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excerpts of copyright protected
material. All rights are
reserved. All photos on this
page are in the public domain.
Victoria Pilate, Ph.D.
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Excerpts from Great Leap Forward's
Diversity Lecture Materials
Diversity Lecture Materials
Jewish Customs
When invited to a
Jewish home,
common gifts for the
host are bread, fruit
and honey. A
welcome to an
honored guest is to
offer bread and salt.
At Jewish
ceremonies, men
may be expected to
wear a yarmulke and
women may be
expected to wear a
hat or scarf.
Yarmulkes may be
distributed at the
door.
Shalom (peace) is
often said in
greeting and parting.
Shana Tovah
(Happy New Year) is
said for Rosh
Hashanah, the
Jewish New Year.
Chag Sameach is
Happy Holiday.
Mazal tov is
congratulatons.
Observant Jews do
not eat pork, rabbit
or lobster. .
Racial and Ethnic Slurs
Truncating the word Japanese to the
first three letters is a racial slur. A
Hollywood actor, interviewed about the
film Pearl Harbor, used the word on a
talk show and created a stir in the
Asian-American community.
Truncating the word gypsy to the first
three letters is an ethnic slur. I was
shocked to hear in a Disney movie a
child use that verb.
Common Islamic
Greetings and
Phrases
Salamu aleikum –
Peace be upon you
Aleikum as salam wa
rahmatu allahi wa
barakatuh – (return
greeting) And upon
you peace and the
mercy of God and His
blessings
Ahlan wa sahlan –
Welcome (means" you
are among your
people")
Kattar kheirak – Thank
you (literally "may God
increase the good that
comes from you")
Mabrook -
Congratulations
Greetings and
Phrases
Salamu aleikum –
Peace be upon you
Aleikum as salam wa
rahmatu allahi wa
barakatuh – (return
greeting) And upon
you peace and the
mercy of God and His
blessings
Ahlan wa sahlan –
Welcome (means" you
are among your
people")
Kattar kheirak – Thank
you (literally "may God
increase the good that
comes from you")
Mabrook -
Congratulations
Quick Tips on Asian Relations
• Be thoughtful about food
arrangements. Observant Hindus do
not eat beef. Many Hindus and other
Indians are vegetarians.
• Grasping hands together in front
of you and saying “Namaste” in
greeting or departing means “All that is
holy in me greets all that is holy in you.”
(A common formal Hindu parting and
greeting).
• In China and many Southeast
Asian countries, looking directly in the
eyes of another is discouraged for
being immodest.
• Chinese and other Asians often
will not directly say no.
• In Japanese divorces, one ex-
spouse gets the children and the other
spouse usually is never again involved
in the children’s lives. Joint custody is
an unknown concept. Asking about
children after a Japanese colleague
divorces could produce an awkward
situation.
• Be thoughtful about food
arrangements. Observant Hindus do
not eat beef. Many Hindus and other
Indians are vegetarians.
• Grasping hands together in front
of you and saying “Namaste” in
greeting or departing means “All that is
holy in me greets all that is holy in you.”
(A common formal Hindu parting and
greeting).
• In China and many Southeast
Asian countries, looking directly in the
eyes of another is discouraged for
being immodest.
• Chinese and other Asians often
will not directly say no.
• In Japanese divorces, one ex-
spouse gets the children and the other
spouse usually is never again involved
in the children’s lives. Joint custody is
an unknown concept. Asking about
children after a Japanese colleague
divorces could produce an awkward
situation.
Freedom of Religion…. An
American Thing?
In 2002, the Eritrean government
introduced a registration system for
which religious groups must
register to be allowed to worship.
Only Islam may be practiced openly
in Saudi Arabia.
American Thing?
In 2002, the Eritrean government
introduced a registration system for
which religious groups must
register to be allowed to worship.
Only Islam may be practiced openly
in Saudi Arabia.
Diversity Reality Check
Two Algerian immigrant school girls
were attacked in a homophobic attack
on a Boston subway a few years ago
because they were sitting arm-in-arm.
North African women and girls often
hold hands or walk arm-in-arm.
Two Algerian immigrant school girls
were attacked in a homophobic attack
on a Boston subway a few years ago
because they were sitting arm-in-arm.
North African women and girls often
hold hands or walk arm-in-arm.
Freedom of Speech … An
American Thing?
In Zimbabwe, invoking hard-line
President Robert Mugabe's name
as an insult is a crime under the
nation's sweeping security law.
The Basics of International Relations
In the U.S., we talk openly about nearly every
subject. Foreign visitors are amazed at our
openness about politics and sex, for example.
A casual American conversation about the
headlines could make a recent immigrant blush
or become concerned for his safety. A political
discussion on the sidewalk of a busy street in
some countries could land a person in jail.
Despite our openness and patriotic feelings,
some fair play is appreciated when talking
about one’s respective countries. Few people
from this country probably are willing to tolerate
negative things said about the U.S. by foreign
nationals. I definitely do not and have gotten in
modestly angry discussions with foreign
nationals who bad-mouthed the U.S while in the
U.S. Likewise, foreign nationals in this country
do not enjoy hearing their homelands
criticized. Avoid politics in the office; any
discussion about cultural differences should be
done infrequently and with an open mind.
The best thing you can do for yourself and your
career in interacting with others of different
cultures and nationalities is to take time to learn
and read. There are several good books on
the subject. I’ll talk briefly about some common
etiquette issues.
Watch your language in dealing with foreign
nationals. Americans tend to use curse words
more than their foreign counterparts. In truth,
curse words release emotions that other words
don’t. However, they offend and they offend
many foreign nationals greatly. Europeans and
Asians alike are shocked at our use of curse
words. Overall, it helps reinforce the image of
American abruptness. A few years ago in Italy,
two American women were pulled over by Italian
police for a traffic violation. One started
cussing. A passing American tourist told them
to stop that they were seconds away from being
thrown in jail and to start crying. They began
weeping on cue. The Italian patrol officer let
them go with a stern warning.
Don’t admire something too much. A CNN
article suggested to try to compliment
something in general. Otherwise, the person
may feel obliged to give you the item. People
in some foreign countries are extremely
generous, far beyond what U.S. born people
can imagine.
Use care when asking seemingly innocuous
questions about the person’s family. Some
may consider questions about that person’s
spouse (How’s your wife doing?) to be
insulting.
Be thoughtful about your words. In everyday
language, we use slang that is so regular to
use we don’t even think of it as slang. Being
fluent in English is not the same as having a
command of the English language. A business
manager ran into trouble when he tried to
organize brown bag lunches at a foreign
subsidiary. I once told someone originally from
Haiti, “That’s neat” about an invention and got
an “Excuse me.” And to a Somali-born Muslim
who lived in the U.S. for a good 20 years, the
old saying, “Always the bridesmaid, never the
bride,” was met by a puzzled response. The
good thing is that many immigrants are eager
to learn the meaning of American slang and
these kinds of situations can be starting points
for meaningful exchanges.
Even innocuous words in the business world
can be a problem. Using the word “flip chart” to
a group of Filipinos could elicit negative
responses; “flip” is a derogatory word to
Filipinos.
Handing someone your business card can be
interpreted; in Asia, use both hands. (Do the
same when accepting something from
someone.) If someone gives you a business
card, study it careful before putting it away.
Business Gifts and Diversity
In some cultures, small gifts are customary and
expected parts of business relations. The
same goes for personal relations. If you arrive
empty handed at a business meeting in some
countries, it makes a poor impression; the
same goes when being invited to attend a
dinner at the home of a colleague.
Use some thought and research. Leather
goods to a Hindu, alcohol to a Muslim or a
Chinese-made good to a Chinese colleague all
spell trouble. Even something as simple as a
gourmet cheese and cracker basket may cause
problems. A radio interview of a chef pointed
out something I’d never considered about
foreign diets; in China and other Asian cultures,
cheese is an exotic fare; cheese is not part of
the Asian diet.
An article I read recently pointed out that even
gift-wrapping can cause some cultural conflicts;
the Chinese don’t use white gift wrap because it
symbolizes death. Green in some Muslim
cultures is the color of good luck.
Decision Making and Diversity
In the U.S. the average workplace has evolved
such that low level employees are “empowered”
to handle minor problems on the job. This
empowerment is good business sense for
productivity, worker satisfaction and customer
satisfaction. This enlightened approach is not
shared worldwide.
A Smithsonian representative was greatly
miffed at her Czech counterparts when
negotiating the loan of artifacts to be displayed
at the Smithsonian. From her point of view, the
counterpart was elusive even whimsical in
avoiding signing the papers or agreeing they
had a verbal understanding. In former
communist countries, managers are wary about
taking responsibility such as signing
documents; under Communist rule, a signature
on a document that a state official didn’t like
could have meant imprisonment.
In many foreign lands, the hierarchy of an
organization and one’s place on the hierarchy
is far more important than it is here. As well,
role-playing also has power connotations. A
former secret service agent related to me on a
Presidential trip to China the Chinese
counterparts would not obey orders from the
secret service lead agent. They instead looked
to him, the President’s car driver/agent, for final
instructions.
In general, Americans also believe in getting to
the point in communicating and in negotiating.
In some foreign cultures, business negotiations
are expected to be elongated and more
personal. Getting to the point and being all
business can be insulting.
In the U.S., we talk openly about nearly every
subject. Foreign visitors are amazed at our
openness about politics and sex, for example.
A casual American conversation about the
headlines could make a recent immigrant blush
or become concerned for his safety. A political
discussion on the sidewalk of a busy street in
some countries could land a person in jail.
Despite our openness and patriotic feelings,
some fair play is appreciated when talking
about one’s respective countries. Few people
from this country probably are willing to tolerate
negative things said about the U.S. by foreign
nationals. I definitely do not and have gotten in
modestly angry discussions with foreign
nationals who bad-mouthed the U.S while in the
U.S. Likewise, foreign nationals in this country
do not enjoy hearing their homelands
criticized. Avoid politics in the office; any
discussion about cultural differences should be
done infrequently and with an open mind.
The best thing you can do for yourself and your
career in interacting with others of different
cultures and nationalities is to take time to learn
and read. There are several good books on
the subject. I’ll talk briefly about some common
etiquette issues.
Watch your language in dealing with foreign
nationals. Americans tend to use curse words
more than their foreign counterparts. In truth,
curse words release emotions that other words
don’t. However, they offend and they offend
many foreign nationals greatly. Europeans and
Asians alike are shocked at our use of curse
words. Overall, it helps reinforce the image of
American abruptness. A few years ago in Italy,
two American women were pulled over by Italian
police for a traffic violation. One started
cussing. A passing American tourist told them
to stop that they were seconds away from being
thrown in jail and to start crying. They began
weeping on cue. The Italian patrol officer let
them go with a stern warning.
Don’t admire something too much. A CNN
article suggested to try to compliment
something in general. Otherwise, the person
may feel obliged to give you the item. People
in some foreign countries are extremely
generous, far beyond what U.S. born people
can imagine.
Use care when asking seemingly innocuous
questions about the person’s family. Some
may consider questions about that person’s
spouse (How’s your wife doing?) to be
insulting.
Be thoughtful about your words. In everyday
language, we use slang that is so regular to
use we don’t even think of it as slang. Being
fluent in English is not the same as having a
command of the English language. A business
manager ran into trouble when he tried to
organize brown bag lunches at a foreign
subsidiary. I once told someone originally from
Haiti, “That’s neat” about an invention and got
an “Excuse me.” And to a Somali-born Muslim
who lived in the U.S. for a good 20 years, the
old saying, “Always the bridesmaid, never the
bride,” was met by a puzzled response. The
good thing is that many immigrants are eager
to learn the meaning of American slang and
these kinds of situations can be starting points
for meaningful exchanges.
Even innocuous words in the business world
can be a problem. Using the word “flip chart” to
a group of Filipinos could elicit negative
responses; “flip” is a derogatory word to
Filipinos.
Handing someone your business card can be
interpreted; in Asia, use both hands. (Do the
same when accepting something from
someone.) If someone gives you a business
card, study it careful before putting it away.
Business Gifts and Diversity
In some cultures, small gifts are customary and
expected parts of business relations. The
same goes for personal relations. If you arrive
empty handed at a business meeting in some
countries, it makes a poor impression; the
same goes when being invited to attend a
dinner at the home of a colleague.
Use some thought and research. Leather
goods to a Hindu, alcohol to a Muslim or a
Chinese-made good to a Chinese colleague all
spell trouble. Even something as simple as a
gourmet cheese and cracker basket may cause
problems. A radio interview of a chef pointed
out something I’d never considered about
foreign diets; in China and other Asian cultures,
cheese is an exotic fare; cheese is not part of
the Asian diet.
An article I read recently pointed out that even
gift-wrapping can cause some cultural conflicts;
the Chinese don’t use white gift wrap because it
symbolizes death. Green in some Muslim
cultures is the color of good luck.
Decision Making and Diversity
In the U.S. the average workplace has evolved
such that low level employees are “empowered”
to handle minor problems on the job. This
empowerment is good business sense for
productivity, worker satisfaction and customer
satisfaction. This enlightened approach is not
shared worldwide.
A Smithsonian representative was greatly
miffed at her Czech counterparts when
negotiating the loan of artifacts to be displayed
at the Smithsonian. From her point of view, the
counterpart was elusive even whimsical in
avoiding signing the papers or agreeing they
had a verbal understanding. In former
communist countries, managers are wary about
taking responsibility such as signing
documents; under Communist rule, a signature
on a document that a state official didn’t like
could have meant imprisonment.
In many foreign lands, the hierarchy of an
organization and one’s place on the hierarchy
is far more important than it is here. As well,
role-playing also has power connotations. A
former secret service agent related to me on a
Presidential trip to China the Chinese
counterparts would not obey orders from the
secret service lead agent. They instead looked
to him, the President’s car driver/agent, for final
instructions.
In general, Americans also believe in getting to
the point in communicating and in negotiating.
In some foreign cultures, business negotiations
are expected to be elongated and more
personal. Getting to the point and being all
business can be insulting.