Have you ever been mistaken for an ethnicity or race that you are not a part of and how did it make you feel?

Question

For what it's worth, I have no difficulty myself telling Irish from English & it find it quite easy to distinguish between Korean, Japanese, Chinese & Filipino. Even Jew (Ashkenazim) from other European is a cinch!

I'm mostly Irish. Had a Greek woman ask me if i was Cuban. Had a black woman ask me if I was "mixed" (due to the hair on my goatee being curly, unlike on my head)
Was once stopped by a cop on a routine matter. In spite of my English surname, he called me in as an "Hispanic male!" (Of course, I was in the company of two Latinas, but still.) Didn't bother me though.

Answer 1

I have been mistaken for a redneck, does that count?

Answer 2

Sometimes people ask me if I'm Chinese, Vietnamese or Korean. I'm Japanese and I don't get offended. Most of the time its white people. I can't tell a Irish person from an English person though so its okay.

Answer 3

I have never been mistaken for another ethnicity; however, I have been questioned about my nationality on numerous occasions. For instance, I was asked if I was a “Hindu” twice. I think on both occasions they meant Indian, as Hinduism is a religion. On another occasion I was asked if I was Native American, to be fair I am a Mestiza. My Mother was asked if she was Greek and Iranian, my sister was asked if she was Armenian, and my brother was once mistaken for a Filipino. I didn’t mind these mistakes. On every occasion I did not feel as if these inquiries were meant to insult me. On the other hand, I do not think I would personally make guesses at someone’s heritage, I find that blunt.

Answer 4

Yes . when I have my hair straighted and because I'm a high yellow people say some times I look a little like I'm Korean or Filipino (but I'm black) . Even sometimes when I go to the nail salon those Asians don't know what to think and i find it funny.They give that look like they are trying to figure out am I Asian or half or just a funny looking black person!

Answer 5

No, but some years ago I knew a young woman who said she was Indian (I'm sorry, but I don't remember what kind) but she looked African American. She would get very upset when people would say that. My mother told me at the time that she could not be pure Indian because she had curly hair and that Indians had straight hair. She worked and lived in a primarily Caucasian environment. I think it is very sad if she was part black, that she would deny her heritage.

Answer 6

To a previous poster: Not all Indians have straight hair. Yo mamas an idiot.

My heritage is 1/2 Native American and 1/2 Afro-American. I am told by many knowledgeable people that I am Brazilian or I am from Trinidad. I don't get angry or anything because I just say I am actually human, but thanks for trying.

Answer 7

People thought i was Chinese till i was like 10, then at about 12 people started thinking i was Indian, it never really bothered me, I'm the only one in my family with dark hair, eyes and skin so i always liked to stand out.

Answer 8

Yes, this has happened to me numerous times. I live in San Antonio and I look NOTHING like a Hispanic/Mexican, but people whose native tongue is Spanish will approach me and start spouting off Spanish. I let them finish and then say, "I don't speak Spanish. You will have to speak English to me." How do I feel? I feel insulted. I have been asked, "You don't speak Spanish?" or "Sorry. I thought you were Hispanic." Again...I feel quite insulted. I control myself and just calmly say, "No, I am not Hispanic. I am Italian."

Answer 9

often, i live in a country with many different ethnic groups and my family has a lot of ethnic origins. for myself, i come from 4 ethnic groups. but my extended family is very well represented in most of the ethnic groups of my country.
people i met never guess my ethnicity correctly-ever. and i kinda have a flexible face. i am now working in an area where almost everyone i met thought i was native, which is far from the truth.
it never bothers me, i actually get a kick out of looking at their jaws dropping when i told them my origins.
i don't understand why peoople feel offended when others mistake them of being from a different ethnicity. all humans are equal, and i think there is nothing wrong with people trying to approach you like speaking with a different language than your own, maybe they just like to speak in their native tongue. maybe they're lonely and they miss home. we should have respect for that.

Answer 10

I come from 2 different ethnicities already, so... but yes, I have been already been mistaken for a variety of ethnicities. Makes me smile! Why? Becaues when I start to talk =with a "weird" accent, people seem embarassed

Answer 11

Im white, ash blonde hair, green eyes WHITE(German and Irish to be exact)...I have been mistaken for being hispanic, how? I do not know but it didn't offend me or anything, it was just weird.