How do I welcome a neighbor from a different culture?

Knock, say hi, and tell them your name. Learn theirs, and say it right. Offer one useful thing, like where the good grocery store is or which day the trash goes out. Then keep showing up. A welcome isn’t a casserole on day one. It’s still waving in month six.

1 · MindWhat people believe, and how they know

Most of what a newcomer needs isn’t in any handbook. Which clinic takes walk-ins. Where to find the spices from home. Who to call when the water heater dies. That knowledge lives in neighbors, and it gets passed on by talking.

We also know what makes people feel like outsiders. In a 2023 Pew Research survey, 68% of Asian Americans said people had mispronounced their name, and 32% said someone had told them to “go back” to their home country. Small moments add up, in both directions.

What each tradition or community says

We're Christians, so we list what Christians believe first. Every other section is checked by someone from that faith or community.

Christian teaching

Jesus said the people who served him were the ones who said yes to strangers: “I was a stranger and you took me in” (Matthew 25:35, WEB). The Torah tells Israel to love the foreigner as yourself, because they were foreigners once too (Leviticus 19:34).

Islamic teaching

The Qur’an says God made people into nations and tribes so they would come to know one another (Qur’an 49:13, summarized). Many Muslim traditions treat a neighbor’s rights as sacred.

Community welcoming groups

Groups like Welcoming America work with towns and nonprofits so newcomers and long-time residents both feel at home. Their focus is everyday connection, not just services.

2 · HeartWhat it feels like

For the newcomer, everything is work at first. The forms. The accent. The weather. Even the grocery store, where nothing is where it should be. A friendly face doesn’t fix that, but it makes it lighter.

For you, it can feel like intruding. What if they don’t speak English? What if you say something dumb? You might. Most people forgive clumsy kindness. Almost nobody forgets being ignored.

We love immigrants in this country. We put them on statues and coffee mugs. The trick is to love the ones who moved in next door.Neighbor Radio

3 · HandsHow to be a good neighbor

Start small. Introduce yourself and write your name and number on a card. Ask how to say their name and practice until you get it. Offer one specific help: “If you need a ride to the DMV, I’m off on Fridays.”

Then invite them into something you already do. A barbecue, a school event, a walk with the dogs. Let them invite you back. Let them teach you something too. Welcome goes both ways or it’s just charity.

This weekIntroduce yourself to one neighbor you’ve only waved at, and learn to say their name correctly.

SourcesWhere it is in the scriptures

Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament)

Leviticus 19:34 Read it in the World English Bible on Free Scripture

New Testament

Matthew 25:35 Read it in the World English Bible on Free Scripture

Qur’an

Qur'an 49:13

Bible passages are quoted from the World English Bible. Other sacred texts are summarized, with references so you can find them.

Plain wordsWhat do these words mean?

Torah: The first five books of the Hebrew Bible, Genesis to Deuteronomy. Jews read from a Torah scroll in the synagogue. The word also means “teaching.”
Qur’an: The holy book of Islam. Muslims believe God revealed it to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.

All the words →

Four questions to take with you

From Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan, about the stranger who stopped to help. We call it the Samaritan Test.

Did they see? Or look right past?
Did they stop? Even when it was inconvenient?
Did it cost them? Time, money, comfort, reputation?
Did they treat the person like a person? Not like a label?

Try it on: the newest family on your street. Do you know their names, or just their car?

Quick questions

What if we don’t share a language?

Smile, point, use a phone translator, and bring food. Kids and dogs also help. They’re fluent in everything.

Should I ask about their home country?

Yes, with interest, not as a test. “What do you miss most from home?” works better than “Why did you come here?”

Is there a group that helps welcome newcomers?

Many towns have one. Welcoming America keeps a national network of local welcoming groups and city programs.

Sources and research

How this answer was made

Written in plain words by the Neighbor Radio team. Each faith's and community's section is checked by someone from that faith or community. Until then, this page says so. Spot something wrong? Tell us. We read every note and fix mistakes.