NORTH AMERICA
In North America when people meet each other for the first time, they talk about thingslike family, work, school or sports. They ask questions like “Do you have
any brothers or sisters?”They also ask questions like “Where do you come from?” and“Where do you live?” These arepolite questions. They are not personal or private.But somethings are personal or private, and questions about them are not polite. Peopledon’t ask questions about a person’s salary. They don’t ask how muchsomeone paid forsomethings. It is OK to ask children how old they are, but it is not polite to ask older people theirage. It is also not polite to ask people questions about politics or religion unless you know themvery well. People don’t ask unmarried people “Why areyou single? and they don’t ask a marriedcouple with no children “Why don’t you haveany children?”