Anyone ever get asked whether they're foreigners?

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Sora
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31 Dec 2008, 4:11 pm

In your country, maybe even in the town you lived longest so far, did people ever ask you whether you're a foreigner? Maybe because of the way you talked or the they you behaved?

Now strangers often are not entirely sure what my background is. But at one time, a girl who was originally from abroad but had lived here for most of her life straight out asked me whether I was foreign too.

She said that she asked because she thought I sounded and talked like a person who's native language and way of speaking was not that of my country. She apologised in advance and then explained that she thought I made all these mistakes as if I didn't know the language well.

It sure stumped me for a moment. I just wondered whether my talking was that bad.

When I corrected her then and said that I indeed was born here she didn't believe me until I repeated myself and explained that I'm really telling the truth.


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Nephesh
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31 Dec 2008, 4:22 pm

On two different occasions some Russian immigrants have mistaken me for also being from Russia. I think it is my beard that does it.



Hector
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31 Dec 2008, 4:35 pm

Even though I've lived in Ireland for about half of my life now, I never lost the accent that I picked up in Canada. Once I open my mouth Irish people tend to conclude that I'm foreign. A common topic of conversation is often "where are you from?" - and though I sometimes answer with where I live, usually that's not what they mean.



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31 Dec 2008, 5:02 pm

People say I look foreign, but they never specify. I don't know how you look foreign. And people say I have a strange accent, but that is understood since I have Scottish parents (I live in Ohio)


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Last edited by SeizeTheDay on 31 Dec 2008, 5:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Flismflop
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31 Dec 2008, 5:02 pm

Yeah, I've had various incidences of this throughout my life. It always perplexed me how I could be percieved as an immigrant, as the only other countries I've spent any time in were Canada and Mexico (and even then, only a few days in CA, only a few hours in MX). The most recent incidence when I was asked the question, the other person was an immigrant and didn't seem to believe me. I thought he was just envious of me because I was chatting with one of his female co-workers whom I knew personally. His question seemed very inappropriate to me, since I had never seen him before nor spoken with him - I thought he was just trying to make me look bad in front of a female I liked.


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princesseli
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31 Dec 2008, 5:25 pm

Hmm...i think a few times people have thought I was from China probably. There was this one time recently, this girl from the Dominican Republic asked me what country I was from. I think I told her I was from Hawaii, and thats about one of the closest to being from a foreign country but still being in the US. But then she thought someone else I knew was from a foreign country who lived around the area.

My dad whos also aspie has been thought that hes from somewhere in asia a few times, though in part because hes so light skinned.



Fnord
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31 Dec 2008, 5:32 pm

I can fool people into thinking that I'm from an East European Bloc country, but so can anyone that can fake a polish-ish accent.

That's about it.


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zghost
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31 Dec 2008, 5:34 pm

Yes, especialy back when I used to deliver pizza. There didn't seem to be a leading country I was "from", just odd random guesses. I assume it's due to my lack of an accent more than anything else.



Apatura
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31 Dec 2008, 5:43 pm

That's funny. I'm ALWAYS asked what country I'm from.



agmoie
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31 Dec 2008, 6:09 pm

Most Irish aspies I have met have American type accents.I think we pick it up from TV and movies.



Doro
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31 Dec 2008, 7:41 pm

Once a co-worker told me I had a "foreign touch" on me.



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31 Dec 2008, 7:51 pm

Well, I have a voice that is surely attributable to my AS. That leads people to assume I'm from somewhere else. The somewhere else is almost always Inverness.

A few months ago a shop assistant greeted me with "Welcome to Edinburgh". Such a greeting came from a combination of the fact I was buying a 2-pin to 3-pin plug converter, which was for my shaver which has 2 pins; and my accent. The 2/3 pin thing would usually come from visiting from another country but I've no idea what country the shop assistant (a New Zealander) presumed I might be from.



31 Dec 2008, 8:01 pm

I get asked where I'm from and sometimes people think I am from Australia or something.



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31 Dec 2008, 8:08 pm

People have been surprised that I'm not from Germany or Eastern Europe.


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31 Dec 2008, 9:04 pm

im from australia and people always ask whether i am from england



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31 Dec 2008, 9:12 pm

One time I was at a job interview and they said my accent was funny and they asked me if I spoke any foreign languages. I'm like, excuse me??? I'm from the same place you are, and I have an accent? Another time I was at work (actually this was three different times) and I was asked if I was jewish.

Them: Hey are you Jewish?
Me: No, why?
Them: You have a big nose.
Me: You have a big zit on your face

Them: Hey, are you Jewish?
Me: No, why?
Them: You have a Jewfro
Me: You will too if you don't shut up. I have a taser

Them: Hey, are you Jewish?
Me: No, why?
Them: You have a Jewish face
Me: You have an ugly face


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