Overcome the Language Barrier

Working with Asian Employees, Operators

Patience, respect key to communication

By Josephine Alexander, RS

When working with Asian facilities, the first thing I do is try to find out the background of the particular employee or operator. Within the various Asian ethnicities, there are many different cultures, languages, and customs. You would never want to assume your operator’s background without asking. Due to different country histories, economic situations, political policies, and religious conflicts, you could offend some of your operators by mistaking their nationalities. Starting off on the wrong foot with an operator or food employee can be detrimental to establishing a long-term cooperative relationship.

Differences and Similarities

Although there are many differences among Asian communities, there are also many similarities. Knowing the similarities and respecting them will help you to gain a more solid footing with your operators. First, please do not take it personally when an elderly Asian operator or food employee is not taking instructions from you well or not making eye contact. In Asian cultures, a person’s authority and creditability is often based on age and gender. I find that being exceptionally nice and polite is very helpful in situations like these.

For example, if I am conducting an inspection with a much older male operator or food employee and I realize he is leaving garlic in an oil mixture out on a spice cart next to a wok, thus creating a potential cause for foodborne illness due to botulism intoxication, I would ask the operator to place the mixture in the nearest cooler. A strategic way to phrase this might be: “I know it is an inconvenience to you and I am truly sorry, but by keeping the mixture in the cooler, you can decrease the chance of foodborne illness in your restaurant, which has a reputation for very delicious food. Thank you so much for doing this.”

This might be hard to do, because we know the operator is in the wrong here, but the goal for those working to promote public health is to make sure operators and employees continue to practice food safety even when we are not there. Stepping back to observe cultural nuances can result in a major leap forward for public health. If you allow your Asian operator to “save face,” he or she will be happy to cooperate and listen.

Be Patient and Smile

Secondly, many Asian facilities are small mom-and-pop operations. They have limited resources and labor. It is very possible that they may have limited proficiency in English. Be patient and check with your company’s records on providing mandatory interpreting services, as laid out in Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964, when conducting inspections, explaining regulations, and suggesting improvements. This consideration will increase efficiency and help prevent potential liabilities.