Does anyone else get this? I get this shit pretty damn often and sometimes within the first few minutes of meeting someone new. I start getting this a lot post high-school.
i think everyone besides black and white people get this. I don't mind it at all though. Besides it's good to ask, because you can't tell the difference between Asians anyway. nor the difference among various middle-eastern folks. hell, i probably couldn't tell the difference between europeans.
I'm Irish/Norwegian/Swedish. It is very obvious that I am a very white guy.
NOT BY YOUR POSTS ON SOULSTRUT!
Wait! Chan's not asian?
That's how I dress when I go to the club!
Escada makes martial arts robes?
Yes son! I thought you had a pink striped one with "Harlem" on the back in cubic zirconias!!! I got a silk Escada martial arts robe with "Super Chan" on the back in rhinestones. Plaese believe it mayne.
I get this question almost daily. I usually get confused and say "New Jersey" and then get a puzzled look from the person.
I've been asked if I'm Spanish, Italian, Greek, Indian, Middle Eastern, French-Canadian (huh???) and who knows what else.
Sometimes they don't even ask, they just start speaking to me in whatever language they speak until they figure out I have no idea what they are saying.
(For the record I'm half Cuban and the rest Polish/Russian/Czech/etc.)
I've been asked if I'm Spanish, Italian, Greek, Indian, Middle Eastern, French-Canadian (huh???) and who knows what else.
I feel your pain. I've gotten: Latino (all over Latin America), Indian, Native American, all of Southern Europe, Half Japanese (?), Eskimo (this one I just couldn't understand), Turkish, sundry Middle Eastern countries, Jewish North African, Egyptian, Brasilian, and the list goes on.
I find it kind of interesting (sometimes). After 9-11,people's attitudes toward me in public places started to suck (frequent death stares and bad service) and then I realized it will now surely suck to be an Arab in America. My sister got punched in the stomach in Germany (she looks VERY much like me) by an old lady who hated Turks. Peace T.N.
yeah this sucks. i hate it when people try to guess or try to greet me with "konichiwa" or some lame ignorant shit. and then when they do guess correctly they gotta misprounounce it
My wife, who is 100% Portuguese, gets this question pretty often--must be the jet black hair.
I think the best response is to smile and say, "Well, in light of, you know, recent events, I'd really rather not say."
Then just stare at them with wide eyes and slight grin. Should make them as uncomfortable as their question has made you.
In my experience (as an observer rather than the recipient of the question) it's usually somewhat less brazen, along the lines of "Where are you from?" followed by ass-hurt consternation when the racially confounding person says where they're from, rather then where their grandparents are from.
I look Jewish and most people don't need to ask. When I was in Oklahoma the Okies had no Idea I was Jewish. When I told them they didn't believe it because they hated Jews. Also some half thought Jews had horns. These are people who never saw a Woody Allen movie.
They also didn't believe I was from DC becuase "The President lives there". Very different from the Virginia / Carolina redneck response "Aren't there a lot of Black people there?". (OK I'm from the vanilla 'burbs.)
Sometimes they don't even ask, they just start speaking to me in whatever language they speak until they figure out I have no idea what they are saying.
When I get it I am taken aback. But it does not offend me. I am proud of my heritage. I think people are more looking for common ground than trying to put you in a box. Accept those people who say "you don't act _____".
I have a big nose, so 9 times out of 10, people just assume I'm Jewish.
Then again, this German dude at ModChicago asked me where I was from, and was real disappointed that I said North Carolina. "You don't look American," he said. "You look Scottish."
When I get it I am taken aback. But it does not offend me. I am proud of my heritage. I think people are more looking for common ground than trying to put you in a box. Accept those people who say "you don't act _____".
I can't believe people still say "Well, you don't act _______." I (white) usually just try to figure it out by conversing with the person. That is if I'm curious. I think it's ok to ask if it comes up in conversation or there's a need to know or something. But just some "Hi, nice to meet you. My, don't you look interesting. What ethnicity are you?" is
Comments
sosanfranciscorightnow
I've gotten "well, you don't act latino".
where's that bungay graemlin when you need it.
NOT BY YOUR POSTS ON SOULSTRUT!
Wait! Chan's not asian?
That's how I dress when I go to the club!
I only get..."So what is it like in prison"!!!
Escada makes martial arts robes?
Yes son! I thought you had a pink striped one with "Harlem" on the back in cubic zirconias!!! I got a silk Escada martial arts robe with "Super Chan" on the back in rhinestones. Plaese believe it mayne.
I've been asked if I'm Spanish, Italian, Greek, Indian, Middle Eastern, French-Canadian (huh???) and who knows what else.
Sometimes they don't even ask, they just start speaking to me in whatever language they speak until they figure out I have no idea what they are saying.
(For the record I'm half Cuban and the rest Polish/Russian/Czech/etc.)
I think the best response is to smile and say, "Well, in light of, you know, recent events, I'd really rather not say."
Then just stare at them with wide eyes and slight grin. Should make them as uncomfortable as their question has made you.
I feel your pain.
I've gotten:
Latino (all over Latin America), Indian, Native American, all of Southern Europe, Half Japanese (?), Eskimo (this one I just couldn't understand), Turkish, sundry Middle Eastern countries, Jewish North African, Egyptian, Brasilian, and the list goes on.
I find it kind of interesting (sometimes). After 9-11,people's attitudes toward me in public places started to suck (frequent death stares and bad service) and then I realized it will now surely suck to be an Arab in America. My sister got punched in the stomach in Germany (she looks VERY much like me) by an old lady who hated Turks.
Peace
T.N.
"vietman[/b]ese"
In my experience (as an observer rather than the recipient of the question) it's usually somewhat less brazen, along the lines of "Where are you from?" followed by ass-hurt consternation when the racially confounding person says where they're from, rather then where their grandparents are from.
They also didn't believe I was from DC becuase "The President lives there". Very different from the Virginia / Carolina redneck response "Aren't there a lot of Black people there?". (OK I'm from the vanilla 'burbs.)
i get this too.
Then again, this German dude at ModChicago asked me where I was from, and was real disappointed that I said North Carolina. "You don't look American," he said. "You look Scottish."
Accept or Except?
rather than accept their stereotyped view of me and my culture I think its best to try to educate them.
Although its kind of hard to tell a guy with his longstanding belief that he may not be correct in his prejudiced assumptions