In Ethiopian culture, when an elderly person enters a room, the people in the room have to stand up as a show of respect. I don't know of any other culture where that is done. Even in Ethiopia, it seems like the culture is going away.
It is similar to giving your seat in a public transport when you see an elderly or pregnant woman. I remember people telling me and my siblings not to do that when we first arrived in the US. Apparently many Ethiopians got into trouble for being too helpful and managed to offend people that weren't elderly or pregnant. The key we were told was to pretend like we don't see anything or hear anything. We were told to always look away and never at any specific person.
These cultural norms seem trivial but they cause anxiety and frustration to new comers. Now after so many years of living in the US, I have started to wonder if I will make a fool of myself when I visit back home. The anxiety is there both ways.
It is similar to giving your seat in a public transport when you see an elderly or pregnant woman. I remember people telling me and my siblings not to do that when we first arrived in the US. Apparently many Ethiopians got into trouble for being too helpful and managed to offend people that weren't elderly or pregnant. The key we were told was to pretend like we don't see anything or hear anything. We were told to always look away and never at any specific person.
These cultural norms seem trivial but they cause anxiety and frustration to new comers. Now after so many years of living in the US, I have started to wonder if I will make a fool of myself when I visit back home. The anxiety is there both ways.
