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International Marketing Review #54

Cindy King — Sat, 30 May 2009 14:34:00 +0000

International Marketing Review – Interracial Relationships

Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry, often creating multiracial children. This is a form of exogamy (marrying outside of one’s social group). In the Western world certain countries have had laws banning or restricting interracial marriage, including Germany during the Nazi period, South Africa under apartheid, and many states in the United States prior to the Supreme Court’s 1967 ruling in Loving v. Virginia. In both Nazi Germany and certain American states, such laws have been linked to eugenics programs.

Often, the result of these interracial marriages are Third Culture Kids (when a Japanese person marries a German and they live in Argentina). Third Culture Kid’s have a natural Cross Cultural Vision that can be very useful in International Business Expansion.

Welcome to the 30 May 2009 International Marketing Review.

Gori Girl @GoriGirl presents Interracial Marriage in the US: Some Simple South Asian Demographics posted at Gori Girl saying “the statistics on interracial marriages in America are now here, courtesy the US Census, so we can put this baby to rest. Actually, the statistics have always been “here” since the 2000 Census information was released, but I’m not such a numbers nerd that I felt like crunching the raw data myself with SAS or STATA. Luckily for me, a pair of sociologists have already done the dirty work, and their results have been made available at Dr. C.N. Lee’s Asian Nation website. I’m going to only present the South Asian related statistics here, but Dr. Lee has the same sort of information available on all Asian ethnicities, and you can tease out information about other ethnicities as well.”

Janis Prince Inniss presents Black-White Interracial Relationships posted at Everyday Sociology saying “It was not until the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia , that interracial marriages became legal in the U.S. There are many aspects of this case that are striking, but in the context of this post, it is remarkable that this landmark case was of a black woman and white man. This combination of race and gender is noteworthy because, although interracial marriages are relatively rare overall, those of black women to white men are rarer still. (The most recent census data put these unions at about 7% of all U.S. marriages. Although this is a marked increase from 40 years ago, it is still a very low percentage.) ”

Ryan Barrett @RyanBarrett presents Musings on Interracial Relationships posted at Pop & Politics saying “I noticed a funny thing while visiting my family in D.C. for Christmas. Simply put: every female in the house (my mom and aunt, who are African-American, and me and my cousin, who are interracial) was either involved with or married to a White man. The truth is, the topic of interracial dating is always bubbling in the back of my mind. I went out on a limb and wrote a post about it some time ago on this blog, which got me into some deep water with a few of my readers (a disagreement that I haven’t fully resolved in my mind).”

Elizabeth presents Anti-Racism posted at My ONE LOVE life saying “Contrary to what many believe being in an interracial relationship does not, by itself, magically make you anti racist or race conscious. It does not make you colorblind (nor is that desirable). In reality, when you are in an interracial relationship it is even more important to constantly examine yourself, your actions, and your beliefs. In an interracial relationship it can be even harder to be race conscious, because you have to be able to separate your interpersonal relationship from society’s race realities.”

maamej presents Harmony Day posted at Border Crossings saying “Saturday 21 March was Harmony Day in Australia, a day to celebrate our diverse society. It is also the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This is not a coincidence – it’s just that our government, in their wisdom, didn’t want to have a day that had the “R” word in its name. Instead they decided to call the day something that emphasised the positives about living in a multicultural society. Well, I’m all for that, but let’s not forget that racism’s still out there.”

Heather Lurdkee presents Interracial Marriage a Status Symbol? posted at Indian Ties saying “I know this blog is tongue-in-cheek, but I guess there’s a truth behind it. For my husband, being married to me (a white girl) isn’t much of a status symbol – he didn’t go out looking specifically for an American or a white girl. He didn’t “need me” in order to get somewhere in life. We just happened to be at the right place at the right time and things worked out.”

NANeoKalypso presents Adaptation & A Working Relationship with the Indian Parents posted at The Milano Has Landed! saying “I wanted to write about how the chips are falling on my end. After having the chance to get to know R’s family a bit, asking more questions, and feeling many feelings (good, bad, resentful, surprised), I think I have a decent sense of where R and my relationship is headed. After the big reneg on the India invite, the “make a commitment!” demands from his parents, and their general “not knowing how to act around me” I was pissy and mad for a while that they just didn’t “get it.” Allow me to let you in to the nitty gritty thoughts that went through my head: “They live HERE, not INDIA! They should adapt (or have adapted a while ago)!!” “Those damn bloggers on CBC were right!” “Why won’t all my experiences/knowledge of India/Indians WORK here?!?!?!” Call it the eye of the storm, or hopefully adaptation in my mind, but I’ve managed to get past must of this exasperation.”

Jody presents Cultural Isolation posted at The Link Between saying “A significant piece of this slump was influenced by the cultural isolation we experience living in a non-diverse environment. While there are many upsides to where we live (no commute, low cost of living, tight community, job satisfaction, balanced work-home commitments, etc.), one of the downsides that arises intensely at times is cultural isolation. I was explaining a bit of this struggle to an Asian colleague who’s moving to our town, and he commented, “But you’re ok, right?” suggesting that because I’m white & American, I don’t experience the same struggles that the rest of my family does. In a sense, I completely understand where he’s coming from, and he’s right. I don’t experience what they do. In another sense, though, it still affects me significantly because it affects the people I love most. My husband hit a significant low – basically just feeling lonely for people who see him as “normal” (and frustrated by people who eye him wearily) – over January and all I can do is listen, give him a hug, and try not to diminish his feelings of isolation. My daughter’s continues to ask about race, the latest being, “Mama, why is everyone white except me?””

Bengali Wife presents The Importance of Good Communication posted at Bengali Wife saying “One of the most important aspects of a good intercultural relationship (whether it is with friends,a spouse,family etc..) is good communication. Sometimes when there is a problem with my husband and I in that regard, it just boils down to the fact that I am a woman and he is a man and sometimes he just doesn’t listen to what or how I say things.”

An ethnography on interracial relationships by UNC Chapel Hill students.

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Finally, there are several forums on Interracial Relationships, and this is just a small sampling of what is available.

Interracial Relationships.

Teenage/College Interracial Relationships.

CollegeNet Interracial Relationships.

ehealth Interracial Relationships.

Relationship Forums, Interracial Relationship.

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International Exposure To Develop Cross-Cultural Skills

Cindy King — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:00:19 +0000

How To Develop Your Cross-Cultural Skills

Last week I wrote about the dangers of cultural generalizations in business. Recently on Twitter the topic of Third Culture Kids came up. And in another previous article I wrote how Third Culture Kids have a different vision of the cultures around them.

Cultural Generalizations Are Too Broad

The problem with cultural generalizations is that they are too broad.

In today’s world where globalization touches most people, broad generalizations usually appear out-of-date.

And for you to realize these generalizations are too broad, you usually need some international exposure yourself.

Cultural Differences First

When you confront a different culture for the first time, it is natural to see the differences between cultures. And only the differences… because they stick out.

As you begin to question and understand the reasons behind these differences, it is natural to actually like some of these different ways of doing things…

And also to dislike, or to personally disagree, with other differences.

Depth Of Cultural Understanding

When you dislike cultural differences, or personally disagree with them, the question remains:

Do you really understand why this different culture does things differently?
Or are you stopping half way in understanding cultural differences?

You see, most people with strong international skills do not let any of their strong disagreements with cultural differences get in the way of understanding them. Strong international skills come with an intimate understanding of different cultures on many different levels.

Empathy Leads Towards Cultural Understanding

It is only when you intimately understand different cultures that your understanding deepens enough to see why people do things differently. Strong international skills include empathy towards different cultures.

Now, when you have empathy for a foreign culture, this does not mean that you personally like or agree with everything about it. But it does mean that you are able to think, or follow the reasoning, of people from that culture.

And this is why people with strong international skills do no usually have strong dislikes or disagreements towards these cultures. Their understanding leads to a certain acceptance or tolerance, at least to a certain extent.

International Exposure Leads To Personal Changes

The path towards empathy also gives you a more rounded vision.

As your understanding of different cultures develops:

You also begin to acquire new preferences
You adopt different ways of doing things
You become more tolerant of cultural differences

A parallel can be made between international business professionals and third culture kids.

In both cases, strong international skills come through both:

International exposure
Personal development in empathy

International Marketing Review #34

Cindy King — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:52:22 +0000

International Marketing Review – Cross-Cultural Encounters

More synergy with social media

Each Saturday, the International Marketing Review now includes links found through my social media profiles, including Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Want to get your cultural or international link listed in this Saturday post? Ping me on Twitter @CindyKing.

Welcome to the 10 January 2009 edition of the International Marketing Review.

Karen Walch presents 5 tips for your next cross-cultural encounter posted at World Café saying…

“Working professionals from all over the world share their adventures in cross-cultural negotiations with us. Here are five tips we have picked up from our network of practitioners at the Garvin Center for Cultures and Languages of International Management”

Steven Rittenhouse presents Reflections on returning to Spain posted at Cross-cultural Program saying…

“For the past three weeks our group has been living in the vibrant country of Spain once again after spending five weeks in Morocco. The minute I stepped onto Spanish soil only a few kilometers from the African continent I instantly felt more relaxed, and as we drove up to the small town of Montoro that same day I noticed many stark differences between the two countries”

EveryDayTrash presents Goods for Good posted at EveryDayTrash saying…

“What I love about G4G is their focus on sustainability. They don’t just drop off boxes of crap in the capital city and hope that the overstretched government of Malawi figures out how to distribute them equitably (that would be more like exporting trash than helping anyone).”

Cultural Competency Online Course presents The Importance of Social Etiquette posted at Cultural Competency Online Course saying…

“You will find that standards of politeness and common courtesy vary widely across cultures. This includes knowledge about how to greet different people, rules associated with tipping, giving and accepting gifts, table manners and eating customs, body language and gestures, attitudes toward sacred spaces and more. Even something as seemingly harmless as taking a photograph should be approached with caution in some cultures”

Joseph Cerquitella presents Third Culture Kids in a Flat World posted at Under The Frog saying…

“Working professionals from all over the world share their adventures in cross-cultural negotiations with us. Here are five tips we have picked up from our network of practitioners at the Garvin Center for Cultures and Languages of International Management”

Life in Denmark presents Cross-cultural negotiations: Avoiding the pitfalls posted at Life In Denmark saying…

“Working professionals from all over the world share their adventures in cross-cultural negotiations with us. Here are five tips we have picked up from our network of practitioners at the Garvin Center for Cultures and Languages of International Management”

That concludes this edition of The International Marketer Review.

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Cross-Cultural Vision Is More Important Than Learning International Habits

Cindy King — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:32:54 +0000

Mindset In Cross-Cultural Communication

Studying different habits and learning how to shake hands in different cultures has a value. But this is not this skill that will help develop your international business.

Cross-cultural vision and an international mind-set will give you a skill set to communicate better with your international clients. This skill set will also help you to evaluate your international business potential in foreign markets. Here is how this will help you:

The ability to see from different cultural points of view
An increased ease of adapting to different cultures
An understanding of different forms of politeness
An understanding of cultural differences in respect
An awareness of different professional behaviors and their meaning
An ability to adjust your own behavior to these cultural differences within seconds
The ability to navigate through different cultures without communications, and business, coming to a halt

Don’t Miss These Other Article On Mindset

Mindset

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Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Cross-Cultural Vision Is More Important Than Learning International Habits

Cindy King's International Business Blog » third culture kids

International Marketing Review #54

International Exposure To Develop Cross-Cultural Skills

Cultural Generalizations Are Too Broad

Cultural Differences First

Depth Of Cultural Understanding

Empathy Leads Towards Cultural Understanding

International Exposure Leads To Personal Changes

More On How To Develop Your Cross-Cultural Skills:

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

International Marketing Review #34

Cross-Cultural Vision Is More Important Than Learning International Habits

More On Mindset In Cross-Cultural Communication:

Don’t Miss These Other Article On Mindset

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides