Multicultural Manners

Norine Dresser's Multicultural Manners was designed a handy guidebook for white, middle class Americans who have to deal with others of a different color, religion or ethnicity, either in big cities in the United States or overseas. Written in a breezy, informal style, its first section of New Rules of Communication has sections on body language, classroom situations, child-rearing practices, clothing, colors, food, time, verbal expressions, prejudices, gifts and health practices, all in the form of vignettes of various embarrassing situations. She has even experienced such incidents herself, when she was waiting at the checkout line in a cafeteria and tapped a Chinese man on the shoulder, asking him where the tea was. He became indignant and stated "I don't drink tea," probably because he disliked the stereotype about all Asians drinking tea.[footnoteRef:1] At least, this is what Dresser assumes, although he may simply have disliked being tapped...
[ View Full Essay]