Yo-Yo Ma is one of the most well-known professional cellists in the world, but many may not know that his fame began in his early childhood. When he was only seven years old, he was invited along with his 11-year-old sister to play live for sitting President John F. Kennedy and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower at "An American Pageant of the Arts" in 1962.

The purpose of the event was to raise funds for the National Cultural Center, which was started under Eisenhower's administration and encouraged under Kennedy's presidency. But what stands out in a resurfaced video of the event is the beautiful way composer Leonard Bernstein introduced the Mas.

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Bernstein referenced the way art flowed in and out of America and how art has "long been the attraction of our country to foreign artists and scientists and thinkers, who have come not only to visit us but often to join us as Americans to become citizens of what to some has historically been the land of opportunity, and to others, the land of freedom."

"And in this great tradition," he continued, "there has come to us this year a young man aged seven, bearing the name Yo-Yo Ma. Yo-Yo came to our attention through the great master, Pablo Casals, who had recently heard the boy play the cello. Yo-Yo is, as you may have guessed, Chinese, and has lived up to now in France, a highly international type. But he and his family are now here. His father is teaching school in New York. And his 11-year-old sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma, is pursuing her musical studies, and they are all hoping to become American citizens."

After announcing that the duo would be playing the first movement of "Concertino No. 3 in A major" by Jean-Baptiste Breval, who composed for the cello 150 years ago in France, Bernstein added:

"Now here is a cultural image for you to ponder as you listen: a 7-year-old Chinese cellist playing old French music for his new American compatriots."

What a beautiful celebration of immigration and art, and all the more moving that they performed for two presidents who showed nothing but respect for one another in a cultural arts center that would become a "living memorial" to President Kennedy after his assassination.

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma performing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1988Jose Galvez, Los Angeles Times/Wikimedia Commons

Now Yo-Yo Ma is 70 years old and still inspiring audiences around the world with his cello playing. His sister, Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma, has also continued her musical legacy in addition to becoming a Harvard University-trained pediatrician. Dr. Ma heads up the Children’s Orchestra Society (COS), a non-profit music program for children in New York City, started by her father the same year the Mas performed for JFK.

Yo-Yo Ma was recently a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and his interview showcased the joy and compassion for which he is known in addition to his musical talents.

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People loved seeing Ma's reflections on the world and his words gave a dose of hope:

"A slight renewal in my faith in humanity which has taken a beating. I love this man."

"Yo Yo is a humanitarian, animal lover and planet saver. Great soul!"

"Saw him first on Mr Rogers. He was as delightful then as he is now. A beautiful human."

"Given the state of the current world, I’m reminded of this quote: “There are times that Yo Yo Ma has shown up, performed, and healed nations.” We can do it! Hope - out of the dark time!"

Watch 70-year-old Yo-Yo Ma play Bach Prelude from the 1st Cello Suite and "Over the Rainbow":

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One of the fun things about traveling to different countries is that you not only get to learn about other cultures, but you also learn some things about your own. Americans who travel abroad often learn that people around the world appreciate them for being open, friendly, and good at spreading hope and optimism.

On the other hand, people in other countries can often tell when an American is coming from a mile away because they speak loudly, whether indoors or outdoors. Americans also have a very peculiar body language and are known to lean on things when they have to stand for an extended period.

A Reddit user posed a question in the AskReddit subforum to learn more about how Americans stand out abroad: What's an "obvious" sign that someone is American? The post received more than 35,000 responses, with an overwhelming number of commenters noting that Americans are all smiles and love to make small talk, something most people appreciate.

"An Italian told me that Americans walk confidently in the wrong direction."

"Been taught to walk fast, and look worried.. People think you know what you're doing."

"I worked as a cashier in a tourist place in Paris, I always recognised Americans because they were kinda friendly to me and they always left tips."

"I guess there are worse things than friendly and generous."

"If someone asks how far away something is, an American will tell how you long it takes to get there as opposed to a physical distance."

"It actually pisses off some Americans to give a distance in miles, unless they're calculating gas mileage. In some places, you have to give with and without traffic options. I think it's more valuable info in time than in distance."

"The gentle grins you give to strangers if you make eye contact with them as you pass by, at least in the Midwest. was not well received in Germany."

"I dated a European man here in the US. When we walked together, every time I made eye contact with someone on our path I would smile at them, and they would always smile back. Boyfriend was so confused at all these strangers smiling at me. Kept asking if I knew all these people. It was hilarious."

"How much personal space they give themselves. Americans like at LEAST an arm's length."

"We're conditioned to fill spaces evenly. I noticed when i worked delivery, spending lots of quality time on elevators that for every new person that enters, everybody shuffles to even things out. Similar thing plays out in social gatherings and bars. Not sure if that's universal or not, but I find it interesting. I think the size of our personal bubbles is because our spaces are generally much larger because we've got the space (heh) to build bigger buildings, sidewalks, roads etc. Might also explain why we're louder. Used to filling larger spaces with volume."

Body language expert Joe Navarro says that among Americans, the social zone for acquaintances and casual interactions is four to 12 feet, while family and close friends stand 1.5 to four feet apart. The intimate zone, for those closest to us, ranges from the skin to about 18 inches.

"According to the CIA, when training to be a spy, you have to unlearn how to lean. Americans tend to lean on things when standing still."

All of this is true, according to Jonna Mendez, the former chief of disguise at the CIA, who has shared some of her tips and tricks for making Americans seem more European. "So we would de-Americanize you," Mendez told NPR. "They think that we are slouchy, a little sloppy. And they think that they can almost see that in our demeanor on the street because they stand up straight. They don't lean on things."

"I've lived in America for 25 years, and it still irritates me that instead of lowering their voices in restaurants so everyone can hear, Americans just scream over each other and make their restaurants as loud as clubs."

"For some reason, my otherwise smart and wonderful American friends will speak in the same volume, diction, and speed regardless of any outside factor unless specifically asked."

"In my homestay in London, I was told that I was 'so American' for enjoying a piece of cake for breakfast (not frosted cake, but like a nuts and dried fruit spiced coffeecake kind of thing). Apparently, that's exclusively for like a 4 pm snack, and breakfast is more of a savory meal."

"A lot of American breakfast items in my mind are desserts (pancakes, muffins, waffles, etc.). It doesn't mean I won't eat them, but it's kinda weird to do so."

"A British man once told me he knew I was American because I was wearing a baseball cap backwards."

"An Italian told me they could tell I was American because I wore my sunglasses on the top of my head when I wasn't using them."

"While visiting Turkey, I was told that I looked American because I was sitting with one leg across the other, and the bottom of my shoe was exposed. Apparently, it's rude idk."

"In a lot of places outside of the US, showing the bottom of your shoe is rude."

"Tactical sunglasses."

"I'm in the US, and virtually anything marketed towards men has the word 'tactical' in front of it."

"I'm from California (though a smallish town), and we wave to neighbors on our road, even if we haven't met, and start conversations in the grocery line with people if the opportunity presents itself. Also, smiling and saying hello to someone you happen to walk by and make eye contact with is quite normal. We are a social species, it would be so weird not to be friendly, even to strangers, for me, and I'm not even that social of a person."

"What really gets me to it is not that Americans do small talk constantly, but the fact that they are so good and fast at........

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