“The Asian Frat”: Racialized Status and Stereotypes in the Field of Fraternities at an Elite University

Abstract

This paper applies Bourdieusian field theory to examine a predominantly East Asian but historically White fraternity at an elite university in the Northeast United States. Drawing upon interviews and participant observation, the study explores the symbolic violence experienced by members of the fraternity. The analysis demonstrates how different forms of capital become racialized within the field of fraternities, revealing important insights into how both new racism and old-fashioned racism are experienced and perpetuated through organizational structures. As such, this paper provides a valuable case study contributing to scholarship on anti-Asian racism, organizational theory, and fraternity studies.