This study investigates the portrayal of Chinese American and Mainland Chinese cultural values in the media,

focusing on the movie 'The Farewell' (2019). Cultural stereotypes persist in today's society, shaping

perceptions of different cultures. Despite their shared Chinese heritage, the film portrays the Chinese American

and Mainland Chinese characters differently in terms of their values. The study adapts Hofstede's (2011)

cultural dimension theory to analyse the data. Through a qualitative content analysis, the study intends to

identify the cultural values of Chinese and American cultures. The purpose of this study is to identify and

compare the differences in the cultural values held by Chinese American and Mainland Chinese characters in

A society uses its shared principles, worldviews, and customs to identify itself as a whole. Culture is crucial to

establishing and upholding social order; it affects how one interprets the world and their place in it while

influencing their behaviours and social experiences. (Cronk, 2017). Culture is the culmination of all of

humanity's learnt behaviours, which are typically transmitted from one generation to the next (McMahon,

2023).

Over the years, the media, in particular, has greatly generalised and stereotyped Chinese culture. Ye (2022)

highlights how mainstream media perpetuates harmful stereotypes and whitewashes Chinese culture,

particularly through misrepresentations in popular films. The media's portrayal of both Chinese Americans and

Mainland Chinese cultural values significantly influences how Chinese cultural values are perceived globally.

interactions. Ideally, an accurate portrayal of the Chinese cultural values by the media would promote cultural

awareness regarding other cultures and produce culturally competent viewers.

Chinese culture has undergone rapid and intensive transformation and continues to evolve within the modern

world. Today, China is increasingly visible on the global stage, yet its social behaviour remains closely

Collectivism is central to Chinese culture, where individuals are encouraged to uphold family values and

valued, as the culture places strong emphasis on harmony and unity.

In contrast, Evason (2021) states that Americans possess a strong sense of individualism and are firmly

communication patterns. Cultural norms, beliefs, and values strongly shape communication styles, which in

turn affect a wide range of interpersonal interactions (Harrin, 2022).

Yu (2023) concentrates on the cross-cultural communication strategy that the characters in the film "The

Farewell" encounter. The investigation implements Lasswell's communication theory paradigm (1948). The

study exclusively examines the extent of cross-cultural communication in American and Chinese films.

Industry demands frequently influence cross-cultural communication in film. This distortion has the potential

to perpetuate societal prejudices and lead to cultural misinterpretation.

implications for the characters. They examined the characters' responses to the various forms of culture shock

depicted in the film. They looked at Billy Wang's experiences with cultural ethics and values and how they

a lens. It is essential to be aware of the differences in values, opinions, and attitudes when communicating with

individuals from these diverse cultural and social backgrounds. (Kumbakonam, 2016).

Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory (2011) serves as the framework for the examination of the cultural

values embodied by Mainland Chinese characters and Chinese Americans in this study. Table 1 displays

Hofstede's six cultural dimensions—power distance, individualism versus collectivism, uncertainty avoidance,

masculinity versus femininity, long-term versus short-term orientation, and indulgence versus restraint—

influence communication and behaviour patterns, providing insights into how cultural values influence cross-

cultural relationships.

Uncertainty

Avoidance

Long-Term and

Conceptual Framework utilising Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory (2011)

Table 2: Conceptual Framework

theory places a strong emphasis on comprehending and appreciating cultural variations, acknowledging that

values may differ across countries.

The researcher employs qualitative content analysis to collect data for this study. Building on Hofstede's

Cultural Dimensions Theory (2011) as the guiding framework, the coding themes are structured according to

Alan Bryman's four-phase analysis (Bryman, 2012). This approach aims to examine the portrayal of Chinese

American and Mainland Chinese cultural values in the media, with a focus on the film The Farewell (2019).

The data will be organised based on the coding guidelines and coding schemes outlined in Table 3.

Restraint and Indulgence

Table 4: Data Analysis

Americans and Mainland Chinese, as American culture is a low power distance culture, and Chinese culture is

where one’s life belongs to one person, while Chinese culture is a collectivistic culture where the well-being of

the group is prioritised. The uncertainty avoidance index shows that both Chinese American and Mainland

Chinese cultures have similarly low levels of uncertainty avoidance, indicating their tolerance for ambiguity

and uncertainty. In addition, both cultures also share the same results in terms of femininity and masculinity, as

both Chinese Americans and Mainland Chinese cultures share the same masculine values.

Regarding short-term and long-term orientations, American culture values short-term orientation, where focus

is put on the near future, while Chinese culture values long-term orientation, where focus is put on a “long-

lives and are frugal with their money. Ultimately, the movie offers a sophisticated examination of cultural

values in the context of both Mainland China and Chinese Americans, bringing to light the similarities and

differences between these two cultures while emphasising the universal themes of communication, family,

generational dynamics, and cultural identity.

The findings of the study relate to the three past studies previously analysed. Yu's (2023) study on the cross-

two Chinese and American cultures and how they navigate these differences. Furthermore, Wei's (2022) study

on the embodied cultures and Eastern and Western values in Chinese and American movies provides a

Overall, the findings of the study complement and expand on related past studies by providing a

comprehensive analysis of the cultural values portrayed in 'The Farewell' within the context of cross-cultural

communication and intercultural dynamics. These findings provide profound understanding of the

complexities of cultural representations in the media and offer insights for future research.

9. Kumbakonam, U. (2016, March 30). COMMUNICATION BARRIERS. Retrieved from

10. McMahon, M. (2023). Cultural transmission. EBSCO Research Starters. Retrieved from

13. Wu, C.-W., & Yeh, K.-H. (2021). Self-Sacrifice Is Not the Only Way to Practice Filial Piety for Chinese