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.Millions of individuals have died because one or more of the elementsof their ethnic identity have been found objectionable by people of another ethnicity.If one more ingredient, nationality, is added to this already potent mixture, it can become truly explosive.The relationship between ethnicity and nationality is an uneasy one.In large countries like the U.S., Russia,and China, nationality overrides deep ethnic divisions with varying degrees of success.Twenty years agowhen I taught in the tiny nation of Singapore, teachers and students alike were required to swear beforeschool every morning that we were part of one united people, regardless of race, language, or religion. Thegovernment knew from experience that when people are happy with their own and their neighbors ethnic andnational identities, life goes on as usual.But if there is a conflict between the two, bloodshed may result.In theSecond World War the fact that people were Germans did not save them from extermination if they alsohappened to be Jewish.It also led to the destruction of a nation Yugoslavia as the country tore itself intoethnic groups.Our ethnic background and nationality are part of what makes us what we are.But they are not the only part.Wherever two people come from, if they make the effort to get to know each other they will find there is morethat unites them than divides them.LETTER 125Most of us are proud of our nationality.However, nationalism is something that can cause problems.Nationality as a problem Letter 125FROM THE U.S.ABOUT MEXICOI feel the people I am working with here are really negative toward me because I m a U.S.American.They don t actually say Yankee, go home, but it certainly feels like they d like to.Is there any way toovercome this sort of hostility?If you look at the relations between your countries from a historical perspective, you will understand it sprobably not you as a person who elicits this hostile reaction but something in the history of your two countriesthat causes it.And sometimes a country doesn t actually need to do anything to be unpopular.Being richer,bigger, or more powerful than another nation is enough to make others envious until another nation takes overthe role.(The British, the world power in the nineteenth century, are still trying to come to terms with their newrole as citizens of just another medium-sized European nation.)It s not a comfortable situation if you feel you are being required to apologize for or defend your country whenabroad.However, like it or not, when you are there you are acting as both your country s and your company srepresentative, so try to reflect the positive aspects of your culture while respecting local feelings.Try to avoidpolitical and religious discussions, and try to keep cool and patient in the face of criticism even if you do find itunjust.If things go too far and you feel yourself or your country under some sort of verbal attack, keep calm,ask for a break, and explain that you don t want to continue the discussion.Do a little research into the history, art, sports, or famous sights of the country so you have an alternative topicto switch to in social situations if things get sticky.Take the time to build personal relationships, so that thosewho may not have met any people from your country before, and who have acquired their knowledge of theU.S.from the media, get a positive impression of you and the nation you represent.LETTERS 126 127The relationship between nationality and ethnicity is not clear-cut any longer.Joint identity Letter 126 FROM POLAND ABOUT BRAZILI have had increasing contact with Brazil and have been surprised to come across a couple of peoplewith Japanese-sounding names.Is this common?It s certainly not unusual.Brazil contains a wonderful mixture of different ethnic groups, including the largestcommunity of Japanese outside Japan.Japanese immigrants started settling in Brazil in 1907 and are nowfound mainly in the cities of the south (with 75 percent of them in São Paulo).But the Japanese are only one of many immigrant groups.Although most Brazilians of European descent havePortuguese ancestry, substantial German and Italian communities also exist.Some of these groups haveretained their own language and culture, while at the same time speaking fluent Brazilian Portuguese andadopting a Brazilian lifestyle.With its African, Asian, European, and indigenous roots, Brazil must be one ofthe most racially mixed countries in the world [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]
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.Millions of individuals have died because one or more of the elementsof their ethnic identity have been found objectionable by people of another ethnicity.If one more ingredient, nationality, is added to this already potent mixture, it can become truly explosive.The relationship between ethnicity and nationality is an uneasy one.In large countries like the U.S., Russia,and China, nationality overrides deep ethnic divisions with varying degrees of success.Twenty years agowhen I taught in the tiny nation of Singapore, teachers and students alike were required to swear beforeschool every morning that we were part of one united people, regardless of race, language, or religion. Thegovernment knew from experience that when people are happy with their own and their neighbors ethnic andnational identities, life goes on as usual.But if there is a conflict between the two, bloodshed may result.In theSecond World War the fact that people were Germans did not save them from extermination if they alsohappened to be Jewish.It also led to the destruction of a nation Yugoslavia as the country tore itself intoethnic groups.Our ethnic background and nationality are part of what makes us what we are.But they are not the only part.Wherever two people come from, if they make the effort to get to know each other they will find there is morethat unites them than divides them.LETTER 125Most of us are proud of our nationality.However, nationalism is something that can cause problems.Nationality as a problem Letter 125FROM THE U.S.ABOUT MEXICOI feel the people I am working with here are really negative toward me because I m a U.S.American.They don t actually say Yankee, go home, but it certainly feels like they d like to.Is there any way toovercome this sort of hostility?If you look at the relations between your countries from a historical perspective, you will understand it sprobably not you as a person who elicits this hostile reaction but something in the history of your two countriesthat causes it.And sometimes a country doesn t actually need to do anything to be unpopular.Being richer,bigger, or more powerful than another nation is enough to make others envious until another nation takes overthe role.(The British, the world power in the nineteenth century, are still trying to come to terms with their newrole as citizens of just another medium-sized European nation.)It s not a comfortable situation if you feel you are being required to apologize for or defend your country whenabroad.However, like it or not, when you are there you are acting as both your country s and your company srepresentative, so try to reflect the positive aspects of your culture while respecting local feelings.Try to avoidpolitical and religious discussions, and try to keep cool and patient in the face of criticism even if you do find itunjust.If things go too far and you feel yourself or your country under some sort of verbal attack, keep calm,ask for a break, and explain that you don t want to continue the discussion.Do a little research into the history, art, sports, or famous sights of the country so you have an alternative topicto switch to in social situations if things get sticky.Take the time to build personal relationships, so that thosewho may not have met any people from your country before, and who have acquired their knowledge of theU.S.from the media, get a positive impression of you and the nation you represent.LETTERS 126 127The relationship between nationality and ethnicity is not clear-cut any longer.Joint identity Letter 126 FROM POLAND ABOUT BRAZILI have had increasing contact with Brazil and have been surprised to come across a couple of peoplewith Japanese-sounding names.Is this common?It s certainly not unusual.Brazil contains a wonderful mixture of different ethnic groups, including the largestcommunity of Japanese outside Japan.Japanese immigrants started settling in Brazil in 1907 and are nowfound mainly in the cities of the south (with 75 percent of them in São Paulo).But the Japanese are only one of many immigrant groups.Although most Brazilians of European descent havePortuguese ancestry, substantial German and Italian communities also exist.Some of these groups haveretained their own language and culture, while at the same time speaking fluent Brazilian Portuguese andadopting a Brazilian lifestyle.With its African, Asian, European, and indigenous roots, Brazil must be one ofthe most racially mixed countries in the world [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]