Written for the Indochinese adult immigrant and the American sponsor, friend, or teacher, the document describes the cultures both in English and Vietnamese. The first part is a guide to the American culture. It explains American characteristics that may seem puzzling to a foreigner: the value placed on achievement and hard work, the highly kinetic society, the consumption of natural resources, informality, lack of tradition, generation gaps, crime, volunteerism, and the independence of the American woman. The second part explains the Indochinese way of life in a dictionary format. It covers American institutions that may need explaining to an Indochinese person: banks, burials and funerals, charge accounts, employer-employee relations, and manual labor. Indochinese customs that need explanation to Americans include the lunar calendar, attitudes toward children, distrust of strangers, the allegiance to family, and actions which Indochinese people consider offensive behavior. (KC)