What Nationality Are You Usually Mistaken For?

gkirk · Tue Sep 25, 2007 6:51 pm

Post 100!
Rhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

BigTom · Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:02 pm

Out here Pakistani, Egyptian or Sri Lankan. When I visit Sri Lanka, I've been asked if I was Bangladeshi. Many times asked if I was Fijian in Oz and NZ. When I lived in Thailand I was most commonly mistaken for an Arab.

Cheers

Wolverine · Tue Sep 25, 2007 9:48 pm

I pronounce it english. I don't like people who pronounce it german.

aero145 · Tue Sep 25, 2007 9:57 pm

Some people think I'm from Russia, others from Poland, and even others think I am from France.

I'm nothing of above, I live in Iceland and I'm born here, though my parents are not Icelandic (I however don't speak the wrong Icelandic they do Smile

)

Banco · Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:11 pm

Quoting Myt332 (Reply 97):
Both of you can hawld ya wheesht!

Oh dear.

I defend you and you then have a go at me for it, thus sadly proving that Kirkie (I mean, come on, Kirkie?) might have actually had a point...

HAWK21M · Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:30 pm

Looks.... Indian.
Surname [Ferreira]....Italian,Portuguese,Spanish.

regds
MEL

ME AVN FAN · Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:42 pm

Quoting Gkirk (Reply 98):
classified as British than European.

Brits ARE Europeans !
-

OV735 · Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:51 pm

I've been mistaken for a wide variety of nationalities, including Swedish, Scandinavian (is that a nationality?), Finnish, German, Russian and Kazakh.

Braybuddy · Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:58 pm

Quoting Toast (Reply 65):
Matter of fact, Braybuddy doesn't look particularly Irish to me, either...

Quoting Boeing744 (Reply 79):
I always thought it was funny how my Grandmother says "garage".

Would that be "garrr-azh", by any chance? Some older people use that pronunciation here, and it's seen by some as an affectation.

Quoting LAXspotter (Reply 80):
Well, America has different accents throughout the country, and even in select cities people speak differently such as in NY or Boston, and specially the differences between a person from say California to any southern area.

I'm familiar with some of the more distinctive accents, such as Boston, New York, Texas and Southern, but there seems to be a "standard" American accent which is very similar to the Canadian one.

captaink · Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:03 am

Spanish speaking people think that I have at times an english accent, or at times a french accent. HMM i think it has to do with the fact that at some time or the other we were a colony of both countries.

cedars747 · Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:28 am

Quoting Toast (Thread starter):
What Nationality Are You Usually Mistaken For?

In my case it's funny because people always ask me if I am a Jewish from Israel while the reality is that I am Argentinian from a Muslim Lebanese father and Catholic Italian mother.

Alex!!!

AM744 · Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:27 am

I've been adressed in English more than once at MEX, lol.

ShyFlyer · Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:23 am

Quoting EWRCabincrew (Reply 33):
What does 'White' sound like? {Big grin} Monotone and boring?

Bueller?... Bueller?... Bueller?

When seeing or hearing my last name (Overgaard), people have guessed German, Dutch, Danish, and Swedish. Only one person guessed correctly (Norwegian), because her husband had a similar name (it had gaard at the end as well) and ancestry.

Boeing744 · Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:32 am

Quoting Braybuddy (Reply 108):
Would that be "garrr-azh", by any chance? Some older people use that pronunciation here, and it's seen by some as an affectation.

Haha, yep, that's it!

halls120 · Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:35 am

Quoting Toast (Thread starter):
So, what nationality have you been mistaken for?

First off, I'm German/Scottish/Dutch mix.

Walking down a street in Oslo, I've had people come up to me and ask for directions in Norwegian. Same thing in Mexico City. Recently in Nova Scotia, a couple from Nashville eyed us as fellow Americans even though we hadn't said a word.

The pronunciation of my last name is butchered everywhere except in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Holland.

LH423 · Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:36 am

Quoting Braybuddy (Reply 108):
Would that be "garrr-azh", by any chance? Some older people use that pronunciation here, and it's seen by some as an affectation.

You'll still here that in the US, though rarely. Mostly amongst older people who had immediate family who had immigrated to the US, or in some areas of the South that were more remote. However, due to mass communication, regional accents and pronunciations are dying out.

LH423

Frontiercpt · Wed Sep 26, 2007 3:05 pm

When I'm in Thailand, I get Brazilian (?!?!) a lot (particularly from the European tourists), but when I'm the United States, people think I'm either Asian (because they are all the same Yeah sure

) if they are smart, and the not so smart assume I'm some combination of Polynesian and Pacific Islander. In reality I'm half Irish and half Thai lol. Silly

~Sean

UH60FtRucker · Wed Sep 26, 2007 3:24 pm

Quoting Halls120 (Reply 114):

The pronunciation of my last name is butchered everywhere except in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Holland.

Try having the first name "Aharon"

A lot of people pronounce it like Aaron [AIR-ON]... but it's actually pronounced [AHH-RUN]. I've even been called [A-HAIR-ON]. lol!

But when I go visit family in Israel, I also stand out. I don't look "Jewish" .... 6ft, blue eyes, blondish hair, fair skin. I don't know what I look like... but it ain't Jewish!

-UH60

LAXspotter · Wed Sep 26, 2007 3:41 pm

Quoting UH60FtRucker (Reply 117):
6ft, blue eyes, blondish hair, fair skin. I don't know what I look like... but it ain't Jewish!

its kind of hard to look Jewish, since there are so many different types of Jews, from Ashkenazi to sephardic to mizrahi to Asian and Ethiopian Jews. Many Ashkenazi Jews are very light skinned and have blonde hair, well atleast in LA, and in fact most jews today are Ashkenazi.

UH60FtRucker · Wed Sep 26, 2007 4:20 pm

Quoting LAXspotter (Reply 118):
its kind of hard to look Jewish, since there are so many different types of Jews

Well I was specifically talking about Israel.

When I go there, I definitely stand out. The average citizen has black hair, brown eyes, medium build, and usually a darker skin color than me!

-UH60

atrude777 · Wed Sep 26, 2007 5:20 pm

Quoting UH60FtRucker (Reply 117):
Try having the first name "Aharon"

A lot of people pronounce it like Aaron [AIR-ON]... but it's actually pronounced [AHH-RUN]. I've even been called [A-HAIR-ON]. lol!

But I pronounced it right the first time!!!

Go Me! Silly

Alex

Kay · Wed Sep 26, 2007 5:32 pm

This is the order I get when people try to guess where I come from, which happens every few months since I was born:

1- Italian
2- Spanish
3- French
4- Greek
5- Israeli
Then comes a mixture of everything from Columbian to Turkish to Cypriot.

Kay

BlueElephant · Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:07 pm

I am Indian...But here in the US...people have seen me as Middle Eastern, Pakistani (common mistake)...Malaysian....Thai...Someone has called me Chinese (which i feel is a bit of a stretch)....

When i went to Ecuador in south American...They thought i was Mexican...and when i was in Italy...they thought i looked like i was from Sicily...or southern Italian. In Spain there was someone who thought i was Morrocan and Egyptian.

sabena340 · Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:37 pm

When judged by my looks most of the times I get mistaken for some southern nationality, most often Spanish or Italian. I used to wear my hair a lot shorter and then I was often judged French. Once when I went shopping in Antwerp, the shopkeeper even started the conversation in French, somehow I found that hugely insulting.
When I speak Dutch outside Europe most of the times I get mistaken for a German or a Scandinavian.

yooyoo · Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:39 pm

When people see my name they either think i'm Greek (First name Andreas) or Jewish (second name Jakob).
I'm actually German born living in Canada for the last 37 years.

ThereandBack · Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:11 pm

People think I am Spanish or Hispanic in Florida. I've never had anyone say "Are you Turkish?"
In Turkey people think I am English.
It's hopeless.

andaman · Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:30 am

I think my look is rather typical Finnish, though it seems when abroad I am not blond enough to be Nordic Wink

Usually I am asked if I am German, Dutch, Polish... sometimes Icelandic though, Finns and Icelandic have a bit similar English accent, with a strong front 'r'.

Sukhoi · Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:51 am

I´m Swedish but most people take me for being German when abroad.

LAXspotter · Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:44 am

Quoting UH60FtRucker (Reply 119):
The average citizen has black hair, brown eyes, medium build, and usually a darker skin color than me!

I understand

Quoting BlueElephant (Reply 122):
When i went to Ecuador in south American...They thought i was Mexican...and when i was in Italy...they thought i looked like i was from Sicily...or southern Italian.

yes, yes, yes. If youre a medium skinned Indian, Italians will always mistake you for one of their own, infact Russell Peters, a comedian makes fun of how the Italians thought he was Italian, LOL.

thepilot · Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:36 am

When I was in Norway, everyone thought I was Norwegian. Now, back in Seattle, everyone thinks I'm Canadian. Must be all the time spent in Grand Forks, ND. Smile

acho · Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:05 am

I am Mexican, born and rasied here. When I have been in England and Ireland, people always ask if I am from the US or from Canada. Throught Europe when I speak spanish (not in spain) people ask what part of Spain im from. But when I have been in Spain most people are clueless of where I am from, as the Mexican Spanish accent if so unique.

The first time I ordered a beer in Spain I asked the waiter "De que chelas tienes?" (What beer do you have) He stared at me as if I was talking in some wierd language. When he finally understood he asked me how I wanted the beer, so acostumed to Mexico I said "Me la traes en michelada" (With lime, salt and spices), he didn't understand, as he was refering to if I want it draft or on tap.

Toast · Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:19 am

Quoting Acho (Reply 130):
He stared at me as if I was talking in some wierd language.

I can understand that. When I was studying in Spain, my flatmates were Mexican. The girl was very understandable but I had to guess what the guy was talking about until the very last day - I never got used to his very heavy accent and colloquialisms. Even Spaniards were at loss sometimes when he started to talk. However, well-educated Mexicans are always easy to understand for me - maybe because they try to eliminate obscure local expressions thanks to having been exposed to real Spanish, from Castilla. mischievous

MCOflyer · Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:54 am

I am mistaken for being mut when I really am Italian and Irish.

Hunter

BlueElephant · Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:39 am

Quoting LAXspotter (Reply 128):
yes, yes, yes. If youre a medium skinned Indian, Italians will always mistake you for one of their own, infact Russell Peters, a comedian makes fun of how the Italians thought he was Italian, LOL.

"Do you want to eat?"
haha

But the sad thing...is...it's true. A man asked me if I was from Palermo when I was in Milan

jamesjimlb · Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:49 am

austrailian. plain and simple.

filler
filler

Airdolomiti · Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:09 am

I don't remember being mistaken for any particular nationality based on my looks (dark hair, brown eyes and very light skin), but I people are sometimes surprised when I tell them I'm Italian. Of course, if they know my name, they usually guess correctly, although it is often mistaken for Spanish: when I'm abroad, Federico invariably becomes Frederico...

As far as accents are concerned, when I speak Italian I mostly have a very slight Venetian inflection. However, since neither of my parents are 100% Italian, I grew up speaking fairly neutral Italian, or more accurately, just a generic northern Italian "accent"... there are so many different accents and inflections in Italy that it's hard to define a standard/neutral one, and I tend to adapt to the local accent when I travel around the country, so people often have trouble figuring out exactly where I'm from.

The German I was taught, on the other hand, is a very neutral Hochdeutsch, and I'm able to maintain it without too many changes when visiting different parts of Germany. I do recall being asked once if I was Bavarian - understandable, since I went to Munich very often as a kid.

I get the best (and funniest) guessing games when I speak English, however Big grin

I usually speak with a British accent (and I have been mistaken for a Brit on many occasions), but if my interlocutor is American, I switch to an American accent, in which case I'm often asked where in the States I'm from (either that, or they ask if I'm British, if I mistakenly use a British expression instead of an American one). I was also mistaken for an Australian once, in Australia, and for a Canadian.

Apparently, I also have a very good accent when I speak French and Greek, since I've been mistaken for the respective nationalities at least once (and I only speak a few words of Greek) Smile

JJJ · Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:47 pm

Quoting Airdolomiti (Reply 135):
Federico invariably becomes Frederico...

It's Federico too in Spanish, without the r Smile

In the US I've been asked if I was French based on looks. On the middle-east, I've been asked by several taxi drivers if I was Iranian or Lebanese

Fairly average looks, btw. Balding dark hair and even darker unkept beard, light skin but usually suntanned and blue eyes.

pyh · Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:27 pm

Regarding appearance, people almost always think I'm Swedish. Regarding accent most people guess I'm Finnish, sometimes I'm Spanish. When I speak Finnish abroad, some people think I'm Japanese...

SBBRTech · Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:04 pm

Maybe because i´m the result of a brazilian guy humpin´ a bulgarian girl, in europe i´m mostly greek or italian, go figure. A few years ago a KLM f/a asked me if i was angolan...and that ´cos when I boarded I was chatting in portuguese with an african guy wearing this XXXL angolan flag t-shirt.

Quoting Pyh (Reply 137):
When I speak Finnish abroad, some people think I'm Japanese

Haha. Have your finnish ever been mistaken for hungarian?

AM744 · Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:31 am

Quoting Toast (Reply 131):
However, well-educated Mexicans are always easy to understand for me - maybe because they try to eliminate obscure local expressions thanks to having been exposed to real Spanish, from Castilla.

Any Argentinian, Spaniard or Mexican can talk as obscure as it gets, or a perfectly understandable and correct language, if he/she is educated enough, that is. Also, you don't need to be exposed to Castilla Spanish to be perfectly well-educated, the same way you don't need to attend Oxford to speak good English.

Toast · Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:37 am

Quoting AM744 (Reply 139):
you don't need to be exposed to Castilla Spanish to be perfectly well-educated

Era una broma Wink

tsaord · Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:14 am

Quoting EWRCabincrew (Reply 33):
What does 'White' sound like? Monotone and boring?

In America African Americans and Whites born here have a different inflection in their voices. If you want to stereotype it the way a lot of people do it goes to say whites sound more happy and go lucky and chipper and African Americans sound more edgy, angry, what not.

DC10extender · Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:20 am

I am American obviously and am taken as such. In the south, my Minnesota accent can pass as Canadian though thats only if I work on it. I also have been told that I shout with an Irish accent by many people and that leads them to correctly guess that I am Irish.

md90fan · Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:33 am

Cuban,Dominican,Honduran,Panamanian,Puerto Rican...anything but Bahamian.

Here I am btw:

AsstChiefMark · Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:47 am

Quoting MD90fan (Reply 143):
Cuban,Dominican,Honduran,Panamanian,Puerto Rican...anything but Bahamian

United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru; Republic Dominican, Cuba, Carribean, Greenland, El Salvador, too. Big grin

LAXspotter · Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:57 am

Quoting MD90fan (Reply 143):
anything but Bahamian

no kidding, there arent too many Bahamian stereotypes, and its a rather small country. But you could be easily mistaken for an afro-caribbean.

Quoting AsstChiefMark (Reply 144):
anything but Bahamian

LOL

foppishbum · Thu Oct 04, 2007 5:57 pm

I'm Taiwanese but most people think I'm Japanese when they first meet me. I'm not complaining though Big grin

. AND, I know it's kinda hard for other people to determine where an Asian dude is from...hahah. Smile

peace,
wes

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