I don't just mean “discrimination” in the racist KKK sense, which still exists, though in a less overt form. There are also less conspicuous forms of discrimination that exist prevalently today. Persons of Asian descent might not be promoted because Westerners cannot see Asians as leaders. Persons of Asian descent might not have as much access to professional networks because their company is not as valued (for a variety of possible reasons) as much as the company of a White person. Non-Asian subordinates might subconsciously accord less respect to the directives of Asian superiors than to White or Black superiors.

The breathtaking rise of China from a backward agrarian society to a modern superpower over the past 30 years proves that Asian PDI does not culturally predispose Asians to subservience. It is therefore unhelpful and dubious to conclude that the relative lack of success of Asians in Western societies is the product of PDI alone.

If the article about PDI teaches us anything, it should teach us that we need to stop blaming ourselves. Instead, we need to learn to demand more seats at the table in politics, industry and culture, and that we need to demand those seats even when those demands seem unreasonable.

Ironically, it is acceptable for students to arrive late (this is common among language schools too) and even talk amongst themselves while a teacher is talking. But I remember first hearing about Power Distances from Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. He shares an extremely fascinating study on Korean Airlines that I would recommend reading.