Rafael Suarez Per.4 2/13/13 Cultural Etiquette What is Cultural Etiquette?

Country United Mexico Canada Name States

Flags

The Peop le

Throughout most of its history, the United States has had influxes of immigration. The ethnic mix is 83% white (generally of European descent, but also from the Middle East and Latin America), 12% AfricanAmerican, 3% Asian and about 1% Native American. Today the biggest immigrant groups are from Latin countries.

Meeting and Greeting G

American greetings are generally quite informal. This is not intended to show lack of respect, but rather a

Mexico is a very class-conscious society where social stratifications are well-defined. Upper class Mexicans will not dirty their hands with tasks they find beneath them. A sense of fatalism is quite strong among many Mexicans, who feel that their path through life is largely preordained. Macho attitudes are inculcated in Mexican males almost from birth, and machismo plays a pervasive role in shaping Mexican culture. Shake hands or give a slight bow when introduce. Bow when greeting a Mexican woman. Shake hands only if she extends her h hand first.

The vast majority of Canadians claim European ancestry. Four in nine Canadians claim some British ancestry and a little less than one in three have some French ancestry. Eighty percent of the residents in Quebec have French ancestry. Eighty percent of native French speakers live in Quebec (the others are mostly in New Brunswick, and parts of Ontario and Manitoba). Other European groups include Italians, Germans and Ukrainians (especially in the prairie states).

In general, Canadians are more reserved and polite than Americans, and take matters of etiquette a little more seriously. Shake hands and introduce yourself when meeting Canadians for the first time. Always shake hands firmly when

Body Language

manifestatio n of the American belief that everyone is equal. Although it is expected in business situations, some Americans do not shake hands at social events. Instead, they may greet you with a casual "Hello" or "How are you?" or even just "Hi." In larger groups, many may not greet you at all. In social situations, Americans rarely shake hands upon leaving Keep your distance when conversing. If an American feels you are standing too close, he or she may step back without even thinking about it.

meeting or departing. Eye contact is important.

Corporate Culture

Americans view the business card as a source of future information and tend to exchange cards casually. There is no set ritual for exchanging business cards.

Mexicans generally stand close together when conversing. Don't show signs of discomfort, which would be considered rude by your Mexican counterpart. Punctuality is expected of foreign businesspeople. Your Mexican counterpart may be late or keep you waiting. Thirty minutes past the scheduled

Generally speaking, Canadians are more reserved than Americans. Canadians generally don't touch very much when conversing. Maintaining a certain amount of personal space is important. Canadians get down to business quickly. Meetings are wellorganized, and extraneous discussion is kept to a minimum. A premium is placed on time.

Helpful hints

It is considered rude to stare, ask questions or otherwise bring attention to someone's disability.

meeting time is considered punctual by Mexicans. Any attempt to speak Spanish is appreciated by your Mexican counterparts and is seen as a gesture of goodwill. Demonstrating knowledge and appreciation of Mexican culture wins friends.

Do your homework about Canada. Most Americans are appallingly ignorant of Canadian history, culture and geography.