Ethnicities you have been mistaken for in Real Life

[Gigolo]

not in forums.


-asked if im from turkey a few times, or called turkish as an "insult" like "scheiss türk" (engl. shitty turk)
-approached by turks saying merhaba (once) and talking to me in turkish (once)
-once asked if im from egypt because im "so dark skinned"
-once asked if im from persia because im "very dark skinned"

more recent

-thought to be austrian (once)
-asked why im orthodox because thought to be austrian (once)
-asked if im carinthian (once)

more more recent

-called an italo-type and "rassig" ("rassig" means smth like an wog)
-called looking like an "bandit"
-asked if im from bosnia
-asked if my parents are from india (once)

not an ethnicity but very often

-thought to be muslim
-called ahmed as an "insult"

[rhiannon]

In 1984, back when the Summer Olympics had come to Los Angeles, I was 17 and working as a hostess in a local mall restaurant. I used to wear my hair in two braids, and it was fairly long at the time. My hair is naturally a goldish blonde, and most people have always pegged me as German first and foremost (of which I am part). However, I had a couple come up to me while I was on the job and start conversing with me in German! I got a real kick out of that one. The next year, I took German as my foreign language requirement.....as well as taking it again later in College.

Other than German, people have pegged me as Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch, Scottish, and Irish.

In 1999, I traveled to Northern Europe (Norway, Germany, and The Netherlands) and got an even bigger kick out of the fact that the Europeans I ran into and spoke with would always speak to me first in their native language I took that as a compliment!

[Pellonpekko]

In Greece, I was mistaken for a german, a russian, a swede and one guy selling somekind of tourist stuff got it right on the first try and spoke a little bit of finnish! Remember, Absinthe?

In Germany many have mistaken me for a local.

[SwordoftheVistula]

I often get the people trying to talk to me in German too (I'm ethnic German but don't speak much of the language). One in particular stands out, when I was in Pompeii, came up to me and asked if I speak English, I responded in American Midwestern English "Yeah", upon which he determined I was actually from Germany and began chattering at me in German.

I also have been mistaken for Swedish often (multiple occasions spanning 4 continents), Norwegian to a lesser extent, Italian (once in Slovakia), Jewish (once in Rhode Island), and often mistaken for a native in England (sometimes forced to produce ID to prove otherwise).

Also told often that I must be 'at least part' Irish or German, which I actually am.

[Nairi]

In Moscow a German photographer asked me if I am a German, I was wearing a hat and summer glasses, and although I told him my nationality he still asked me to pose as a German tourist in Moscow for his journal cover lol

In South Africa shop assistant asked if I am Italian, in England and Australia people always ask me from which Eastern European country I am and in Georgia people always talk to me in Georgian. And I see myself as typical Armenian

[Northern_Sun]

I get asked if I’m German and Danish a lot while I’m in the states. I don’t think that having one German ancestor from the 16th century qualifies me to actually be German!

In most western European countries people tend to think I’m a local.

[Peasant]

None by my appearance, Irish or Scottish by Amerimongs on the internet who can't recognise accents.

Might be because I am not gypsy a mongrel.

Well a lunatic started talking to me and my family in German once, then Russian... then English.

[The Ripper]

I've been mistaken for a Swede and a Norwegian (when I've visited those countries). In Switzerland I was taken for an Englishman once. Other than that, I don't recall.

[Stegura]

-thought to be austrian (once)
-asked why im orthodox because thought to be austrian (once)
-asked if im carinthian (once)

By Leliana right?

[Absinthe]

In Greece, I was mistaken for a german, a russian, a swede and one guy selling somekind of tourist stuff got it right on the first try and spoke a little bit of finnish! Remember, Absinthe?

Yeah! Smart guy

Myself, I have been mistaken as British, Australian, Russian and Romanian. Go figure