UA and Auburn are the flagship schools for the state of Alabama, and are the most selective in the state. The average ACT for whites is 20.6 and for blacks it is 16.4 . That alone could account for the difference for in-state kids. The large number of OOS kids also could factor into it, many of the NMSF who attend are in the top 1% of students, who tend to be more white and asian.
As far as being south asian, you are fortunate that most people will just see you as you , and avoid the baggage of stereotypes. Besides, most people of the OPs age see the civil rights movement as ancient history full of historical figures, while their grandparents still have it within living memory.