My mom is a first generation immigrant. I often let her assumptions and misunderstandings of my sons simply stand. My sons tend to get a lot more of those explanations out of me, though sometimes only months after the fact (long, machiavellian story there). A similar pattern is emerging at work. I do explain stuff at work when asked. But I guess my policy at work mirrors my policy at home: I explain it to people I trust and who ask nicely.