Foreign Accents

Came a cross an interesting article with a question recently, “ Why must a foreign accents always invite an inquisition?” Anyone care to comment?

Perhaps most Americans are naturally curious or just ignorant, a little arrogant even? We had our head buried in the sand for many decades, we do not know much about the rest of the world beyond the obvious tourist destinations.

These questions as I encountered often start with “ Where you from? “You have an interesting accent.” as if most American got A’s in their high school geography, they know the exact location of your homeland. So what is the point where I am from, while most can’t even pin point where my country located. What are your comments on that?

The other funny things were: These strangers always knew of some one’s or acquaintances from the region where I am from? Even though that part of the conversation is not totally pointless, nor would I care to know that the stranger’s in law of his great grandparent’s is from my homeland? Wake up, are we related? I hate to be rude, honestly, what did that had to do with where I immigrant from, or my accent anyway.

Some time, strangers will try to be nice to tell you that. “ Your English is really great. “ Are they kidding me? I did not get off the boat yesterday. I had been living in the US most of my adult life, and I work in a multi-national corporation. I hope that my conversational English skill is at least understandable, or at least slightly better than those foreign marketers you get on your mobile when you call for information.

You may ask why then you still have a foreign accent. Have you been to NY? You must have over heard a lot of foreign sounding passengers on the subway everyday. As a matter of fact many of them were native-born Americans, they include Italian, Puerto Rican, African, why did they have an accent. Have you ask then where they are from? Have you ever consider that was my own choosing as part of my identity, instead of sounded like just another American? After all majority of the English speaking world spoke with an English accent. NOT Americans.

May I suggest next time when you have the urge to ask the question, unless you are genuinely interested in knowing something on my home country? Don’t waste my time. Saying “How do you do?” in the office each morning without even stopping to chat is already bad enough. It is not a ritual. You do not have to do it. Care to comment?

Chance Encounter NYC.