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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]For many of us, it's a cultural issue. I'm Korean, and we would never call a grownup (or a teacher, boss, anyone of a superior status, someone you don't know very well) by their first name. There are people whom I've known for decades, including close friends of my parents, whose first names I don't know because I call them by the honorific.

Not saying this way is better or worse, but in most Asian cultures, it would be considered extremely rude for a child to call a grownup by their first name.[/quote]

I think it’s a white culture thing to call adults by their first name... I’ve had friends of all cultures and only my white friends called adults by their first name... I’ve also worked at 2 area universities 1 Historically Black College and Univeristy (HBCU) and one non HBCU... The black students at the HBCU called professsors and administrators by their title while some of the white students had to be corrected and told to do so.... at the non HBCU white students called professors by their first name while black students would address them by title....

And I believe one way is better than the other.... we are not peers so you do not address me as such![/quote]

I'm also black and I agree that white people tend to be more informal, but disagree that one way is better than another (I think it's fine to call people what they want to be called, and I prefer my first name).  I think white people are generally (definitely historically) more likely to be in a position of power and therefore don't need an honorific/Mr./Mrs./Ms.  to make it clear to the world and the speaker that there is no peer relationship; it's just something they can be less concerned about because it's less of an issue in their lives.   [/quote]

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