In coming April I'm going to New York Medical College,USA to study medicine. But I'm curious what kind of hospitality I'll get there. I'm an Italian-british-indian. My father is an Italian and my mother is British-indian. My color is light brown to tanned.

When I go out I usually dress like Italian as I'm habituated with that and every time I went to Italy in summer I always receive very friendly attitude from the Italians even I say that I am Indian too. Now the problem is I don't look like my father at all nor like my mother, I got the traditional Indian look like my grandma who was an Indian though my dress, style, way of talking confirms anybody that I'm Italian.

So my question is in USA is there any chance that I face racial attitude as I'm an Italian or Indian. I don't have too much idea about USA but I've heard from my Nigerian classmate that they are racist and don't like black or brown people especially white ladies. My friend also told me that girls won't even talk to me or go out for a date as I'm dress like traditional Italian and I'm very polite when I talk with no aggressiveness and also I look like half Indian.

Now I never consider myself skinny(5 ft 10.5 inch, 45 inch chest, 29 waist, 16.5 upper hand), geek or insecure as I've lot of Italian and British friends both boys and girls who re mostly white and they're very nice to me. So do you think that any white or black color American don't talk to me or won't even consider to date with me.

And if possible give some advice how to talk or behave in USA with Americans. Please I do need help.

If you want to look for discrimination you can find it, and it sounds like you are very ethnic in your thinking. How will you interact with others. Next not sure how Italians dress different than I do, Think I saw Grateful Dead Tee shirts there last time I visited. Next New York has very ethnic areas, and often you get treated either how you treat others or how you expect to be treated.

America really is a melting pot of over 300 million very diverse people, and your friend found some prejudice somewhere, as anyone can anywhere. Yes, there is prejudice. I would say most of it, where it does exist, is against African Americans and some against Muslims since 911, but it's what happens in the press that gets attention, with most people getting along fine. I certainly don't think you will find it in medical school, certainly not in New York City (full of recent immigrants from all over the world), and except for some small isolated places in the country which you may never see (and not even much there), it's just not anything to be worried about. Many people are actually biased toward India for their values and intelligence and work ethic. (A few complain about India taking the phone answering jobs, but you probably won't run into any of them, and that's not going to be directed at a doctor or med student.) As for Italy, goodness, half of greater New York is Italian. Telling us how light or dark your skin is, your weight and so on, how you dress - all evidence of needless worry. I think you will enjoy being here and you are going to be too busy anyway. Welcome and good luck.