Thread: Ever Been Mistaken For Another Race or Nationality?

I've brought this up quite a few times on here, and I figured I have enough story material now to make a fun thread about it.

Simple question: Have you ever knowingly been confused for another race or nationality by anyone else? If so, give an example or two to share with the rest of us.

Guess I'll start this off...

During my time in high school, I vaguely remember being called Mexican several times; but those times convinced me that it was a common belief throughout my time there. One time in summer school, at an inner city school no less, a little cute girl with the most beautifully dark features, I imagine she was partially African, walked up to me and spoke to me in Spanish for over a minute before I realized she was talking to me - and she realized that I didn't speak Spanish and asked me just that. (In English.)

I've had this experience with all sorts of white people throughout my time in stores, parking lots, and both my times working at a paper mill.

I've had at least two black people who thought I wasn't white. One guy, whom I was imagine drunk considering the time and place and sound of his voice, yelled "Hey! Yo quiero Taco Bell!" from about 50 feet away in a parking lot at night. The other was a man in his mid-to-late 50's who thought I was Native American after we'd been working together on a project, and had generally been friends, for over three months.

A white guy (~21), and I mean white guy, whom always reminded me of "Leave It To Beaver," was convinced I wasn't white even after I told him I was. Then again, he was hardcore Republican and a Bush supporter in 2007. He, of course, thought I was Mexican or, believe it or not, Japanese.

One of my only friends from high school recently started seeing me once or twice a week as we'd show up at the same time for classes near each other. He admitted that he thought I was either Hispanic or Native American.

Finally, I saved the best one for last, and believe me, it's good. One time, I walked into a Target, and some kid and his family were walking out of it. Well, he ran up to me, mind you, we were still inside the store, and said, "Do you like Taco Bell?" And I said, "No, not really." Then he ran back over to his family and said, "See! I told you they don't like Taco Bell!"

Anyway, there's my story, please feel free to share you're own no matter how simple the situation. And if you're curious as to what I look like, I did post my pictures to the photo section; but I still swear I look perfectly Caucasian.

Ignorant americans think I'm arab, cause of my muslim name, and the fact that I was born in Saudi Arabia. I'm only talking about idiots who think muslim=arab.

Ignorant muslims think I'm sudani or somali cause of course a black muslim can't be american. The common question is, "where are you from?" America. "No I mean your parents." America. "Your parents parents." America. Look I'm an american ex-slave descendant kay. I can't trace my family line back to Africa kay. At that point they stop talking to me.

@ Terasiel : you could pass as an Hispanic from far away,but you´re pretty white xD

Well,as I live in Germany and still have an accent (I´ve lived here for around 4 years now ^^) some people thought I was Russian or something (well,this happend more to my mom than to me) and I think someone really thought I was from turkey :/ -.-"

But I´m a Romanian *hehe*.

It happens to me everytime I go abroad as well. What is it with us and Russians?

hmm
I was never mistaken for any other nationality...
born in germany, blue eyes, dark-blonde hair - there is no mistaking^^

Been mistaken as turkish two/three times but only by some xenophobic retards...

Just the typical American think I would be Japanese, Chinese, or other Asian race. They never mentioned Korean. >_>

I even got Korean people telling me I look Japanese.

I've been mistaken for Spanish. I dunno how this is possible. My mom's British and my dad's Irish. I'm glow in the dark white. Even other British people think I look pale. Too be fair it was Americans that thought I was Spanish. Also it was in Barcelona.

I've travelled a lot and lived in a few different countries. Because of this my accent is pretty neutral. I get mistaken for British, Australian, US... pretty much any English speaking country except South Africa. I guess that's 'cause most white South Africans are Afrikaans and their accent is pretty heavy.

Terasiel I can understand why that girl thought you were Mexican. From you picture it looks like you could pass as a Mexican, a light skinned Mexican yes but a Mexican no less. I would thought you might be half white and half Mexican. And the Native American thing, you do look like one hella much.

I am often mistaken as white or half due to my light skin, for some weird reason a lot of people don't think it common to be a light skinned Mexican.

People tend to say "Oh my God" when they see me. I think they mistake me for some sort of deity.