Do Men Hate Their Wives In America?

As a young, female in Vietnam, I have found it to be quite interesting. I'm usually in the company of men...on occassion with a few women who are secretaries or assistants. I'm treated differently then most women in Vietnam, and it is difficult for me to see the fairness in it. It makes me feel strange when my friend Phuong is asked to make me coffee in the morning or take care of minial things for me. I should be doing it for her because of all the kindness she has shown me! Now not all share the same ideas regarding women. Dr. Dan, the Dean that I work with, treats his assistants as an important part of the team.

My life is filled with many special lunch and dinner meetings...the food and brandy wine are never ending. In one meeting, I was asked by a group of men if American husbands hate their wives as husbands in Vietnam do. I didn't know how to answer that one exactly. My response was that marriage is difficult in all cultures. Unfortunately, many Westerners resort to divorce as the answer to their problems, making things worse in the end. I realized how easy it is for me to look at another culture and deem things as "unfair" or as a social injustice, all the while my own culture boasts its own.