Tag Archives: qulturematters

  By Lily Qi     The headlines and rhetoric are hard to ignore. A recent Washington Post editorial sounded the alarm, again, that the Chinese cyber attacks against the United States are ramping up and that as a nation, from lawmakers to citizens, we need to be much more vigilant about the cyber warfare that is posing eminent threat …

By Lily Qi May 18 was a glorious Sunday in the Boston area. Tens of thousands of families and friends descended on one of the nation’s best-known education corridors to celebrate the class of 2014. My husband and I were among the happy crowds joined by my family from Shanghai for our son Andrew’s graduation from Tufts University. We fully …

By: Lily Qi I recently hosted a political fundraiser for a local campaign. It was a fabulous event by all accounts—we reached our fundraising goal; we had a large turnout with a good mix of community leaders and businesspeople, and most importantly, everyone had a great time and felt that they were part of something special and meaningful. But what …

By Lily Qi Since about five years ago, my family started celebrating what I call the “Jewish Christmas” on Christmas Day, with a trip to the movie theater for a new release followed by a dinner at a Chinese restaurant, though we would still attend the Christmas Eve service at a church. Why “Jewish?” Because that’s what many people of …

Food Etiquette in Social Settings by: Lily Qi I know many people, in spite of years of living in the U.S., are still uncomfortable when ordering food from a menu with unfamiliar dishes or having to eat with a fork and a knife. These days, most nice social occasions have some food connections, especially during the holiday season.  Whether sharing …

By: Lily Qi I often come across people who wonder why I chose to work for a local government. After all, the Washington, DC region is the seat of the federal government, which offers better-paying jobs and greater latitude for professional development and career advancement to move up and around. In addition, a local government’s functions, jurisdictional reach and budget …

By Lily Qi Something as mundane and common as giving and receiving compliments may be a serious challenge if you are an immigrant. Over the years, I have learned, often the hard way, the essential importance of receiving and giving compliments, at home, at work, and in social or semi-social environment. Generally speaking, East Asian cultures tend to be more …

By Lily Qi I have meant to write about my last year’s trip to Turkey for a while. The recent turmoil in Turkey and its neighbor Egypt brought back memories that prompted me to revisit that unique experience of last spring. What a difference a year makes. About this time last year, I was having dinner at an Egyptian friend’s …

By Lily Qi This is the season of inaugurations and internships, with the class of 2014 college grads starting a new chapter in life in a recovering yet still challenging job market, and with students beginning a summer of exploring what to do beyond school lives. Whether it’s a full-time job or an internship, the experience is as much about …

By: Lily Qi The two largest Asian communities in the Washington metro region, Chinese and Indians, are often being talked about by public figures in the same manner and even in the same breath. True, there are many similarities between them, including the highly-educated human capital, the large concentration of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) talents, the amazing achievement …

QultureMATTERS  By Lily Qi On a recent business trip to China, I was automatically assumed to be an interpreter or assistant because I was helping with communication on both sides. I had to assert myself and remind my colleagues that I, too, had original thoughts to contribute. This small example shines light on the issue of how Asian women are …

By Lily Qi Having lived in the National Capital region for 15 years and worked for two local governments on economic development and public policy, I have come to appreciate the need for serious collaboration across the boundary lines of our counties and state governments. It is essential, if we are to effectively deal with the area’s biggest problems, from …

By Lily Qi When NBC4 morn­ing news anchor Aaron Gilchrist commented at the end of a news sto­ry recently that black men who don’t want to be cast in stereotypi­cal roles are sometimes considered “not black enough,” I was taken aback by his openness in discussing a highly sensitive topic during morning news hours. After all, race is not something …