China in my Eyes Cultural Differences between China

China in my Eyes: Cultural Differences between China and the US written by: Jessica Vaughn

Make-up and Clothing Chinese people are generally more modest in appearance and dress. Conservative use of make-up in daily life Modest choice of clothing

Americans… American girls wear more make-up in daily life Cosmetics are cheaper in the US than in China A majority of shirts sold in the US are low cut.

Modesty and Praise Chinese people are modest when they are given compliments. “I’m not that good. ” “I like your shirt, too. ”

Americans… Americans enjoy receiving praise and compliments. When you tell us that you like something we did or said or something we are wearing, we reply by saying “thank you”.

Respect for Elderly Chinese will quickly offer their seat on a bus to an elderly person. Most Chinese feel a sense of responsibility to take care of their parents in old age. More prevalent in China.

Americans… There always enough seats on public transportation so we never have the need to give up our seat for them. I have seen this done in the US while waiting for a table in a restaurant.

No tipping Chinese do not give tips to waitresses, taxi drivers, barbers or other service industry workers. Chinese like to “fight to pay the bill”. There is expectation for someone to treat you later in return.

Americans: Tipping is a Must Tipping is a common part of the service industry in American culture. In a restaurant, people should tip their waitress 15 -20% depending on the service and situation. Most of a what a waitress earns comes from tips. Their bosses pay them an extremely low salary because it is assumed that they will receive a lot in tips. If you don’t want to tip for restaurant food, you can get your food To Go (Carry Out). Delivery people (pizza, newspapers), taxi drivers, barbers, waitresses, bellhops are all examples of people who should be tipped. Friends will think you are cheap if you tip too little. When we treat someone to dinner, we treat them because we wanted to and there is no expectation to be treated in return.

Health and Advice Chinese people seem to be more health conscious. “Drink hot water. ” “Wear more clothes. ” ( NE China is windier and dryer than NE US, afraid of cold, express care to others, wear many clothes in winter) Drink tea Don’t put ice in drinks at home. Exercise more in daily life -bicycles, walking, tai-chi

Americans… Drink iced water Drink coffee and Coca-cola because of caffeine Never wear more than one pair of pants at a time No long underwear (mao ku) Why? Uncomfortable, only outside for short time…distance from house to car…not necessary Americans in China also do not wear mao ku. We can bear the cold. Drive personal cars everywhere Use AC 24/7 in summer months

Smoking seems to be much more prevalent in China than in the US. A pack of cigarettes is affordable in China. There are laws to prohibit smoking in public places, but the laws are not enforced. Restaurants, taxis, offices and school hallways are often filled with smoke.

Americans… There is always a strong campaign in the US to help people to quit smoking. Cigarettes are expensive in the US. The government also added a high tax to them. ($7 -10 USD per pack) There are laws to prohibit smoking in public. American citizens enforce these laws themselves. Many people do not like to breathe in the smoke so they will ask others to stop smoking.

Privacy In China, everything seems to be public knowledge. Not much sense of privacy… Anyone can ask you personal details about your job, salary, marital status, etc… Many young Chinese share apartments or dormitories with many other peers. Not much sense of personal space… Chinese always stare at foreigners.

Americans… Americans have a strong sense of privacy and personal space. There are topics that we don’t discuss with others. . . not even our parents. We don’t even have the idea to talk about such things… “Forbidden Questions”- age, weight, salary, marital status Dormitories-usually one roommate The US is so international, that people will not stare at you. No one is viewed as a foreigner.

Eating Breakfast foods-bland porridge, salty vegetables Slurping At home and in restaurants, dishes are placed in the middle of the table for everyone to share. Eating at a restaurant or cooking favorite dishes at home are a way Chinese people use to express their feeling rather than using words.

Americans… Our breakfast often includes coffee, orange juice, milk, cereal, toast/muffin/bagel and/or eggs. In most homes and restaurants, people have their own individual plates and do not share from their main dish. We don’t want other people putting their fork in our food.

Volunteer Work While some Chinese university students will say it is good to volunteer, most have done very little of it. Many do not know what to do or where to go to do volunteer work. This idea of volunteering seems to be increasing in popularity among students. Examples: going to nursing homes, orphanages Excuse: “If I have time…”

Americans… Many Americans have a strong desire to help others. We are people of action. We like to solve the problems. We want to protect others and stop hunger and disease. We frequently give of our time and money to help people we do not know. We have many established, trusted organizations: Red Cross, Salvation Army, food pantries, churches, community centers, non-profit/charitable organizations

Celebrating Festivals Spring Festival—expected to return home to family Many also go home for Mid-Autumn Day, Dragon boat Festival, National Day, Labor Day and Qing Ming Festival Big dinner, fireworks, CCTV gala, send messages Visit family and friends Red envelopes

Americans… Americans usually go home for Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. Christmas- family dinner, Christmas tree, give gifts, go to church Christmas season—visit family and friends, attend many holiday parties Thanksgiving to Christmas: Shopping season

Weddings Marriage certificate Big dinner at a restaurant paid for by the groom’s family Wedding photos Red envelopes, toasting, alcohol and cigarettes

American weddings Wedding ceremonies are traditionally held in churches Couples share their vows of love and faithfulness in front of God and all their friends and family. Wedding reception-dinner and dancing (First dance, father & daughter, mother & son, cutting cake, best man’s toast) The bride’s family traditionally pays for the wedding.

Chinese Education Lecture- teacher speaks, students listen Memorization Chinese students are disciplined and respectful in the classroom. Too many students in each class

American Education Interactive Discovery method Hands-on Application Critical thinking & problem solving

Shopping Many Chinese like to buy or dream of having luxury goods. Many Chinese people have heard of name brands like Louis Vuitton (LV), Chanel, Clinique, Maybelline, Avon, Prada, Gucci, Armani and Christian Dior.

Americans… While we like fashion and know these names, most middle class Americans do not think about the name brands too much. Celebrities, professionals and people living in major cities find these things more important. Walmart is the #1 department store chain in the US. It shows that Americans like bargains. We don’t mind buying the cheaper, generic items. Many middle and lower class people will even buy 2 nd hand clothing.

We can learn so much from each other!