AIBU to feel insulted when people assume I'm foreign?!

[SavageCarrot]

I live in an area of London with a large population of Asians and other ethnic groups.
My father is full white English and my mum is half white English and half carribean.
I went to my GP last week for an athsma review and the nurse was waiting for me with a translator! I asked her why and she said that on my records it was stated that I couldn't speak English and needed an interpreter! For fuck sake... I've been at that surgery for 8 years and they hadn't noticed that I speak English perfectly well?
Then, when I went to collect my son from school last Thursday, his teacher asked me if I could make pakoras. I was like ' Er.... I'm not sure what they are'
So she said ' Oh, I thought they were popular in your country!'
Why do I bother filling in all these forms and ticking boxes regarding ethnicity and language if no one bothers to read them.
The joke of it is, my husband is Asian and he thinks its hilarious.

Why feel insulted? People used to assume I was spanish for some reason. I corrected them and moved on

that would be strange. Is it because you have your dh's surname and the name is Asian?

When people who have info on me assume i can't speak English because I have olive skin and dark hair, yes I do feel insulted.

I still have my maiden name. DH isn't even registered in the same surgery as me. When it comes to the school I have no idea. I do the pick ups and drop offs and we have been with that school since 2005!

Very odd that it would be in your notes.

Re the teacher, did they mean your DH's country perhaps?

ask next time. Ask straight out: why are you asking me that as if I was not English? Or: why do you assume I know how to make pakoras, do you think I am from India?

I'm Glaswegian, so look of white/uk descent.... I think my English would still like an interpreter for me though

Don't take it to heart, but the fact that you've been going for 8 years and they've only just noticed that you speak English is a bit weird!

People assume I'm either Spanish (appearance) or Irish (voice). I'm neither. However, I can see why you're annoyed, I wouldn't let that go by without comment.

not in an aggressive way, just genuinely puzzled.

There are only grounds to feel insulted if people are assuming something negative about you.

I very much hope that you don't view being of certain eghnuc minorities as negative.

Therefore there's no reason to be insulted. It's just a mistake. People often assume that I am Englidh because I have quite an 'RP' accent. I am in fact Welsh. I'm never 'insulted' just because of an incorrect but benign assumption.

Baaah! ENGLISH GP. ENGLISH GP WOULD LIKE AN INTERPRETER.

I can't even type in English, what hope is there for me?

Two weegies on the same thread!

Loops...
I guess the school could be assuming coz my kids have their day's surname, but I can't think what happened at the Docs. Even the nurse said that was ridiculous and she did apologise.
I guess she did me a favour as she was the only one to flag it after 8 years.

My surname is middle eastern, but DH family left the middle east at least 5 generations ago and pronounce it in a westernised way (its a common pronounciation, there are towns pronounced as we do). People always pronounce it in the middle eastern way, and look surprised when me (so white I'm blue) and my blonde children respond. I really don't care, I don't correct them either, makes no difference.

It was just a clerical error at a big city surgery.. A very, very annoying clerical error obviously. Don't take it as a personal jibe at you- it wasn't.

The teacher was trying to make polite conversation, when she developed foot-in-mouth disease. She misidentified your race, and made an assumption on it. Very embarrassing for her, but I can see why you feel offended. Rise above it, if you can.

I am white but DH is black. DS1 (mixed race) has been asked where he comes from and if he speaks English. I totally agree with you, OP that a lot of people are very quick to make assumptions based on the fact that if you are not white, you are "foreign".

Im not a weegie - but an Ayrshire girl... anyway, I have been asked if I am Swedish/Irish and even from Norway. I dont have a 'strong' accent and have lived in England for 15 years at least.

I dont take offence I just laugh.

I don't know. It depends on why you feel insulted.

If you feel it is an insult to you to be mistaken for a foreign person then you are being VERY unreasonable.

If you feel that it is bloody bigoted of people to take one look at you and decide you must be one of them there forriners, then you are right.

HECThehalls...

Definitely, the second reason.

Yeah, if someone assumed I could make, erm black pudding because I'm white, I'd be offended. I think it would be a real cheek to assume an Asian mother could make pakoras, just because she was Asian.

Its clear why the school think it. Because your dh has an Asian surname and so do your kids. They made a mistake.
The surgery clearly made a mistake she putting that in your notes.
yabu. When in the US I have people speak to me me in Spanish and loook confused that I don't speak it, people have assumed I was Australian, Italian.

I am English with an Irish mother and Greek father. I really don't care and certainly not offended by it.

S'what comes of being a 'multicultural' society.

I have both white British parents, and I would regard myself as quite pale.

And I got told that I looked like Pocahontas??

BerryChristmas What do you mean?

I think it's in reference to another thread Jessie