Once, a friend and I were in a bus with a garbled, malfunctioning electronic signage. A passenger coming into the bus told the bus driver loudly that it all was Chinese to him. Upon seeing me, his face showed alarm and he quickly apologized. “Oh! I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry!”
My friend and I cracked up. He thought I was Chinese. I did not disabuse him of his assumption. We thought it was a hoot. I know to some people, all Asians look alike. I've been Japanese, Thai, but I've also been thought of as Mexican or Native American. Heck, the most farout was when an Italian guy asked me once, "Italiana?!"
When I tell people my name, some smile and quickly ask, “¿Como está?”
When I say I work for a bank, they inquire, “Are you a teller?”
If my past work in Disney comes up, the inevitable question is, “Were you a character?”
When they find out I am from Manila and that I only moved to the US six years ago, I get “Is your husband in the military?”
I think it's cute when people make snap assumptions. It always leads to a great conversation. :)
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3 comments:
I always get the Disney character questions too! Also, most people tend to think I'm French, donno why!? Marina
It's probably because you have that French... je ne sais quoi...er...sophistication? :)
I try to always take it as an opportunity to help widen someone's horizon, so to speak. Sometimes a person can't help it if their experience of certain things is limited.
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