classes together and share some of the same teachers. Most of them like the television show Gossip Girl. Two of them attended the same elementary school, but they all went to the same middle school.
Conclusions:
In the end, my observations of the Lexington High School cafeteria proved that many students of different backgrounds sit together at lunch. Commons 2 seems to be extremely diverse, and specific sections were certainly not devoted to just one group of people from the same race, gender, etc. Instead, many students sit with people that they have things in common with such as interests and classes. Our cafeteria seems to be extremely different from the cafeteria described in the article. The article describes how as children get older, their groups of friends are more segregated. However, at LHS, we have a diverse community and looking at a group of students, you can observe that different races/ethnicities have a lot of interactions.
Sitting at the long table farthest from the main hallway:
ReplyDeleteAt this table it a group of about 20 girls, all packed in at one table. Most are white and two are asian. They are all sophomores and are either 15 or 16 years old. They are friends from past years, some friendships extending back to middle school and elementary school. Some but not all have classes together. They sit together three times a week, always at the same table.
Sitting at the long table closest to the main hallway at the end closer to the patio:
At this table are 8 people; 6 girls and 2 boys. They are all white. All are seniors, and are thus 17 or 18 years old. They sit together three times a week always at the same table. Two of them dance together. Another two used to play soccer together freshman year. Some, but not all, have classes together, many of them have had classes together in the past. They are friends from the past; some have even been friends since preschool.
Sitting at the small booth table halfway down the second row from the hallway:
At this table are 4 girls, three white and one who is half asian half white. They sit together every Thursday second lunch and always sit at one of the small tables in the second row. Two of them play soccer together at LHS, the other two dance together. They are all 15 and 16. Some of them have classes together, but not all. They sit together because they are longstanding friends.
Conclusions:
I think that people sit together, for the most part, because it is just what they are used to. Most of the groups I talked to said that they were longstanding friends; some had even been friends since preschool and elementary school. Also, many of the people at the tables had met in afterschool activities (overwhelmingly soccer and dance), and each group was all in the same grade and had some classes together. This demonstrates that they sat with the people they were used to being around both in and out of school. I also noticed that all three tables said that they always sat together some number of days a week either at the same table or a table nearby. I think that this shows how humans are creatures of habit. They sit with the people they have always sat with, and they always sit in the same place on the same days.
Table 1:
ReplyDeleteThis table is where I usually sit when I'm at school for lunch. There is usually a group of us girls sitting in the middle of the long table next to our male friends, which is how it was when I came over to ask them these questions. Everyone (2 Asian girls and 3 Caucasian girls) agreed that they were sitting together because they were all friends. They sit together regularly when they have mutual lunches. Other times if only some of the girls are there but others aren't, they will still be sitting in the same spot; in the middle of one of the long tables next to the booths. Common interests included sports and TV shows. None of these girls lived in the same neighborhood but three of them went to Diamond Middle School together while the other two went to Clarke. We are all juniors and we all usually bring a homemade lunch to school. For the most part we are all in the same social class.
Table 2:
This table was one with a bunch of seniors. Most of them were Caucasian but a few others were Asian and there was an equal mix of boys and girls. A handful of them lived in the same neighborhood and became friends because their mothers were all friends. The other students at the table just got to know each other through High School and Middle School. The style among the boys and girls seem to be similar: North Face backpacks, Camelbak water bottles, and colorful stylish clothing. They all say that they are doing well in school and some of them added that they were headed off to some of the most notable colleges/universities in the U.S. When they are not out enjoying lunch off campus, these friends choose to sit together mostly every lunch they have and in the same location.
Table 3:
This last table I visited consisted of a group of sophomores. There was one Asian girl and four Caucasian girls. I asked them why they were all sitting together and they answered that it was because they were studying together for a test they had next block in Biology. I asked them if they were friends as well and they all confirmed that too. They said that they sit together at times but not all the time because they have some different friends at different lunches, so sometimes they will sit with them. When asked what they had in common, they responded by saying that they all took the same level classes and were all getting the same grade in Biology, which was the reason for their studying together. None of them lived in the same neighborhood and they don’t always sit in the same spot.
Conclusion:
After interviewing the various tables around the cafeteria, I looked around and noticed that a very small number of tables consisted of simply one particular race. It seemed to me that the groups were diverse – which is a nice to see. I can safely say that one of the primary reasons as to why students sat with each other was because they were friends and because they were all in the same grade. It makes sense that people would sit with their friends because that is who they are comfortable being with. The upperclassmen seemed to be more comfortable with revealing information whereas the sophomores were shyer. I also observed that for the most part, girls sat with girls and boys sat with boys. That’s not to say that there were some instances in which they were mixed – but the majority of the time the tables were not gender mixed. On one occasion, students were sitting with each other to study but that makes sense as well because they were all getting the same grade in their Biology class.
Table: Middle Commons I
ReplyDeleteA group of sophomore girls sit here every lunch. Some of them don’t always have the same lunch though, and can’t always sit together. About eight of them sit together, half of them bringing lunch from their own homes. Two of them dance together, three play track, and the rest just enjoy hanging out together. Most of them knew each other in middle school, except one moved here freshmen year. Two of them are best friends, and the rest generally hang out on weekends, but most of their other good friends don’t have the same lunch as them so they can’t sit together. They all like various types of music, ranging from pop, to soul, to country. They are all young white females.
Table: Back Middle
ReplyDeleteAt the back middle table there is a group of junior boys that sit together there every lunch. They’ve been friends for a pretty long time, some of them since elementary school, and one or two who met a year or two ago. They all like to joke around and have fun, and most of them freestyle and rap together. A lot of them play or have played hockey, as well as lacrosse. However, they don’t look too athletic, wearing baggier clothes and saying they like to eat and be lazy. They all have a strong passion for rap music, though one of them really likes country and another prefers rock music. Usually girls do not sit at their table, but occasionally some might show up however unwanted they are. They almost always buy lunch unless they have frees afterwards or before their lunch and generally go to Marret Square to buy sandwiches. One of them is Asian, and three are African-American.
Table: Middle
A group of sophomore girls sit here every lunch. Some of them don’t always have the same lunch though, and can’t always sit together. About eight of them sit together, half of them bringing lunch from their own homes. Two of them dance together, three play track, and the rest just enjoy hanging out together. Most of them knew each other in middle school, except one moved here freshmen year. Two of them are best friends, and the rest generally hang out on weekends, but most of their other good friends don’t have the same lunch as them so they can’t sit together. They all like various types of music, ranging from pop, to soul, to country. They are all young white females.
Table: Front Right
Cheerleaders sit here; mostly girls except sometimes one or two African-American boys join them. They cheerlead at school and some of them do it outside of school. They all like pop and rap music, and enjoy partying on the weekends. They have boyfriends of all different races. When it is warm outside they like to hang out in the center and drink coffee from Dunkin Donuts. They don’t care much for school, skipping classes almost every day to walk around campus or just sit in the commons. There is a group of about 10 of them who rotate throughout the day sitting at the right table for the whole day.
Conclusions:
Overall, I think the commons is pretty diverse. Only the second table I spoke to has the least diversity. When I stood back and looked at the whole cafeteria it seemed like certain races sat together in the same general area. It did seem like everyone was accepting no matter who could sit together, but it seemed that people sat together based on either interests, or how long they’ve known each other.
Table 1: This table's reasoning for sitting together was "cause we're black." This was said half jokingly, have seriously. Also, they all shared a common race, gender, and neighborhood. However they admitted that they do not always sit together but they do consistently sit in the back towards the right of commons 1.
ReplyDeleteTable 2: This table consisted of a small group of friends, three girls and one boy. Usually, the all sit together and sit in the same spot when that table is available. When asking them what they had in common, they thought for a moment and laughed, saying "good grades."
Table 3: This group was another table of friends, yet unlike the other two tables, they were very ethnically diverse. Asian, White, Black, etc. In addition, they were all friends and all girls. Other similarities they shared including their grade, and their classes.
Conclusions:
Looking back, everyone had a different reason for sitting with who they did. However the universal similarity was that everyone sat with people they felt comfortable with, meaning they either shared common interests, classes, race, or gender, etc.
Even though everyone assumes that there is strict racial grouping during lunch time, which is to some degree true, there is a great deal of diversity as well. For example, I sat at lunch with two black boys, a white boy, and one white girl.
Table 1: On the right before the vending machines, small booth
ReplyDeleteI found that at this table there were 6 kids, all of the same gender, female. These kids were all freshman and of very different races. There were two asian, two middle eastern, and two white kids. They all said that they sat together because they had been friends for a while and they got along well. Some of them had classes together and most of them had the same hobbies. They always sit together in the same general area, but they don't always get a seat in the cafeteria so sometimes they go outside or in the stairs.
Table 2: The back corner, behind the vending machines
These kids were completely african american, and took up about 3 tables. I interviewed the one in the middle, which had 4 black girls, who were all seniors. They said that they had sat in the area for four years, and that they choose to sit together because they can relate socially. They said that they mostly live in the same area and have known each other since 1st grade and elementary school. The girls seemed confident sitting together and territorial over their area.
Table 3:Middle of the long booths
This table was completely junior girls, about 12 of them. They were all white, but of different nationalities and backgrounds. The girls were all similarly dressed, with the same style and appearance. They were all fairly athletic, and many play on varsity or jv sports at the highschool. Most of them were friends since middle school, though some from clarke and others diamond.
Conclusion: I found that it is often that people choose to sit together because of how long they have been friends and what they have to talk about and relate with one another. It is common that kids in the same grade, age, and gender sit together in the cafe. The table of black kids was the only one I really found to be racially exclusive, and it seems it has always been that way. I didn't study this, but commons two is primarily asians. And the kids in the hallway are primarily freshman or quieter kids. I think it is important to realize that most people are not aware of the race they choose to sit with, it is just something that comes naturally to most.
Table one: Commons II, table near the center and near the practice rooms.
ReplyDeleteThis table was all girls except for one boy. I know one of the girls personally, so I was able to question this table without much difficulty. They are all sophmores. Majority of them went to the same middle school and eventually formed this group through meeting through friends. They said that not all the people that they hung out with were not there because of different lunch schdules. Three of the girls are involved in music, and all of them share a class with someone else. There were 5 caucasions and 2 asians. 3 of them brought lunch, while the others were busy doing homework or eating chips from the vending machines.
Table 2: Commons II in front of the entrance to the cafe.
All asians, 5 boys and 3 girls. They're Juniors and Seniors and have known each other through Science Olympiad and or Math team. All of them play an instrument, though not all participate in the school's orchestra/band. They were talking about a math tournament coming up when I approached them. When asked why they were sitting together as in an exclusively asian group, one them sarcastically replied because only asians do math teams and science teams. One other student said that it just became this way. As freshman, their seniors or peers in the teams just invited them in to eat lunch and it has been like that.
Table 3: Chorus/Orchestra room
I've noticed alot of people eating in this room before. When asked why they ate here instead of the commons, they replied "because there's not enough chairs out there. And the microwave's closer." They're all involved in the music. Majority of them are in the chorus and or do acapella. Mr. O'Conner also eats with the students occasionally. The majority were caucasion with 1 asian.
Conclusion: It seems that people just eat with whoever invites them or with people who they feel comfortable with. It's either usually people they've known since middle school or with people that share extra-curricular activities with them. I don't think people necessarily sit with their race; it may seems so on the surface but the main reason is because they feel comfortable with each other.
Table 1:
ReplyDeleteLocation: Center of Commons II
This is a group of 7 sophomores of 5 females and 2 males. This group says that they sit together because they’re best friends since middle school, although some of them went to Diamond, some to Clarke, and one girl originally came from Michigan. Many of them are friends through the classes that they had as freshmen. The group finds that their common interests are in theatre and music. These sophomores think of themselves as a unique, expressive group of people. They tend to always sit in the same exact location of Commons II. This group is very racially mixed, representing Bangladeshi, Filipino, Lebanese, Caucasians, and Chinese.
Table 2:
Location: Near the Patio Doors of Commons I
This is a group ranging from 5 to 10 females, depending on the day and the lunch block. Today this group represented 5 juniors and 1 senior. Only two thirds of the total group all have third lunch, and only a few have the same classes with each other, but they find that most of them compete in school sports, especially swimming. Half of this group went to Diamond, while the other half went to Clarke. Although this group regularly sits together, they do move around a bit within the same general area of Commons I. The group is a majority Caucasian, with 1 Armenian, and 1 Pakistani.
Table 3:
Location: Near the Vending Machines of Commons II
This is a group of close to 10 freshmen boys. They regularly sit together, and when the weather is fair they eat together outdoors. One of the commonalities between everybody in this group is that at one point or another each individual moved to Lexington during middle school. Part of this group went to Diamond, while an equally large part went to Diamond. The group regularly sits together in the same location, but the exact number of their group eating there during a given lunch varies because of their schedules. The racial makeup of this party is overwhelmingly Caucasian, while there is one Columbian.
Conclusions:
Despite grade variations between the 3 surveyed groups, several patterns prevail. First of all, I was personally surprised to find that 3 out of the 3 groups are all very mixed as to who went to what middle school. This suggests that in Lexington, circles of friends are less defined by longstanding middle school relationships, than by their common interests or any common classes if any.
Second, I was a bit astounded that none of the groups identified race as just Black, White, or Asian. Each group, despite their age differences, identified race along lines of ethno-nationality. The sophomore from Lebanon was not an Arab, he was Lebanese. The freshman from Columbia was not Latino of Black, he was Columbian. But all of the groups called those of European decent, “White” at some point, and sometimes “Caucasian”, suggesting that many of this generation think of Whites as Whites and not an ethno-nationality like French, Italian, or Russian.
Thirdly, I found that great diversity among groups is not uncommon, but it’s not the prevalent thing. At any rate, every group has at least one individual representing a race different from their group’s majority (if that group has a majority that is). It seems that race isn’t a defining factor among groups of friends, but it’s still somewhat important, even if only subconsciously.