The cross-cultural faux pas on the part of Cameron Diaz on her recent trip to Peru has made headlines internationally. According to USA Today, the actress apologized yesterday for carrying a bag with the famous political slogan of Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong. The article notes:
The bags are marketed as fashion accessories in some world capitals, but in Peru the slogan evokes memories of the Maoist Shining Path insurgency that fought the government in the 1980s and early 1990s in a bloody conflict that left nearly 70,000 people dead.
Diaz’s profile makes it difficult for her blunder to go unnoticed, but she is certainly not the only one to make such a mistake when traveling overseas. From slogans and symbols, to something as basic as color, these may have negative connotations among different cultures. Never take anything for granted; be certain to do as much research as possible to educate both yourself and your groups when traveling overseas.
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