Physical assaults by Blacks on Asians have been increasing in San Francisco and Oakland leading to at least one death. While the news media has been quick to point out the increasing tension between these two minority communities they are at a loss to explain why. What they don’t understand is the fact that Blacks and Asians are at opposite ends of the cultural spectrum. For instance, Blacks tend to prefer very direct eye contact while many Asians avoid eye contact to show respect; Blacks use frequent and very broad hand gestures when talking while most Asians use very little; and Blacks often speak to each other in loud tones while many Asians prefer more subtle communication. These differences and many others have created uneasiness between the two groups in America for centuries. Read more on my Twitter page: http://michaelsoonlee.wordpress.com/
African American Assaults on Asians Increasing
May 2, 2010Is the New York Times Holiday Gift Guide Racist?
December 15, 2009This year the New York Times added a section to its holiday gift guide intended to cater to its readers who are potentially looking for “gifts created for and by people of color”
Among the collection of gift suggestions were:
- “The Mocha Manual to Military Life: A Savvy Guide for Wives, Girlfriends and Female Service Members,” a guidebook for Black relatives or girlfriends of military personnel
- “Hair Rules,” a product line for those with “problem hair”
- “Asian Faces: The Essential Beauty and Makeup Guide for Asian Women”
- “Ash Kumar’s Bollywood Henna Kit,” a DIY makeup kit
- “A Wise Latina” T-shirt
- “Baby Jamz,” “an interactive hip-hop and rhythm-based toy line.”
Some bloggers have been greatly offended by these. For instance, Gawker.com, said: “It’s a celebration of the racist assumption that ‘people of color’ are defined by their colors—but white people get to self-define with their interests, hobbies, and desire for ‘Home and Decorating Gifts for $25 and Under.’” They add that “these gifts are mostly backhanded insults, and not just to one’s race.”
I disagree. I think the Times is trying to help shoppers be aware of the unique needs of people from different cultures whose skin, hair and tastes ARE different from Caucasians. However, I do believe they could have been more sensitive to people of color. For instance, instead of implying that Blacks have “problem hair” they could have called it “African American hair” which most people would recognize as having special requirements. I have always had difficulty in finding a stylist who understands the differences that Asian hair can present.
It’s okay to be different and to have unique needs because you are different from the mainstream. There seems to be a move afoot to water down the discussion around diversity to merely “human differences” and I find that truly dehumanizing.
Selling to Multicultural Customers Webinar
October 2, 2009On October 8th I will be presenting a webinar on “Secrets of Selling to Multicultural Customers”.
Go to http://www.topsalesexperts.com/webinars2.php?webinar_id=42&aflink=346663 for more details.
Selling to Multicultural Customers
August 13, 2009Selling products and services to Hispanics, African Americans, Asians and others isn’t difficult but it does take some training. Meeting the needs of people from diverse cultures means adjusting your practices to accommodate them. Many salespeople believe they can just “treat everyone the same” which is a nice thought but lousy customer service. For instance, if a blind customer walked into your store would you simply hand her a brochure to read because that’s how you treat all of your sighted customers? Of course not, you would probably spend more time verbally explaining how a product works and describing how it looks. In other words, you would adjust your practices to meet the unique needs of that buyer which is exactly what you should do with multicultural customers.
