4. Analyzing Vultural Interactions

"The Shopper and the Vendor"

It is hard to accurately pinpoint the vendors perspective in this exchange. Most likely he has encountered people of mixed races or heritage, but has a different view of the situation. To some people it does not matter that you are "half this and half that", you are supposed to identify with only one race. It has become more accepted to explain that you are of mixed ancestry to adequately reflect who you are as a person. Even in the last few decades the shift in attitude has emerged in America. Previously a child born of a white parent and a black parent was forced to identify as only being black. This can be indicative of a racist viewpoint, or merely a cultural bias. As for the vendor, perhaps he understands the animosities between the Chinese and Japanese in the recent past. To him it might seem odd to identify oneself as being both. It is wrong to assume he is trying to take advantage of Brian. You must put yourself in the vendors shoes and look at the world in the way that he does. His own experiences have shaped how he sees the world, to automatically think he is being rude or malicious is narrowminded.