Intercultural Etiquette

I thoroughly enjoyed “Intercultural Etiquette.” I especially wish to praise Jacquelyn Mitchell for creating the course for her Afro-American studies program at UC Davis.

Nevertheless, I do object to the implication that cultural borrowing is essentially insensitive to the natives. For one thing, if I hadn’t seen the movie “10,” I would have not been aware of the unique African-style braids. It has never occurred to me that the producers or Bo Derek were being racist or poking fun at another culture.

GERALD P. LUNDERVILLE

Long Beach