jdtravels

I also agree that, being Asian, I've never experienced lack of "professionalism" from CX crew despite there being no "gwai lo" in the cabin, albeit in J rather than F.

That said, I'm not sure whether it's just (generalising here, I know) Asian habit to always portray themselves as being subject to some form of racism, demeaning behaviour or something. I've heard people complaining that staff would refuse to speak to them in English, or that they would speak slowly rather than at the normal pace - but all that is from their experience, and I'm sure in goodwill just in case this Asian doesn't speak English well or something, rather than out of "racist" behaviour as such.

At the end of the day, they make the flight more comfortable (and as the American airlines always emphasise - safer) than what it would have been without their presence, and that's already professional behaviour. The whole "Mr. X, Ms. Y" thing, bowing, etc. is just over and above their duty; and other than cultural (e.g. the Japanese tradition of bowing to basically everyone), I'd be rather uncomfortable if they were all too formal.