<p>Try not to be a fruitcake and “understand” him as the indian american he is. Try to get to know him as a person, first. The overwhelming majority of indian students I knew last year were completely normal in every way. They liked sports, they ate hamburgers, they chugged beer, they played xbox, etc, etc, etc. </p>
<p>You wouldn’t want your son’s roommate to show up on move-in day with a gift of sun tan lotion for him, would you?</p>
<p>My roommate next year is Hindu, I am not. We are good friends and I have found that learning about her religion has brought us together and made us better friends. It isnt like she came from another planet because she is Hindu. This thread seems a bit obsurd to me, but I am glad that you are concerned with being respectful of someone elses culture.</p>
<p>lol, cavalier 
haha</p>
<p>I should also note that my roommate next year is Hindu.</p>
<p>Hi there,</p>
<p>I am Hindu (Indian) from India and so is my husband. My son was born and raised here, in the US. He is no different from any other kid in CA except that he goes to the temple sometimes instead of the church. Sometime he refuses to go but that is okay too. He eats meat (beef too), listens to the latest cool band, plays X-Box, speaks in English all the time, and loves Pizza with coke.At the same time, he respects our culture and traditions and loves Indian food. I would not recommend getting cultural advise from a book or movie even though they do give some idea. It’s like getting knowledge of American culture from Disneyland. India is culturally very diverse. What works for a Hindu in Northern India may not work for a Hindu from Southern India. Indians also belong to other religions like Islam, Sikh, Jain, Buddhists, and Christians.Hindus are in the majority though with almost 80% of the population being Hindu. Not all Hindus are vegetarian. There are many meat eating Hindus out there but they may not eat beef. Just like there are difference in other religions there are differences in people who practice Hinduism. There are orthodox Hindus, spiritual Hindus, laid-back Hindus, non-practicing Hindus, Hindus who maintain that their interpretation of our spiritual texts is the only way, and others who neither here nor there. Don’t worry so much.</p>
<p>I agree with the ‘don’t worry so much’ advice. The absolutely coolest boy in my d’s h.s. gang is Hindu. Seriously cool…BMOC cool. But I honestly doubt if my d or any of the group give one minute’s thought to each other’s religion or ethnicity. (In the case of this boy, the girls just think he’s hot. lol.) </p>
<h2>For the most part, kids don’t think or worry like we do…they just accept each other and have fun. It is one fact that reassures me our society IS moving in the right direction.</h2>
<p>btw to the OP…our family is Lutheran (Missouri Synod). Though it was many years ago, as a youth, I remember a lot of emphasis was placed on learning about other religions in a nonjudgemental way in confirmation classes and Walther League. Heck, we even held Passover dinners…which if you can imagine the Ladies Aid group fussing as they tried to convert recipes…well it was pretty funny in addition to being a very good experience. You may want to check with your Pastor about resources at your church or online. I understand your desire to be welcoming to this young man who will be your son’s roommate and it will make you feel better to know more.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the responses. Actually we’re feeling WONDERFUL about the upcoming school year and my son’s roommate. They have been emailing back and forth and I they’re going to get along great! It’s very exciting.</p>
<p>OP, I hope you’ll update us after the school year starts because I’m interested in hearing about your S’s roommate experience. I think that it’s cool that your S is being exposed to a new culture. :)</p>
<p>i am glad this thread was made</p>
<p>I find it kind of sad in a way though, that in 2006, there are still small places where people haven’t really had much diversity in their lives, no ones fault really, but still, if you can travel, send kids to camps, go to the “big city”, but get out and meet people who aren’t exactly like all your neighbors</p>
<p>this is not at OP, but to anyone living in a small, homogenous place…in my town, well, what can I say, SF is like AMAZING</p>
<p>When we travel had go through “wonder bread” towns, we are flabbergasted, just not used to it, and not that there is anything WRONG with those towns…</p>
<p>We have traveled quite a bit, including a couple of cruises that exposed our children to poverty-ridden areas such as Dominica, hurricane-struck portions of Cozumel/Cancun, as well as luxury islands like St. Lucia. My son has been attending sports camps since he was in third grade, but that doesn’t necessarily prepare or educate you on cultural differences. He’s been around persons of color and feels they are no different than himself. Some of our visits to the big city have included trips to Chicago and the Twin Cities, including stops at the Mall of America and so forth, but simply seeing persons from different cultures doesn’t really teach you about those cultures. </p>
<p>You are right, it is good to expose ourselves to diversity. I’m sure that day-to-day life at college will do just that, and through it my son will see things and learn things that he would never have experienced in our small town. For that, I am grateful and excited.</p>
<p>Well, you should have SAID so…your son will be fine…me, my D doesn’t want to room with anyone who reminds her of Deliverence…what can I sy?</p>
<p>Oh I think Deliverance was a bit of an over the top movie myself. Most Southerners are quite nice and even know what to do with a shrimp fork.</p>
<p>He he he lol.</p>
<p>so long as they don’t got no banjo and go oink</p>
<p>yes, she met the nicest southern girls at her summer programs…but the girl that brought her own hot sauce everywhere and put in on EVERYTHING…well, that ws just silly</p>
<p>My son eats no meat and puts hot sauce on everything, and he is just another Jewish kid from the northeast!</p>
<p>Generalizations get people nowhere!</p>
<p>“I dunno, but am I the only one who thinks this thread is strange (and I’m not taking this personally or anything, as I am not Indian…I just thought it was weird after I read and reread it).”</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s strange, I think it’s respectful. as far as the pizza, it’s an example of you don’t know what you don’t know. I think you are out of line.</p>
<p>I am Moravian and we have lots of Indian American families in our church.</p>
<p>"My son eats no meat and puts hot sauce on everything, and he is just another Jewish kid from the northeast!</p>
<p>Generalizations get people nowhere!"</p>
<p>So true, Allmusic, but some people really do need to post from their high horses, don’t they? My bestest friend in the whole entire world is from Norway and keeps a bottle of Tabasco in her handbag at all times.</p>
<p>I think it would be a great example of diversity if a liberal San Franciscan and a conservative Southerner were paired up as roommates! Not a great example of tolerance and acceptance when a whole region of the country is stereotyped as being populated with uneducated products of inbreeding.</p>
<p>man, take a joke, guess I was too subtle!!! it was about one girl who put hot sauce on her bacon and toast, not a sterotype about a whole group of people and I was making a point that any group, even the most mainstream can be stereotyped…</p>
<p>my D was paired uo with a Southerner, and it was two messy girls sharing a room, </p>
<p>My D said to have to put hotsauce of chicken marsala was overkill, and yes, i agree with that, if you cannot eat good food without hiding it in hotsauce, you need to release your pallet to be able to TASTE other foods as they were meant to be, no have it all taste like hotsauce</p>
<p>I LOVE my Chaulula sauce, but don’t put in on my pepperoni and mushroom pizza or my egg rolls, figure the cooks generally know what they are doing</p>