Learning to work in a different culture

Montanans, because of our relatively small and scattered population, do not generally have sub-cultures of different national origins. The exception lies with Native American tribes that live in our area. These sometimes have language differences that require translations.

Recently I learned of a relative and frequent visitor to the Flathead who has capitalized and benefited by association with a foreign culture and the story is fascinating.

Kyle graduated from Michigan State University and decided to pursue a career in criminal defense and civil rights law.

He enrolled in law school at the University of Oregon and, 16 years ago, graduated and passed the necessary bar examinations.

Economic times were not good, but Kyle pursued a job in the Portland area.

He was hired by a law firm that specialized in representing local members of the first generation of Southeast Asian Americans, primarily people of Vietnamese ancestry.

Most of the legal cases involved motor vehicle collisions but the position gave Kyle the opportunity to work with people of another culture and to develop his own practice (and as he said, "to put food on the table").

Several years later the firm's owner decided to pursue other interests and left Kyle with his own law firm.

He hired two previous employees — a secretary and a legal assistant who happened to be Vietnamese and married to each other.

All of this helped Kyle in learning about the Vietnamese culture.

Language is important, especially regarding communication about legal matters. Kyle's two associates spoke the language and Kyle soon enrolled in a Vietnamese language class.

It was not easy. Vietnamese is a "tonal" language in which words can be spelled the same but have different meanings based on tonal reflection.

The course helped but Kyle learned to depend on his staff for interpretation. This was essential for proper communication, especially on legal issues.

Some of Kyle's clients tried to provide bilingual family members to serve as interpreters but such people are generally not trained in legal matters.

It is important that the clients comprehend full disclosure to the attorney and that everything is translated properly, Kyle emphasized.

Of equal importance is the fact that other cultural differences must be respected. Kyle pointed out that Vietnamese often show respect by averting their eyes when a person is talking.

Not knowing this can cause the person listening, such as the attorney, to believe the client is not paying attention, or worse, not being truthful.

Cooking techniques and food preparation can vary and often an individual visiting people of another culture must adapt to such changes.

Family relationships are vital to the Vietnamese and there is a basic politeness that affects relationships. They prefer addressing friends using only the first name. Kyle is often referred to as "Luat Su" (Lawyer) Kyle.

Vietnamese names are traditionally backward from the American format. The family surname is given first, then the middle name's' and the given (first) name is last. Many immigrants recognize the difference and will give the names "American" style. That can further confuse communication between cultures. Traditionally, married women keep their maiden names whereas children have the surnames of their father.

Being a trial lawyer can be a satisfying and rewarding occupation but combining this with interaction among people of a foreign culture can be challenging.

Kyle has accomplished this task and succeeded with all his objectives. I'm proud of what he has done É he's one of my sons.

Dukelow is a resident of Somers.