DescriptionAsian Pacific Islander college students are a growing and emerging population on college campuses in the United States (Accapadi, 2012). South Asian college students have often been categorized as part of the Asian Pacific Islander community and due to their model minority status have often been overlooked in research. Involvement is an important part of the college experience and has shown to increase retention and engagement on campus (Astin, 1984; Lundberg, et al., 2007). The purpose of this research study was to examine whether the ethnic identity of South Asian college students affects their choice of engagement and involvement in campus activities. This qualitative study examined the experiences of South Asian college students and their involvement at a large public research university in the Northeast. The implications of the study focused on the themes of family influence, ethnic identity, childhood involvement and career choice. In discussing the theme of family influence, there are three areas discussed: collective interdependence, fear of disappointment and respect for family, and involvement choices. The theme of ethnic identity there are discussions related to terminology, culturally based organizations and the idea of tokenism and model minority. The purpose of this study was to study the involvement practices of South Asian students and develop knowledge and themes to inform the practices of student affairs professions to more fully involve this emerging population of students.