The term “saving face” is an important tenet of Asian culture. It refers to eliminating the possibility of embarrassment or discomfort, with an emphasis on maintaining the dignity of all parties involved. This concept is an outgrowth of collectivism, in which individual needs are subordinated to those of the group, and people are careful not to behave in a manner which is offensive.

In this culture the individualistic, more self-centered U.S. style of interaction is a byproduct of our ancestors. These pioneers emigrated to this country, sight unseen, on a treacherous journey at the end of which harsh, unfamiliar, and untamed conditions awaited them. Anthropologists theorize that these newcomers possessed certain traits that their relatives who stayed in the mother country did not: these included a greater degree of adventurousness, risk-taking, wanderlust, and openness to experience. Turn the page…