Have you ever been mistaken for another nationality?

[Ninturtle]

I get mistaken for black all the time in Florida even though I'm Puerto Rican and Dominican, this never happened to me when I lived in New York City. I guess with all the diversity New Yorkers can tell the difference between African Americans and Hislanics.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Ninturtle

I get mistaken for black all the time in Florida even though I'm Puerto Rican and Dominican, this never happened to me when I lived in New York City. I guess with all the diversity New Yorkers can tell the difference between African Americans and Hislanics.

When I was a kid I used to think black people all looked very similar or the same. I used to have trouble telling some of them apart. But as I've met more and saw more on TV I've never made such a mistake again. Same for Chinese and Japanese people. Used to have trouble telling each of them apart when I was younger. Nowadays I don't have any trouble at all. Also, when I see Asian tourists, if I think someone is Japanese I'm always right. I dunno what it is about Japanese people, but they're very easy to spot. Must be the way they dress and their mannerisms that gives them away.

[TurtleWA]

Originally Posted by Katie

Stryker’s dad knows everyone though.

I'm not sure who Stryker's dad is or Stryker either?

[Katie]

Stryker was a member here. He left this place awhile back.

[TurtleWA]

Originally Posted by Katie

Stryker was a member here. He left this place awhile back.

Oh okay.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by Katie

I always get a little Norman Bates vibe from Cubed. TV show Bates.

I actually think Stryker’s dad works with him at the airport. I must investigate further if he is one of so few white guys there. Not too hard to figure him out.
Next time we fly up I may speak.

Ha, small world.

[Slade]

Mexican and Mixed white/black. All the time.

[Prowler]

A bit OT, but what about when someone just knows what your nationality is from looking at you, before you even open your mouth? As I said in my OP, in Tunisia this guy at the hotel assumed my family and I were Bulgarians or Yugoslavs, but that was the only case. In fact, in Tunisia it was the total opposite. There were like 5 instances or so where the locals would start saying "oh Portuguese" when they saw us, even without us needing to open our mouths at times. Maybe Tunisia gets a lot of Portuguese tourists and they know how identify us? Dunno. Usually when I travel abroad people don't seem to know where I'm from. And when they ask(if they do, which is rare) they don't seem to expect the answer. Perhaps because Portugal is a small country with 10 million people and thus people from other countries in general don't see us as much as they see English, Germans, Italians, Americans, Chinese, etc. Therefore it's harder for them to pinpoint a Portuguese person when they don't have a very large sample size to draw from. I mean, if I saw a Slovak or a Lithuanian, I probably could never guess either.

I've noticed that many Europeans can smell an American tourist away. Well I cannot do that myself, but I can smell a German tourist away, even before they open their mouths

[shuriken]

Mexican on account of my folks, and American on account of being born here.
Been mistaken for being white, Jewish, and Italian.

[drag0nfeathers]

People at work come up to me and talk to me in Portuguese all the time, assuming I am Portuguese and know how to speak it. Not a clue.
100% Italian

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by drag0nfeathers

People at work come up to me and talk to me in Portuguese all the time, assuming I am Portuguese and know how to speak it. Not a clue.
100% Italian

Maybe you live or work in an area with several Portuguese people or people of Portuguese ancestry, and thus people assume you also must be one?