Do you find it to be a huge adjustment now that you have to use forks and spoons?" someone asked me once while we were having lunch at Dewick.
I didn't know whether I should have felt offended and upset that this person had assumed I didn't use these utensils, or whether the appropriate response was to laugh it off and attribute it to genuine curiosity. I quickly finished my meal to avoid the awkward pause.
The next day, something else occurred during one of my escapades into Boston. I was window-shopping in a mall, when a woman at a kiosk asked me if I wanted free samples of her perfume. Now that I've spent a good three months living as a college student, I know how precious free things are and, naturally, I accepted her offer. While describing the merits of her product to me, she made a comparison to CoverGirl, the American cosmetic brand. I didn't know what she was referring to, so I asked her to explain it again. She was shocked.
"But you speak English," said the saleswoman.
I was confused. I wanted to thank her for her observation, but it seemed a tad bit rude. Instead, I just told her that my unfamiliarity with the brand had nothing to do with ability to speak English. She then asked me where I was from, and upon learning my nationality she uttered, "But you speak English so well!"
I was still confused. People all over the world speak English, so how did my ability to speak the language seem more impressive? I pressed her to clarify.
"You speak so good because you have an American accent!"
I considered correcting her, since the proper phrase is "you speak so well" and not "so good." But I was a little angry, so I abruptly thanked her for her time and left. I didn't understand how she could assume I spoke English well based only on how I sounded. Is having a native-sounding accent what determines your fluency in a certain language? English is spoken in so many countries around the world - different accents are not supposed to create a barrier to communication.
This event is somehow similar to the spoons and forks incident. I've been using cutlery ever since I learned how to eat by myself, and I've had an American accent ever since I attended an international school where a majority of the teachers and students were American. One assumption was made knowing I was Thai, and the other was made thinking that I was American. It's funny how different expectations are tied to different nationalities, and I have been subject to multiple as an international student here in the United States.
International students are usually aware that they are constantly being judged for the way they look, sound or behave. For some, hearing all these judgements about our nationalities isn't a new phenomenon. For me, however, the assumption about being American - especially the presupposition that I was able to speak English properly because of my accent - was new. An accent is not indicative of your ability to speak English, and I know this for a fact.
It's ironic how we so frequently make assumptions, even about our own cultures. The woman in the mall had presumed certain things about me that turned out to be untrue, but sometimes I wonder about the assumptions I have made about the Thai culture - I know there are many. It may be "Hello U.S.A." for me right now, but at moments it can also be "Hello Thailand." The same goes for those who live here - sometimes it can be "Hello U.S.A." for them too.
NimartaNarang is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. She can be reached at Nimarta.Narang@tufts.edu.
