Anyone Hindu? Wondering about roommate...

Parents Forum
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<p>Is it ok to make jokes about southerners and the themes of “Deliverance” if you are rooming with a Southerner?
Is it considered fair game and good form…even in jest?</p>

<p>How about if the roommate is from Southern India? Will it make a difference?</p>

<p>Any other ethnic or regional slurs allowed if you are from a diverse “tolerant” metropolis?

I don’t know: should a Southerner have to room with someone who thinks their culture is summed-up in a vulgar Hollywood movie about men having sex with other men…and pigs? Seems harsh to me.</p>

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<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>San Francisco has diversity of everything but point of view.</p>

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<p>When I was in college, the dorm assignment fairies paired a boarding-school-bred debutante from the Deep South with a flat-broke Jewish girl from the Bronx who had gone to one of the NYC exam schools. Neither of them had ever before met anyone even remotely like the other. They both found it fascinating…and funny.</p>

<p>You have to go into this sort of thing with the right attitude.</p>

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<p>Good lord. Even this thread becomes political? Cease and desist you all. Speaking as a Northern Californian who had a Texas for a roommate freshman year and is still friends with said Texan. Which was the least of any efforts I have ever had to make to see points of view from other places than wherever my own feet happened to be standing.</p>

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<p>" But I honestly doubt if my d or any of the group give one minute’s thought to each other’s religion or ethnicity. "</p>

<p>If that is the case, that is IMO too bad. One’s culture, religion, ethnicity all are part of what makes a person the unique, interesting person who they are. These aspects of them aren’t things to politely overlook as if something is wrong with having some unusual characteristics: those aspects are things to welcome and to be curious about.</p>

<p>I’m black, Buddhist and Quaker. I have friends from all races, religions, and cultures. I’d be insulted if they happpened not to notice or care about my religion or race because those things are part of what makes me who I am. </p>

<p>People who think that they are being kind by saying, “I never noticed that you’re (insert “black,” “jewish,” “from the South,” “disabled” …). I just think that you’re just like everyone else” are acting like a person’s characteristics are things to overlook as if they are embarassing.</p>

<p>My S, 18, has friends from a variety of races, cultures and religions, and he knows that and welcomes their differences. He has learned a lot simply by intereacting with people who come from different backgrounds. As a result, he was the one who introduced me to klezmer, helped me learn about the harp from a Welch perspective, and helped me meet moms who are from Asia and who have become friends of mine, introducing me to things from their culture such as Filipino dancing.</p>

<p>I think that when people insist on seeing everyone as the same, what that means is that people who come from different cultures, etc. feel forced to blend in in order to be accepted. It’s wonderful when people are welcomed for their unusual characteristics so that they feel comfortable sharing those things with other people.</p>

<p>I love the OP’s curiosity that lead to her making the initial post. A lot of people are missing the boat who are insisting that something was wrong with her for asking the question.</p>

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<p>I too, had no problem with the question, if you don’t ask, you don’t learn</p>

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<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>

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<p>I’ve removed several posts which were becoming more focused on the personalities of posters, not the subject of the thread. Please stick to the subject of the thread and don’t engage in trying to read other posters’ minds or make judgments about other posters’ personalities.</p>

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<p>how is it? I wish every city kid had a chance to go camping, go to a farm- ee that it takes hard work to put that food in the store, go on a river, and if people are able, get a pumpkin from a patch, go to a real county fair, see fire flies, go on a fishing boat, ride a train, and I wish every urban kid, farm kid had a chance to see skyscrapers in person, see people having to live on the street, eat real ethnic food, see world class museums, see people who have different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds out and about</p>

<p>lets see, the " not that there is something WRONG with that" line is from Seinfield, the comment that when we go through a town that is mostly caucasian, we are not used to it- that is a comment about US, not the town, when I say SMALL, I was referring to town population, ie 1000 people, and the NO ONES FAULT, guess that wasn’t clear enough, and the words, “is NOT at the OP” wasn’t clear enough for you,</p>

<p>and I do stand by what I said, that to understand the world and the people in it, you need to get out into it</p>

<p>and yes, I have taken my Ds camping, rafting, and visiting on a farm…not nearly enough, but doing the best i can</p>

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<p>Yet another reminder to please stick to the subject of the thread. Commenting in the forums about moderation activities is against the Terms of Service. Thank you.</p>

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<p>I am sorry if I offended anyone, I felt attacked, and tried to explain what I meant an it came across snippy…my apologizes</p>

<p>I applaud the OP for asking the question…when my Ds were iittle, they asked a person in a wheel chair why they had to use the chair…I was embarrased they asked, but the person was very gracious, and said she was would love to tell them…and it was was better then little kids hiding from her thinking she was from outer space</p>

<p>so questions are good, curiosity is good</p>

<p>and again, I will refrain from getting personal, and I do sincerely apologize</p>

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<p>nsm…let me add to my original statement and see if it becomes a little more harmless to you…</p>

<p>“But I honestly doubt if my d or any of the group give one minute’s thought to each other’s religion or ethnicity…when deciding if they wanted to hang out together.”</p>

<p>I think you read too much into my post.</p>

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<p>also re: hot sauce. I’m a Native Texan and I never put hot sauce (or picante) on anything. (What is IN hot sauce anyway? If you can’t make the pico de gallo or salsa fresh, the bite’s not worth it.) Interestingly, my European-raised, globe-trotting husband became hooked on the stuff (hot sauce) after a few years of eating at Louisiana restaurants.</p>

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<p>My mother makes hot sauce, I think all that’s in it is vinegar and chiles. Maybe a bit of salt.</p>

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<p>There’s an article in the Crimson I just read. 5 girls, all white, all liberals, and one ended up transferring out of the suite. The bone of contention? Not religion, politics, ethnicity, or a dozen other possibilitie, but sleeping habits, as far I could tell.</p>

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<p>Your mom makes it fresh! Good on her! The chilis have to be why hubby practically drinks the stuff…cast iron stomach. My sister’s husband makes a mean green sauce with tomatillas, avocados, cilantro and jalapenos. I’ve been begging for the recipe and I always get the brush off. It’s to die for and not so hot it’s nasty.</p>

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<p>re: roommates. </p>

<p>I am so grateful my d hit it off with her roommate and suitemate…and the rest of the kids on the floor. Everytime we talk they are all together having a blast. A lot of the kids in this dorm are from oos and are the only ones from their schools attending UNC which is a nice bonding factor. But there are NC kids there and they have been so nice and welcoming…one girl was beside herself with excitement to get to room with the oos kids. It was just such a relief. It really can be a trauma, especially for freshmen, if roommate problems occur.</p>

<p>I just hope they aren’t having too much fun and I still get to see a decent gpa in December. :-)</p>

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<p>to learn about hinduism or lots of other world religions I would recommend <a href=“http://www.religioustolerance.org%5B/url%5D”>www.religioustolerance.org</a></p>

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<p>Geetha123 had a great post. My husband is from India, I’m from WI. Over the past 20+ years I’ve learned a lot. I was raised Catholic, he Hindu. I could post pages about the similarities and differences… I understand the mom’s concerns. Hinduism is as varied as Christianity- I have more in common with my husband than with a fundamentalist. The manifestations of the same god that Christians worship vary from north to south ( so do the foods eaten) so when your son learns about his roomate’s at home lifestyle it is a snapshot of only one family. The best thing is that Hinduisim by its nature is so tolerant of different ways of doing things you’re not likely to offend (they don’t try to convert like other religions). BTW we grew up going barefoot in our house so the shoe issue here is-leave them at the door. I like to compare India to the US and Europe by its diversity ( the pages…)- languages, culture, politics… It is important that the roommate was raised here- the two will probably learn more about variances in hometowns.</p>

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<p>Addenda. My mother-in-law and I have been known to get a 1/2 cheese,1/2 everything pizza to share.</p>