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.

I have an Irish surname. Every surname (except one, which is Spanish) in my ancestry is Irish. I speak with a Scottish accent because I'm second-generation Scottish. To look at me nobody would think I was anything other than Scottish, because I have the classic pale skin and light eyes that everyone thinks the Irish/Scots have. However, it's not all that unusual for Irish people to have dark hair and dark eyes as generations ago there can be Spanish etc in the genes, which is the case in my family, hence some having brown eyes and blonde hair, or dark hair and darker skin.

We are all one big mix and unless someone is saying something derogatory I really wouldn't worry about it. They were probably just trying to be helpful.

I got asked several times if i'm Hispanic at my local hospital - because of my surname. (It's Spanish apparently; not sure how far back). I would love to look Spanish or Hispanic because i'm pale with dark blonde hair.

But i still feel annoyed that people ask if i'm Hispanic when i talk with an obviously West country accent.

So, OP if you are feeling insulted then definitely YANBU.

DW is Black British. When the Chancellor of her university was giving her the Dissertation Prize at her graduation ceremony, he eyed her with some curiosity and asked in a hopeful tone, "Where are you from?"

"Romford."

"Oh. Er, well, congratulations."

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

Lol I once spent a very happy evening with an Ex (English), in Glasgow, chatting to two Glaswegians, one translating for us what the other was saying.

it's not all that unusual for Irish people to have dark hair and dark eyes

Or that wierd one where as a child they have white blond hair which darkens to almost black by adulthood.

OP, a lot of people's views of who and what people are are from TV and the people they know. I remember watching 'Who do you think you are', I can't remamber the name of the actor but he looked asian and had played parts as characters who are Pakistani and Arabic.

When he went to look where his grandparents were brought up it was the carribean.

Does your son have his father's name?

"Or that wierd one where as a child they have white blond hair which darkens to almost black by adulthood."

Is that an Irish thing? It happened to DH, and my once blonde baby is now 9 and is going darker by the month.

I think the Drs is just a mix up-there is another person with the same name as me including middle at my Drs so they did once read her medical record out to me

The school is bloody ignorant and needs pulling up on it.

It doesn't matter where someones from or what they look like-making assumptions about them based on that (even if you're correct about their heritage) is ridiculous.

I get this all the time, i find it odd because i actually look very white British. In fact i am the only person i have ever met who is, not just British, but white English as far back as the Normans on both sides. I'm not 'proud' of this any more than any other heritage, but it is unusual - all friends (i'm from London) are a mix of loads of things and DP is Scottish/Maltese.

My theory is, i have such a plain face that people see what they want to see. I also have very dark hair and green eyes. I am often asked if i am: Spanish, French, Greek, Arabic, Chinese, South American... People often are determined i am anything but British and can get quite aggressive with me, insisting i am from somewhere else. It gets quite peculiar really. Someone said they pitied me as i had no heritage or culture, erm yes i do dickhead.

Recently someone at work (who i'd known for 3 years) asked me what something in Chinese meant. I said i had no idea and he said 'oh don't you speak Chinese?' and i laughed and said no, why would i? He said indignantly 'well you are half Chinese'!

I just laugh but firmly put them straight if they start banging on.

"But i still feel annoyed that people ask if i'm Hispanic when i talk with an obviously West country accent"

what has having an accent got to do with being Hispanic?

I don't think you can take it to personally. I have a polish surname courtesy of my father and up until the eu borders thingy it was just an exotic thing that people didn't really come across. Now people presume that I'm from Poland till my Black Country accent shines through [grins]

The most I feel is a little ashamed that I know nothing of my heritage and only know a couple of swear words! It doesn't really matter though.

As an aside, I think the interpreter thing was an admin error, your detail records are probably separate to your medical notes on the system iiykwim and there's huge pressure to ensure it's filled in for nhs statistics. To be honest I would rather an over zealous provision of interpreters than wasted appointments, but I know opinion on that is divided.

Or that wierd one where as a child they have white blond hair which darkens to almost black by adulthood.

That describes my dad perfectly.