A number of studies have discovered associations between accessibility to cultural foods and increased belongingness in an individual's newfound environment. Such findings led our group to wonder if a similar relationship exists for non-white students at UCSC.  Does access to culturally relevant food within UCSC dining halls correlate with a sense of belonging for non-white students? 

To explore this relationship, we administered a survey that asked UCSC students to mindfully reflect upon their experiences within the dining hall, how they felt about the accessibility and authenticity of their culturally respective foods within dining halls, the quality of said cultural dishes, and to rate their overall perception of belongingness with campus dining meals. We found a significant positive bivariate correlation between non-white students’ perceived access to and quality of their cultural dishes and their sense of belonging at UCSC. These results could help inform potential changes in campus food policies. 

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