Greeting When greeting someone, an American’s first response is to hold out his or her hand, look directly at the person and smile. In some situations, this behavior may bring misunderstandings. Usually a handshake is not the universally accepted greeting. Also, looking others right in the eye might not mean the same thing in other parts of the world. When greeting Asians for the first time, do not shake hands. Physical contact may be embarrassing. Many Asians, particularly Japanese, have learned to accept handshakes whendealing with Westerners. For Japanese, a slight bow of the head is usually suitable for responding to a handshake. People in the Middle East, particularly Muslims, avoid body contact with the opposite sex, but persons of the same sex commonly hug when greeting each other. When shaking hands, men should be careful not to pull their hand away too quickly. Also, people from France, Spain, Italy and Portugal greet friends by kissing each other on both cheeks. Smiling is the universal gesture of friendliness. In America, smiling is a happy or friendly thing to do. In some Latin cultures, for example, smile may be used to mean "Excuse me"or "Please". In many cultures, avoiding eye contact is a sign of respect, but such behavior can also lead to misunderstandings. For example, some Asian students have been regarded as lacking respect for their American teachers because they do not look at the teacher while he or she is speaking.