Short Story Dave Barry Does Japan

In the short story “Dave Barry Does Japan” by Dave Barry, Barry describes his experience as an American in Japan, how unprepared he was for the culture shock specifically talking about the difficulties of communicating, describing how in Japan they, “...tend to communicate via nuance and euphemism, often leaving important things unsaid; whereas Americans tend to think they are being subtle when the refrain from grabbing the listener by the shirt” (118). The experience in a foreign country is made more difficult due to the inadequate education of other cultures. As a result, Barry is unprepared when encountering this culture and ignorant. Similarly, in “An Indian Father’s Plea” by Robert Lake, his son is moved to a school not on the Native American reservation where he is labeled as a “slow learner”. Lake argues that the teacher did not do a good job in accommodating for his heritage and different background saying, “All you have to do is take advantage of [“Indian Education”] and encourage your school to make an effort to use it in the name of “equal