I always see people say it wouldn't make sense for a Dunmer to join the stormcloaks and that they should join the Empire but is that really anymore sensible? There has always been tension between the Dunmer and Empire for a very long time. And according to the guy in Ravenrock (you can argue that it didn't happen in Oblivion) the Empire completely abandoned Morrowind leaving it virtually defenseless against the threats and he says that is the reason many Dunmer now hate the Empire. So would it not make more sense for a Dunmer to want to join the Stormcloaks due to feeling hatred for what the Empire has done to the Dunmer people? I know the Stormcloaks are xenophobic but if they accept you as easily as they did they would seem less so. But does it really make sense for Gunmar to accept a non-nord so easily? I brought this up because I'm wondering what side my new Dunmer character should join. I'd lean towards Stormcloaks but I don't want to join simply because of a cop out such as Khajiit players being able to go into any city. I don't want the game to recognize me as a nord when I am clearly not. Thoughts on the best choice?

The game will not recognize you as a Nord. Neither side makes more sense than the other. Let your character decide or stay out of it altogether.

I don't think in terms of race, I think in terms of character. I view my characters as unique individuals with their own distinct personalities, not as members of a "race." What does this particular character think, what would this particular character do? These are the questions I ask myself whenever I roleplay.

This applies to class as well. I don't view a character as a "class," but as an individual.

Especially within the Dunmer of Morrowind, there are multiple factions, and some would be pro-Empire, and others against. There will obviously also be those who've had border disputes with the Nords, and and would be anti-Nord rather than pro-Empire.

And of course a large number of Dunmer lived in other provinces (as seen in Daggerfall and Oblivion), and don't have historical baggage to consider.

My views on the dunmer are that they are more suited to the empire. Yes the empire may not have treated them that well, but ultimately they a still part of the empire, have been given land by them and if that doesn't convince you, you at least should think against joining the stormcloaks because the very man they are named after would rather have your kind live in squalor instead of the freedom the empire allows you

The dunmer farmer that you find in random encounters in roads thinks so (the one that says something like "a united empire is better for everyone")

I was going to mention that.

I think the whole "Dunmer hate the Empire because they abandoned them during the Oblivion Crisis" stance is a mostly a Redoran thing. Most other Dunmer factions were against the Empire since they were brought into it and the only issue the legions leaving was that they weren't given enough notice to set up their own standing army. Whereas House Redoran tolerated Imperial rule albeit without much enthusiasm. I think an Ashlander or member of any other Great House, would be less likely to begrudge them. They certainly wouldn't welcome them back, but based on TESIII attitudes, I'd say that the most common sentiment in Morrowind for the Skyrim civil war would be "They deserve each other,". Not that all Dunmer stand by Morrowind's rulers' party lines.

While I agree that a dunmer is probably better served supporting the empire, I'd like to point out that that particular dunmer farmer isn't very bright. I'm not sure I've ever seen him heading in the right direction on his eternal quest to Solitude.