Culture Clash

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misunderstandings. One of the first misconceptions that occurred was that Kim and Quang, and most Vietnamese people thought that all Americans are rich. This misconception was likely brought forth due to the many good second hand items that were donated to Kim and Quang when they first arrived to America. Many second hand items that were donated included a black and white TV and furniture. In their homeland these items would've been considered good only for the rich, but it's not the same in America. There's an old saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure". This couldn't be truer in Vietnam. In Vietnam, the typical middle class family with two cars and a house would be considered rich. Quang said it best when he mentioned that a house in Vietnam is made with "a few chips out of the woodwork or things lying on the floor".
The language barrier and misunderstandings has always been a problem for the
two families. One of the points that Ellen chose to make was that she ...

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happened when Ellen had suggested that her and Kim should meet sometime. Kim misinterpreted that thinking she meant to visit her on that same day. Kim cleaned and tidied the house only to have Ellen never showing up.
Another one of the biggest flaws among Asian people is their inability to say "no" to other people; and their utmost willingness to please. Kim is no exception to that statement. Ben defines that a "typical Vietnamese" is "passive and unassumingly nice". A good example of this happened during the process of locating Kim a job, Ellen had ask Kim to work a volunteer job as a baby-sitter for future references. Kim reluctantly agreed, out of respect for Ellen. Ellen ...

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