I used to get that all the time.
Mistaken for a European, that is. It happened all of the times that I was in Europe - either with friends, school, or just on my own. Even now, it would still happen.
Just the last time we were there my husband and I got our picture taken by Americans, claiming that we were the cutest European couple. We got made fun of to our face in English by Americans who didn't think we understood them. We have been spoken to in Italian and German by Italians and Germans. It has even gone so far as to get shocked and horrified faces when I tell a native European that I am in fact not German or French or even British, but that I am American.
But that was all fair enough. I was in Europe. I do speak German. I can see that much.
However, now I work in a pretty faux-European Gelateria (by an American Corporation), which I am leaving soon -but that is for another time and another day. Now, I get people not asking me the ridiculous, "So, are you Italian????" as I was apt to get the first few weeks I had worked here.
No, now practically two years has elapsed and most people are over that silliness.
Instead, now I get earnest questions of, "Where are you from?!" in complete bafflement that I might be American.
Even after saying, "Oh, I'm just American." I am forced to explain my heritage and/or why I have a funky accent because people just won't have it. When I out with the German/French heritage, I always get:
"I knew it. I knew you weren't American."
A man from Mexico was the most recent just a few moments ago.
It's wonderful because I don't agree with/like/want to live in America at all. So I am grateful.
But I'm also very perplexed.
Just the last time we were there my husband and I got our picture taken by Americans, claiming that we were the cutest European couple. We got made fun of to our face in English by Americans who didn't think we understood them. We have been spoken to in Italian and German by Italians and Germans. It has even gone so far as to get shocked and horrified faces when I tell a native European that I am in fact not German or French or even British, but that I am American.
But that was all fair enough. I was in Europe. I do speak German. I can see that much.
However, now I work in a pretty faux-European Gelateria (by an American Corporation), which I am leaving soon -but that is for another time and another day. Now, I get people not asking me the ridiculous, "So, are you Italian????" as I was apt to get the first few weeks I had worked here.
No, now practically two years has elapsed and most people are over that silliness.
Instead, now I get earnest questions of, "Where are you from?!" in complete bafflement that I might be American.
Even after saying, "Oh, I'm just American." I am forced to explain my heritage and/or why I have a funky accent because people just won't have it. When I out with the German/French heritage, I always get:
"I knew it. I knew you weren't American."
A man from Mexico was the most recent just a few moments ago.
It's wonderful because I don't agree with/like/want to live in America at all. So I am grateful.
But I'm also very perplexed.
2 Thought(s):
I always knew you weren't American.
That's one thing I love about you.
I would go with, "You're right, I'm not American. I am of Martian descent, with some Venutian blood." That should get them questioning themselves for a while.
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