Comparing the US and Vietnamese values 1. Welcome to the culture: The first is about greetings. Americans and Vietnamese are very different in how they greet others. Vietnamese people do not greet strangers when passing each other, when running by accident or when traveling. On the other hand, Americans are very open and greet everyone, even if they do not know the person. In Vietnam, when greeting someone, including a family member, people often do not have intimate actions. In contrast, Americans often shake hands and give a light kiss on the cheek of the opposite person when greeting. When young people visit a family, they show their respect by addressing the oldest person in the family first. Unlike Vietnamese, Americans greet anyone they see, big or small. It is not polite to ask Americans about their age, marriage, and income. However, that is normal in Vietnam. Americans can greet anyone in the family first, but in Vietnam it is wrong. As a rule, all members must greet the oldest person first. 2. Food Culture: In addition to greetings, the culture of behavior at the table between Americans and Vietnamese also has a huge difference. At their meals, Americans often use knives, forks, and plates, while Vietnamese use chopsticks, spoons, bowls, or cups. In a traditional Vietnamese family, eating is very important. For example, the meal starts only when the youngest person has finished greeting all family members. On the other hand, Americans do not greet the elderly before eating. Also, Americans divide their meals into three courses: Appetizer, appetizer, and dessert. While in Vietnam, people eat the whole meal at once. An obvious point is that Americans love animals such as dogs, cats, etc, and do not eat such close-to-home animals. But Vietnam still has a lot of shops selling dog and cat meat. 3. Family values: In the United States, two generations live under one roof. In Vietnam, two, three, or even four generations live under one roof. In the United States, elderly parents live in nursing homes, but in Vietnam, they live with their children. In the United States, from the age of 18, young people have legal independence. Families with members scattered across the United States. Dad in New York, grandfather in Florida, aunt and uncle in Atlanta, and siblings in Colorado are all good examples. So the meeting time between members of this typical family is usually only once a year. In Vietnam, families are as close together as possible. Family duties are no joke, and as a son or daughter, you are responsible for taking care of your parents and older family members. And when you have kids, they take care of you. Of course, there are also many families whose members have to study and work away from home, but every holiday the members try to return to their hometown. Meeting family is the most important thing. 4. Freedom In America, when it comes to personal freedom, everything is free by default. In Vietnam, people are free to express their opinions, but the Vietnamese are more concerned with their security, the community, and less with their individual freedom. For example, during a pandemic, wearing a mask helps prevent illness, many Americans do not follow this rule because it affects their personal rights, and Vietnamese people wear masks more. 5. Shopping: Americans buy groceries once a week and keep them in the fridge. In Vietnam, despite having a refrigerator, people still buy groceries every day because they want fresh food, thinking it's better for their health. Moreover, due to economic differences, Vietnamese people tend to save more. 6. Identity: Vietnamese culture respects family traditions more. Vietnam places great emphasis on filial piety and the responsibility of caring for parents. For people who are respected in society, In America, successful people have a lot of money. In Vietnam, successful people are respected by society. 7. Work In the US, where competence and equality are emphasized, many companies will often accept qualified and skilled employees to work. In Vietnam, this also exists but is still rare. There are many cases of relatives and acquaintances working together. Vietnamese people are still respectful and not straightforward in this regard. Moreover, Vietnamese people place great emphasis on flattery, so the office culture is still lacking in this regard. In short, in any country, people will have cultural differences compared to foreigners. And in any culture, there are values to be respected. Therefore, the most useful advice before going to a country to travel or live is to find out the way of life in that country. This way, people won't feel too alienated or get culture shocked by the differences between different countries. (Tiểu Quy Quy-st) Thật vui khi bạn đã đọc hết bài viết của mình
