In today’s multicultural world (depending on where you live) it is common to engage with people for whom English is not their first language. While sometimes the interaction may be casual, with not much at stake, other times business deals, potential sales or enduring relationships may be at stake. Here are three tips to spoil the…
Details“You were right, mommy. Boris said what you said he would. The best person in History? Jesus. The worst person in history? Stalin. Just the day before my 9 year old son asked who I thought had the biggest impact on history—both good and bad. I said I thought it might depend on your experience…
DetailsIt’s Hugh Jackman, who’s Australian. It takes place at a hotel in Tokyo. The voice over at the end is in English. But apparently it’s made for…France? That’s the only part I don’t get about this delightful Lipton Ice Tea spot, “Tokyo Dancing Hotel” by DDB Paris. In the world of multicultural marketing and global…
DetailsIt was the big, burly, African American football player gushing on and on about caring for his Yorkie post surgery for a hurt paw that really opened my mom’s eyes. “I figured he wouldn’t be interested,” said my mom, about signing her petition to end puppy mills in Missouri, “but I needed the signatures.” Not…
DetailsWhen I was growing up, every year on Passover our tradition was that my sisters and I could each invite one non-Jewish friend (aka Gentile) to join us at Seder. It was only in reinstating that practice as an adult, did I realize there might be some angst involved on the part of the guest,…
DetailsIt’s day five of Spring break, and my 8 year old is challenging my intercultural (aka intergenerational) communications competence. While we have disagreed on a plethora of other things this week (I love my child, I love my child) we both agreed yesterday that “how can I claim to be a great arbitrator,…
DetailsMy Aunt used to stand near people at the big art shows and just eavesdrop to see what they thought the artist was saying. Another Uncle just used to waive away all modern art as something a child could create. And who hasn’t produced a piece of white paper and called it “Ghost in the…
DetailsWhat does this American Airlines’ ad have in common with the movie Monsters, Inc? Both envision a workplace with no women in it. Oh, wait, there was the young ‘un wanting to get married and the tough old broad in Monsters, Inc.—the same two archetypes in “The Absent Minded Professor” and probably most other movies…
DetailsYour 7 year old child who is white hesitates to shake someone’s hand who is African-American. Your first grader tells another student she’s “a lesbian with her sister.” You were there. You weren’t there. You are the most open, anti-racist, multicultural person you know. Where did your child get this from? I’ve seen stories about…
DetailsMy 8 year old son made his own dinner the other night. We were at the grocery store, he saw a bagged frozen entree of sauteed shrimp, pasta and vegetables, asked if we could buy it, went home, read the directions and cooked it all by himself. Yes, I stayed nearby to make sure he…
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