Bargaining and Shopkeeping
Southern California is a very culturally diverse region of the US. For generations immigrants have brought their own local practices and lifestyles, which make for very colorful accounts of intercultural experience.
A story in the Pasadena Star-News about the business practices of Chinese residents in the City of Industry, CA is yet another prime example of simple, visible cultural difference. Shopkeepers in China generally reside in their shops, but doing the same in their transplanted American businesses usually causes legal issues, since mixed-use buildings are not the norm in California.
Bargaining over price is also an inherent Chinese consumer practice. The concept of a fixed, nonnegotiable price system, common throughout the US, does not fit culturally for Chinese consumers (non-Chinese business owners find this zeal for bargaining price confusing or offensive). Education can be really useful in these situations, as a lack of context usually leads to unnecessary misunderstanding. Anecdotes like this make comprehension of unfamiliar cultures so much more enjoyable!
