Has this ever happened to you? You walk into a salon, party, or other populated place to hear people speaking a language other than English. You quickly realize that they’re saying something about you… and that they don’t realize you speak the same freakin’ language!
Growing up in Miami, this happened to me A LOT! Thankfully I never really listened in on negative things, they were usually complimentary referring to my physical appearance… but it happens.
This morning on the Today show they did a piece on Hispanics in America. My favorite quote went something like… “You never know who’s a Hispanic.” So true!
People never believe me when they learn of my Hispanic heritage… I guess its because I don’t look like the stereotypical Hispanic person. However living in my small town (I call it small because we don’t have a Marshalls or a mall worthy of the word) I guess they don’t get many people with “accents”-never mind that half the people hear sound like someone out of Gone With the Wind, I was recently asked what country I was from. Seriously! I kid you not.
The conversation went something like this…
Store clerk: “Wow, that’s quite a different accent you have there.”
Me: Thinking, I have an accent. Really? Hmph. “Huh?”
Store clerk: “What country are you from?”
Me: Trying not to smile, “The United States of America.”
Store clerk: “Yes, I know this is the USA, but what country are you from?”
Me: “I was born in Florida, which last time I checked was a state recognized by the union otherwise known as The United States of America.”
Store clerk: Oh, O.K. dear, what country did you grown up in?
Me: Miami.
Here’s the piece I was refereeing to earlier…
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I’m off to go lecture my husband the error in his thought that our children should learn English first. My home, is now officially bilingual. Heck it worked for this little ole’ as my in laws love to say “gringa”!
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