AMERICAN AND VIETNAMESE GREETING CULTURES

“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing”, according to Rollo MayCommunication makes humans be humans. Therefore, understanding the ways in how people in every part of the world use their verbal and nonverbal speech in daily situations is very important in the globalized era. Greeting customs, as one aspect of mutual communication, are different between separate cultures and countries to some extent, especially between Occidental and Oriental peoples. This essay will discuss the similarities and differences between two distinct greeting cultures, Vietnam and America, in terms of both their non-linguistic forms and verbal forms of communication. To begin with, greetings are one of the most crucial parts of our conversation. When we need to exchange information or simply interact with someone on our way to work, we greet each other as the first step in our communication. To be more specific, the greeting is one aspect of communication in which individuals or groups of people come in contact with each other for the purpose of grabbing others’ attention or for the introduction of any conversation. Greetings can be delivered in either oral or physical ways, but they are usually used simultaneously in almost all situations. Furthermore, the way we use verbal forms or nonverbal types such as gestures, body language, facial expressions, or eye contact is based on social etiquette, social status, and the relationship among communicators. First of all, Vietnamese and American greeting cultures are similar to each other in both audible and physical transmission to some extent. It is quite apparent that these two separated countries mutually use words and sentences, which is also called oral communication, with the same meaning to greet other people in almost all communicative situations, from casual or friendly contexts to formal ones. For example, when it comes to greeting another person in American culture, both casual and formal conversation can include "Hi", "Hello"; "Hello everybody". Similarly, the Vietnamese also start the talk by using popular words like "Xin chào" or "Chào mọi người". Furthermore, in some friendly cases, Americans usually use colloquialisms such as "Howdy" or "Yo", "Hey" and Vietnamese also use colloquialisms or some slang phrases such as: "Ê, " "này, " "chào" with a vast diversity of language culture. Moreover, sometimes the American casual greeting can begin with a short question such as "What's up? , " "How's it going? " or "How are you? " A person giving one of these question greetings does not usually expect an accurate answer. A simple "Fine, " "Not too bad, " or another neutral answer usually suffices, before the second greeter returns the question. Likewise, the Vietnamese also greet each other intimately by the same sentences’ meaning but translated into the Vietnamese language. However, in some more casual cases, the Vietnamese even ask questions without looking forward to hearing the answer. The main purpose of asking questions in greetings is to attract other people’s attention. Moreover, when it comes to comparing Vietnamese and American greeting cultures, one of the most significant aspects to be taken into consideration in the category of nonverbal behavior expressed through physical signals such as facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, smiling, and body language. Firstly, waving a hand is a very common sign of greeting custom. Waving is a simple means of greeting someone from a distance. It is performed by extending the arms and the hand with the palm facing out (typically your right arm) into the air so the person you're waving to can see it, and then move your wrist from left to right multiple times. Waving is typically used to get someone’s attention and greet them from a distance in both Vietnamese and American greeting rituals, especially in an informal context. Sometimes just waving isn't enough to grab someone’s attention; in this case, the communicator can say their name while waving so that they’ll know someone is calling them and maybe come over to talk. But most often, Vietnamese say hello to another person by waving their hands to show their excitement, or by nodding their heads slightly and giving a smile accompanied by eye contact to show intimacy. Similarly, many Americans smile when passing strangers on the street as a simple gesture of goodwill. When making eye contact with a stranger in passing (on the street, at a shop, in a hallway, etc. ), giving a small smile or nod to acknowledge them is popular. In addition, another nonverbal sign commonly used for greeting is shaking hands. A handshake is the most common greeting when meeting someone for the first time or in professional settings, in both different cultures. For example, at the beginning of an appointment between businessmen, they shake hands and introduce themselves before moving to the next part. However, there are also some different points between these greeting rituals that will be discussed in the next part of this essay. On the other hand, there is a significant difference between Vietnamese and American greeting culture. In a broader sense, the cross-cultural differences between Americans and Vietnamese can be said to be the differences between Occidental and Oriental peoples. First of all, there are many noticeable differences in verbal greetings. In a Vietnamese family setting, the junior will always be the first to say hello. When Viet family members greet each other, they always greet the oldest or most important one first. In the US, this is more open. Everyone can greet anyone in the family first. Age, hometown, education level, social status, family status (their parents’ health, married status, their children's information, how many boys and girls they have, etc. . . ) are human issues. The Vietnamese are often interested in greeting conversations. Nevertheless, Americans often ask about health, weather, occupation, and necessary information rather than private questions relating to age, married status. These differences in customs are because of the distinguished culture between western and eastern countries. The "round-the-three-kingdoms" method of communication, combined with the necessity to learn about the object of conversation, instills the habit of greeting in Vietnamese people. With respect to the United States and Vietnam, the U. S (and many western cultures) is seen as an individualistic culture and Vietnam as a collectivist culture. In an individualistic country, the needs of the individual will be satisfied before the needs of the collective. Independence is highly valued, and the freedom of each individual is something everyone wants. In Individualism countries, the emotional connection between individuals is quite loose, with the exception of family and a few close friends. Therefore, Americans think it is impolite to ask about such private matters, and Americans are very direct communicators. In contrast, in a Collectivist country, people care more about social communities with intimate ways of communication. Besides, Vietnamese greeting culture shows great respect to their seniors and elders in terms of social setting. Finally, the differences of culture between the two countries are also noticeable in non-linguistic greeting rituals. Unlike some other cultures where people kiss on others’ cheeks as a substitute for greetings, this action in Vietnam is considered quite intimate and inappropriate. But most often, Vietnamese say hello to another person by waving their hands to show their excitement, or by nodding their heads slightly and giving a smile. For Americans, handshakes should be firm and accompanied by direct eye contact throughout the greeting, especially in business contexts. Being the first person to offer your hand can reflect confidence. However, for Vietnamese, this firm handshake could easily be misinterpreted as a grudge or a negative attitude toward the other person. This distinct greeting behavior stems from the cultural differences between the United States and Vietnam, which are relatively individualistic and collectivist. Americans tend to show their confidence and stand out in a group, especially informal meetings. Moreover, hugging, rubbing your cheek, or kissing lightly on the cheek is popular in America rather than in Vietnam. In addition, crossing arms when greeting in Vietnamese culture. In a family setting, the junior will always be the first to say hello, cross their arms, and bow (a small bow: about 30-45 degrees forward is fine, the kids usually have to make a 90-degree bow) to show their respect to the elder. Nonverbal behavior will create misunderstandings and different interpretations among different cultures and places. It is a problem in cross-cultural communication because nonverbal communication between In conclusion, greeting communication culture between people in both Vietnam and America has a large proportion of characteristics in common and different as well. These features can be expressed both audibly and physically. In a globalized world, Vietnamese have absorbed many greeting rituals of Americans in particular and western countries in general, so there are more and more mutual features in communication. Besides, Everyone may feel that the other's customs and culture are strange and inferior. There cannot be one standard culture as there may not exist one standard race or one standard language. The basic things in life are the same no matter where we live. They are not really different at all, but the ways people express their sensations and thinking and the ways in which they take pleasure are different.