how should a foreigner such as a jap behave socially when coming to america?
while english has no honorifics, like most cultures, americans are sensitive to subtle vocal and body language
the way you greet and address someone matters
if the person has a suit, you should address him by "sir", and greet him by "hello"
if the person has no suit, "hi" would suffice, and "sir" while sounding too formal, could still work, but it's becoming more common to use "boss"
if the person has lots of tattoos, or is "tough looking" (for instance, not fat, or wearing old clothing) with forehead wrinkles, you should address him by "bro".
if the person is not white, you should almost always greet with "yo", and use "bro" to address him, unless he is wearing a suit or is chinese.
when addressing a judge, use "your honor"
when addressing a police, use "sir", or "officer"
if the person is a female, you always address them by "bro", unless they are older than 50, in which case, you should use "miss"