Which Universities are more respectful of different cultures and religions

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hey! I am a foreign student, and I would like to know which universities are more open to different religions and cultures. I don't want to study in a college in which I won't be respected or would be treated badly because of my religion or cultural background. </p>

2

<p>That question is too general to answer accurately. It can matter what your religion or cultural background is, how strongly held your religious beliefs are, what you are planning to study, etc… Also, two people of the same religion and cultural background may have different experiences at the same school due to encountering different other students.</p>

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<p>@ucbalumnus‌. Yeah i guess my question was a bit general ^_^; I totally agree with you. I guess i really would stand out in America because of my strong-held beliefs and cultural practices, but i am not the type that goes around shouting or trying to enforce her ideas. I just want a peaceful place to study without people giving me the awkward eye. I guess i will encounter fewer of these problems in a more diverse university. So which universities tend to be more diverse in religion and culture?</p>

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<p>It depends on what you mean. For example, if you’re Muslim, UMIchigan-Dearborn would not be very diverse but very accepting. Same thing at Yeshiva if you’re Jewish.
If you’re Wiccan or Zoroastrian, I’d think universities like Vassar, Wesleyan, Oberlin, or Smith would be very accepting.</p>

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<p>Why don’t you tell us about your background so we have an idea why you would stand out.</p>

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<p>Some practices will be looked at differently than others. Animal sacrifices will be frowned upon. Headscarves for Muslim women generally won’t cause any trouble, except among true bigots, nor will daily prayers, but some of the more female unfriendly Muslim practices might be looked at less than favorably even on more liberal campuses.</p>

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<p>Thanks guys :slight_smile: I am a muslim female who wears a headscarf, but i am not the type who does rude, disrespectful or intolerable actions. I am not racist nor am i narcissit, nor do i look down on other religions or cultures. i am very open to different ideas and beliefs, and i would never enforce my ideas on a person. I am just worried about people not accepting me or not treating me well due to my background.</p>

8

<p>Don’t worry about it. Seriously. :slight_smile:
If you wear a Hijeb and need to have time for the 5 daily prayers, that will be zero problem and may even be mentioned on your roommate match-up for accomodation. Some campuses will have an Imam on staff and/or you can check if the town where the college is located has a mosque. You can email various services, ask them about what’s planned for Muslims.
It’s very unlikely the food in the dining halls will be hallal but some colleges handle special requests and all have various vegetarian dishes for each meal.
However as MrMom said, justifications for intolerance or violence (ie., “it’s okay to make homosexuality a capital crime and hang gays”) or practices that enforce inequality, especially toward women (ie., Saudi women needing a “tutor” even if they’re adult, early/forced mariages in Yemen…), aren’t likely to be seen as acceptable. You’d have to argue convincingly and would have to expect vigorous opposition. However you’d also be entitled to these beliefs even if others disagree with you!
In short: all personal practices and beliefs (even chicken sacrifice and peyote smoking, depending on the place!) tend to be accepted on college campuses, but political policies that hurt groups of people using faith as a pretext aren’t likely to be easy to defend :).</p>

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<p>@MYOS1634‌. Thanks, i hope it turns out ok for me :slight_smile: I understand actions of a few muslims can really be offensive, but i do not support violence anyway, nor would i advocate the practice of inequality towards women (in fact i worked in a women’s rights committe in my country) I don’t have abscure ideas as you mentioned, but i would appreciate if people wouldn’t see me as the type of muslims you mentioned :confused: I like to be social and to interact with other people, but it would be very difficult to do so if they run away from me. :confused: </p>

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<p>They wouldn’t run away from you and they wouldn’t assume you harbor these views, unless you make it explicit that’s what you stand for. And even then, as I said, “everyone’s got a right to disagree” in the US :slight_smile: (a right that’s not likely to be forgotten for disuse any time soon.)
So, really, don’t worry.
American students may not all be as curious as you might wish but overall they’ll treat you like everyone else. :)</p>

11

<p>In general I would just look to see if the university you are applying to has a muslim student association or something of that sort. Most people will tend to be accepting but the more diverse and the higher the population of a specific minority then the more mainstream your beliefs and culture will be. </p>

12

<p>Generally speaking, any university with a large international student population and located in an area that is developed with a well educated population will be welcoming of all races, religions and nationalities. A Moroccan student I know who wears the hijab enrolled at Penn last year, and she is loving it. I will make up a list based on my experience as a Middle Eastern man myself, but it will take some time.</p>

13

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<p>Some schools have dining halls with halal meals.
<a href=“Michigan Housing”>http://housing.umich.edu/dining/observance&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“Nutrition and Allergens | Eat at State”>http://www.eatatstate.msu.edu/nutrition&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/admission/whatsdistinctive/experience/dining_options/”>http://www.princeton.edu/admission/whatsdistinctive/experience/dining_options/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“Muslim students collaborate with UChicago Dining for more halal food choices”>http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2012/10/23/muslim-students-collaborate-uchicago-dining-more-halal-food-choices&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.ifanca.org/halalfoodserv/Halal%20Food%20Options%20in%20US%20Higher%20Education%20Campus%20Cafeterias%20-%20An%20IFANCA%20White%20Paper.pdf”>http://www.ifanca.org/halalfoodserv/Halal%20Food%20Options%20in%20US%20Higher%20Education%20Campus%20Cafeterias%20-%20An%20IFANCA%20White%20Paper.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>However, Israeli / Palestinian politics on US college campuses can be really nasty, and many of the noisier groups (on all sides) can be rather racist (but wrapping their racism in talk about Israeli oppressors or Palestinian terrorists).</p>