u/Flimsy-Weakness464

I’m an incoming UW freshman and I’ve been thinking a lot about the roommate situation, and honestly I’m a little nervous.
I’m Hispanic, and while I’ve grown up in Washington and know UW tends to be a more liberal campus, I’ve also seen firsthand that being “liberal” doesn’t always mean people are free of bias. Sometimes it’s not outright racism, but subtle things—comments, assumptions, or just a general feeling of being othered—that can still make a space uncomfortable to live in.
I’m worried about ending up in a room where I don’t feel fully respected or where there’s underlying discrimination, even if it’s not intentional. On top of that, I’m also a bit concerned about being paired with someone whose political views are very different from mine. I respect that everyone has their own opinions, but with everything going on right now, I think I’d struggle to live closely with someone who strongly supports Trump, especially if our values around empathy and respect for others don’t align.
I really want my dorm to feel like a safe and comfortable space, especially since college is already such a big transition. Has anyone else felt this way? And if you’ve been at UW, how common is it to run into these kinds of issues with roommates? Any advice on how to navigate this or set expectations early would really help.