If you are non-white, how does it make you feel when people in teh US ask you if you speak English?

Question

When hanging out in the US, do strangers ever come up to you and ask if you speak English just because you look asian, latino, arab, etc...? How does it make you feel? What do you say back to them?

If you are offended, how do you explain why that makes you offended?

Answer 1

To add to your point--my brother and I speak english with no accent (we're asian). My brother is also born in the US (in New York). When people ask "where are you from", he tells them "houston". Then they go "no, where were you born?" and he answers them "New York". Then some people are so stupid that they follow up with "No, where are you really from?"....I mean, just because we're not white doesn't mean we're less American than whites! I think people need to learn that Americans come in different sizes, shapes, genders, and colors.

Answer 2

Actually, I am more apt to ask a white person if they speak english after listening to them speak than I am to ask anyone else that question. (I am native american,look Irish and frequently offend white folks with this question.. but then they do not seem to speak english, .. ) a guilty party.

Answer 3

only really ignorant people would come up to a total stranger and ask that type of a stupid question. I'm Hawaiian/Portuguese and look like "ethnic Du jour". If some fool would have the balls to ask that of me I'd say,"No, do you?" And by the way, weren't native americans non-white?

Answer 4

i live in TX and of black and Hawaiian race... i look very much like a Mexican or puerto rican...it is funny that they do not ask me if i speak English but rather assume i speak Spanish..it is very frustrating to me that it is implied that i speak it because of my looks....i also be that it becomes very frustrating if you are no-Hispanic and live in a population that is dominated by non English speakers.....i would be come very upset that people would have to ask me that ?....but some times there re many people that cant speak English and you can only find out by asking ....its a 2 sided ?..........i believe that all of us in the USA should at least have a working knowledge of the English language....if i were to make my living for example in the country of Mexico....i would at least try to learn the basics......Ci entiendo mi amigo

Answer 5

actually what really bothers me is when they ask me, were I am really from? that question really strikes a nerve with me, I will usually become very irate and make a big seen call the "person" lots of colorful words mf cs dh etc etc etc then I proceed to make racial remarks about them and thier intelligence level... I know this behaviour is not appropriate but I have found usually thier coments are really enginered to be personal attacks with racial motives with intent to harm me, so thats how I can justify my behaviour to myself. No one has actually asked me if I can speak english yet... but I can't belive someone in modern america would try and start a conversation like this but if they did, one, it is a racially motivated attack on someones character OR two the person is incredibly ignorant and having thier comment thrown back in thier face might make them ask themselve what they did to offend you possible changing thier line of questioning in the future... in all reality the actions of myself and the approach of the offender are unappropriate but when being attacked it is natural to defend, as in life nothing is as it should be and things are never really that simple

Answer 6

people dont just go up to other people and ask if they speak english for no reason.....

Answer 7

i say you bloody av nerve bastard go away i have explosives

and they dont bother me again