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?
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…”