Language And Thought Processes

Some may believe that racial traits carry influence a person's thought processes and attitudes, thus shaping one's character. I know my parents believe that. However, I think such a view is not just racist, but grossly oversimplified. I propose an alternative view, that a fairly obvious contender for the racial differences (where present) lies in language itself. For example, a language that has honorifics in its basic grammar is likely to breed thought processes where respect and hierarchy are salient. This does not necessarily breed a respectful individual, but it certainly does make the individual think a lot more about respect (gaining, losing it, etc) than one that has a language that is less steeped in honorifics. I have seen examples of people of certain ethnicities behaving in completely different manners depending on their country of upbringing. Clearly, if there is a genetic basis in their behavior, there would be a common thread between them in that sense. However, there is not. Instead, I see them conforming more to the cultures they are steeped in and the language(s) that they speak.