Week 9 - Regina Kwon

The value of knowing the culture of America in regards to my product has to do with the ties that will be established. The users of the mobile app are attracted to diverse cultural practices that we offer on the app while exploring their own interests. In turn, the app’s numerous options make the users unique since they modify their own choices, and reflect America’s image as a diverse and “developed” nation. Though Rowan suggests that Vietnam offers people new opportunities along with the idea that they can personalize/individualize their path to success, our way of viewing our app aligns with what he considers America to be—a “place to learn best practices” as a variety of workers must display, more or less, professionalism, egalitarianism, and valid credentials.

The aftermath of agent orange represents Vietnam as a war-torn nation. Many citizens rely on health care support because their relatives were significantly affected by the war. However, organizations such as the Vietnam Red Cross Society Fund gathered help from international organizations to treat the old and young victims of agent orange. This reminds me of what happened in Contra Costa County, when the Chevron explosive accident affected both young students and Laotian households. Although this is not a current event or related to war, many areas have suffered and are continuing to suffer from the unfortunate aftermath of chemical accidents. Young Laotian girls gathered to establish environmental justice in the face of anti-immigrant and anti-Asian racism. Among the organizations that reflect the youth’s organizing efforts, young activists from Asian Pacific Environmental Network stepped in to gather victims and fight for basic rights to a safe environment. Correspondingly, it seems that Vietnam focuses particularly on their youth, and relies on a strong continuous education for their youth to enhance its economy and overall development. Vietnam therefore remade itself by focusing on their future—youth’s potential to bring prosperity and success to their nation. As more active young people/students contribute their talents to local business and research, Vietnam can reach maximum “national aesthetics.”

Question: How might different cultures clash within an international workplace? 

Sources: Gribble, Cate. “National Policies on Skilled Labor and the Cross-border Student Market, with a Focus on Vietnam.” 2011. 

Palmer, Michael G. “The Legacy of Agent Orange: Empirical Evidence from Central Vietnam.” Social Science & Medicine (2005). 1061-1070.

Rowan, Andrew. “Expectations, Social Context, and Miscommunication.” Excerpts from Andrew Rowan’s Manuscript. 1-11. 

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