  Global acceptance of Emojis suggests a cross-cultural, normative use of
Emojis. Meanwhile, nuances in Emoji use across cultures may also exist due to
linguistic differences in expressing emotions and diversity in conceptualizing
topics. Indeed, literature in cross-cultural psychology has found both
normative and culture-specific ways in which emotions are expressed. In this
paper, using social media, we compare the Emoji usage based on frequency,
context, and topic associations across countries in the East (China and Japan)
and the West (United States, United Kingdom, and Canada). Across the East and
the West, our study examines a) similarities and differences on the usage of
different categories of Emojis such as People, Food \& Drink, Travel \& Places
etc., b) potential mapping of Emoji use differences with previously identified
cultural differences in users' expression about diverse concepts such as death,
money emotions and family, and c) relative correspondence of validated
psycho-linguistic categories with Ekman's emotions. The analysis of Emoji use
in the East and the West reveals recognizable normative and culture specific
patterns. This research reveals the ways in which Emojis can be used for
cross-cultural communication.
