Re: Funny story about ethnicity

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

I do have people sometimes ask me if I'm half Asian of some type -- because when I smile - my eyes seem to look rather squinty and slanted or something....and kids used to joke that I was "chinky-eyed"

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

Posted by Tilde

Posted by Kara

I have reddish brown hair, green eyes, pale skin, and about a trillion freckles. I think I'm pretty obviously all Irish.

ONCE in my life, someone asked me if I was Italian. When I said no, they didn't believe me. When I said I was Irish, they were dumbfounded. I thought they were kidding. They were not. I'm still over that one.

Everyone assumes my DH is all Irish, too - red hair, fair skin, blue eyes. He's a quarter Irish, so people always say "Oh that explains the red hair." Um, not really. He gets that from the Italian side.

While I don't really understand that reaction there is a very small portion of Norhern Italians that are known for those features!

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

People always think I'm Irish (pale, freckles, red hair), but I'm German. Prior to meeting me, people think I am Spanish, because of my last name, so I certainly surprise people

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

No....

I always get, "Oh, you have the map of Ireland on your face!" Whatever that means....

but i think i look pretty typically Irish... fair skin, brown hair, light eyes, ruddy face...

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

jews think I am jewish

russians think I am russian

and none of the actual heritages that make my genetic milk shake claim me ever

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

I'm Dutch & German, but people always mistake me for being Muppet.

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

i never go up to people to ask that - but that's because people have approached me on the 6 train speaking polish (they want to set me up with their grandsons); when i travel in the carribbean they think that i'm british or dutch. some people have asked if i was russian.

my parents are from italy - both from southern italy. but IN northern italy, they think i'm milanese.

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

How did I know that there would be a spinoff to this thread?

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

We were in Egypt on our honeymoon and people kept asking me if I was of egyptian descent. The thing that made it interesting/funny to us was that before we went my DH and I were really worried that people would figure out that we were Israeli.

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

I'm of Scottish & southern Italain decent, but a guy in a bar once insisted I was Puerto Rican.

Ok, asking is one, thing, but insisitng is another.

I have also had people just start speaking to me in spanish on Subway platforms, but I don't know if that is personal, or if they are just taking a shot in the dark.

I've also had people say I "looked Jewish" ( I guess they were going for mixed east European?), but most people think I'm Irish.

I would get all anoyed when people dismss the difference, so I used to just tell people I was Italian.

Someone on LIW asked me what my ethnicity was when I posted wedding pcitures & I didn't mind telling her, but she never told me why she asked & I am really curious to know what she thought I was.

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

i have been asked if i was French

FTR, i am not

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

people say "you're spanish, right?"

I am:
german
polish
itallian
french
dutch
irish

i am a mutt

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

I am English and Irish with a Chinese last name. I confuse people everywhere.

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

I get mistaken for Hispanic all the time. I am 100% Italian. Even when I'm IN Italy - they think I am Hispanic.

When I was in Puerto Rico, a friend of mine who is part Cuban and speaks Spanish asked the maid for some extra towels in Spanish. My friend is blonde blonde hair, fair skin - she doens't look Cuban at all. The maid looked at me and answered..

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

Im spanish- 100% and get mistaken for about everything BUT spanish

Italian, Greek and I get Jewish a lot ( while yes it is a religion so I didnt know how that made sense)

Message edited 3/18/2009 11:20:09 AM.

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

when i was a baby, i looked like the product of asian parents b/c of my jet black hair and almond eyes.

when i was in HS a classmate thought i was russian.

im italian/german/dutch.

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

This didn't happen to me, but to my friend - she's half Japanese and constantly gets asked if she's Hispanic. She doesn't really look obviously Asian, but she certainly doesn't look Hispanic either!

Re: Funny story about ethnicity

Posted by Kara

Posted by Tilde

Posted by Kara

I have reddish brown hair, green eyes, pale skin, and about a trillion freckles. I think I'm pretty obviously all Irish.

ONCE in my life, someone asked me if I was Italian. When I said no, they didn't believe me. When I said I was Irish, they were dumbfounded. I thought they were kidding. They were not. I'm still over that one.

Everyone assumes my DH is all Irish, too - red hair, fair skin, blue eyes. He's a quarter Irish, so people always say "Oh that explains the red hair." Um, not really. He gets that from the Italian side.

While I don't really understand that reaction there is a very small portion of Norhern Italians that are known for those features!

I actually know a lot of Italians with red hair... and despite all the red hair in MY family, most of the Irish people I know have dark hair. I just think it's funny that people even say something! He really DOES get it from the Italian side... and his family is from the south. They do think, though, that they probably moved from the North at some point, but don't have records that far back.