I immigrated to the US at the age of 8. I’m Asian. I think I mastered the language at like probably 12 or 13.
I recall often in my life, people always assumed I didn’t speak English for some reason. Like before I had a chance to open my mouth, that question gets asked…
Not sure if it was because I was perhaps being quiet and unaware I was being quiet, so they made an assumption based on that, or if it had to do with how I look.
I kinda always felt a bit uncomfortable.
“Perpetual Foreigner” kind of.
I’m gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was just maybe I was quiet. But still. A white kid could stay quiet and I doubt the first thing a person assumes is oh he must not speak english.
Um… sorry if this is a weird ask, but those of you who live in immigration countries, have you ever been asked “Do you speak [Language of the country]?” Have you ever made an assumption about someone?
Kind of the opposite. I’m an immigrant in a white country, but I’m also quite white. The amount of times someone has started a conversation about how immigrants are all terrible and lazy and should be deported back to their countries, assuming I will just agree with them, is insane. The few times I have told them I am an immigrant myself I get the “you know the ones I mean” argument and it makes it so much worse.
During holiday in Spain I was at a bar whose barkeeper migrated to Spain a couple years before
And complained about immigrants taking jobs
I’m a middle-aged white guy in the American South, salt and pepper beard, all that. I can see dudes giving me a quick eye before they say anything political.
“He might be one of us, can’t tell, better not risk talking shit.” They don’t even do the verbal testing dance, just keep it straight and level. Sometimes they look me over and it’s like they’re trying to be extra friendly, like some whites do to blacks, “I’m OK with you, really, I’m not one of them!”
I feel like they sense I don’t have my MAGA card. 😂 Best part is, I’m clueless as to what they’re seeing. I’ve had guys, talking low, shut up when I approach in public, and at 5’8" and 140lbs., I’m hardly intimidating. Just not in the club I guess. 🫤
(Might be the pin I have on all my bags, but those are fairly new. Waiting for an ass kicking over that.)
I’m torn. I’m also a 6’+ white guy, and those assholes frequently think I’m one of them. I’m not sure if I would prefer your situation, or the fact that when they try to be subtly racist I ask them point blank which of our cousins they have issues with. The look on their faces is priceless when they realize I consider all of humanity to be one family.
I’d rather they assume my politics and get slapped down with, “No. I am NOT on your side.”
Guess it depends on where you are. I’m a white guy and I can’t remember the last time someone just openly started shit talking immigrants to me. I guess maybe all the way back in highschool I heard it? But that’s mostly because highschoolers are dipshits. Immigration always seems to be this hot button topic according to the media, but I’ve lived in a lot of places and it doesn’t seem like anyone I interact with has a negative view toward them; or if they do, they keep it very close to their chest. I haven’t lived in very liberal places either, and maybe I’m just blind to it or something, but it genuinely seems like people’s attitude toward immigration ranges from sympathy and support, to not giving a single shit.
Where are you people finding these folks that just strike up a racist conversation unprompted? You talk about it like it happens regularly, but if it happened once to me I would be floored. That would be the kind of interaction that would stick with me and I’d be telling people about for months. “I had the most batshit interaction with someone the other day…”
I’m in Germany. I don’t get the “you’re okay because you’re white” thing. I get treated like crap as soon as they realise my German isn’t fluent. It’s an absolute nightmare, I feel incredibly isolated. I live in BW. In Brandenburg people were much nicer, some people even spoke English.
I’m learning German, but I’m old and already speak 2 other languages fluently.
My mom immigrated to Canada from Ireland in the 70s and no longer has an accent. The amount of times other old white people talk negatively about immigrants to her is ridiculous. She never ceases to tell them she is an immigrant and how important all the people even now immigrating are for our country.
The only reasons our population grew was because of immigrants, without them who is going to take care of all the old people with children that are working so much they can’t raise their own families.