How Allies Can Safeguard Cultural Centers on Campus

Cultural centers at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) play a crucial role in fostering an inclusive environment where all students can thrive. However, their impact extends beyond student success—they also enhance cross-cultural and civic competencies by facilitating meaningful dialogues that deepen our understanding of diverse cultural heritages and perspectives. Recognizing the vital role of cultural centers for all members of the campus community, Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis recently affirmed, “I’m very comfortable that the cultural centers are legal. They’ve always been open to everybody.”  

While Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) has successfully preserved its cultural centers despite the Department of Education’s controversial attempts to shut down such spaces in higher education, that may not last unless allies actively safeguard these centers. We can do that by showing up and taking benefit of these inclusive spaces that truly serve everyone. The cultural centers on campus never have excluded individuals whose identities do not associate with the centers; they have always made extensive efforts to have their expertise accessible to our campus communities. Thus, in this Ally Tips, we will highlight the efforts and impacts of cultural centers on campus and provide practical tips to advocate for them.  

Importance of Cultural and Identity-Affirming Centers

In her book Culture centers in higher education : perspectives on identity, theory, and practice,, Dr. Lori Patton highlights the role of cultural centers as “a space of refuge” for minoritized student populations. Particularly at predominantly white institutions (PWIs), minoritized students often experience harassment and may be reluctant to utilize student campus resources due to a lack of trust in the institution, because they often perceive these resources as reinforcing whiteness. This sense of distance from the institution causes minoritized students to report higher rates of feeling isolated and misunderstood, leading them to question their sense of belonging in higher education spaces.1,2 This, in turn, pressures them to suppress aspects of their identities in an attempt to fit into the dominant campus culture. 

In this challenging environment, where minoritized students face daily struggles, cultural centers serve as “a source of support and comfort,” as Dr. Patton asserts. Reinforcing this impact, a second-generation Filipino American graduate student shared, “I feel sometimes like, ‘Am I really a scholar? Do I deserve to be here? […] It’s difficult to take up space. But […] cultural centers helped me feel like I deserve to be here and to not be afraid—to be present and represent myself and the things that I stand for.” Beyond cultural centers, identity-affirming spaces such as LGBTQ+ centers also play a crucial role in providing resources and support for LGBTQ+ students. These spaces ensure that students can easily access relevant and critical information, fostering a more inclusive and affirming campus experience. 

More importantly, cultural and identity-affirming centers benefit all students—socially and intellectually.3,4 These centers serve as bridges between different cultures and individuals with varying lived experiences, facilitating deeper intercultural understanding among campus members—an essential component of building an inclusive community. At Indiana University Bloomington (IUB), cultural centers actively promote intercultural engagement through freely available resources. For example, the Asian Cultural Center offers free language tutoring in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese, while La Casa provides free interpreter services for Spanish-speaking visitors and parents, which any campus members can benefit from.  

Practical Tips for Allies

To advocate for cultural centers on campus, we list these practical tips for allies can take.  

  • Learn about cultural centers’ programs and resources and subscribe to their newsletters: 
    IUB cultural centers offer a wide range of culturally enriching programs that benefit all members of the campus community. These centers also play a pivotal role in providing culturally relevant resources for minoritized students, such as individual and group counseling, legal information, and cultural celebrations. Stay tuned with what they are offering and be ready to share these with your colleagues and students. You can find the webpages of all cultural centers at IU here.  
  • Proactively engage with cultural centers and utilize their resources: 
    Faculty and students have fought to establish cultural centers at IUB. One way to preserve them as allies is by actively attending their events and collaborating with them for educational purposes. For instance, the LGBTQ+ Culture Center at IUB offers a Training Outreach Program for departments and student organizations. Similarly, the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center hosts student development events in collaboration with campus partners, fostering awareness on issues affecting the Black experience and beyond. 
  • Support the preservation of cultural centers as spaces of freedom: 
    Higher education spaces remain predominantly white, often reinforcing deficit-based perspectives of minoritized students, faculty, and staff. Cultural centers serve as collective manifestations of identity, resilience, and resistance against institutional pressures that seek to diminish marginalized voices. By showing up to cultural center events and advocating for their continued existence, allies help foster spaces where students can freely express their identities and cultural heritages. 

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