Weird/incorrect race assumptions you've made?

[Howallergic]

My first was Tracy Chapman. I presumed, despite the first name Tracy, that she was a white male. I was shocked to see from a picture that she was not only female, but that she was also black.
My Mum's ex partner presumed that Millie who sang My Boy Lollipop was white and was disappointed (80's) to discover that they were all black. From how he described it to me, it was almost as if he had fancied a girl who turned out to be trans - he felt ashamed.
Latest I can think of is an Irish singer called Hozier who my father assumed was a black man. He's a white Irish singer.
My most recent one was this very posh lady I had to deal with at work, and I presumed she was white, don't know why, but that bias was there. When a black girl turned up in jeans and a hoodie to meet me, I was a little shocked.

This is not a race row argument thread. I'm just wondering whether you've ever made incorrect assumptions based on accents or whatever. Jesus I hope it doesn't get me deleted. I started this with the intention of showing just how stupid our assumptions can be, not the opposite.

Anyway, I'll leave it to you.

@SciFiScream I was at secondary school when Culture Club were on Top of the Pops for the first time. When I went to school the next day, everybody was discussing whether the singer was a man or a woman - nobody was too sure either way. (and we were much older than 4 or 5 😊)

I assumed based on their voice alone that

Alex Clare was a black man (a big burly kind with white hair)- nope skinny little white boy

Tom Grennan - black man - nope white

Maverick Sabre - also thought he was black, he's so white he's seethru

And as Pp. The amount of sales people/other people I had frequent contact with on the phone that I thought would be gorgeous but I was oh so very wrong.

Apparently that works in reverse. I have a very young, very Yorkshire accent, so the same people as above when they met me/IG stalked were usually highly surprised to discover I'm actually a 30something blonde mother (apparently they usually assumed I was 18-20 and the stereotypical flat cap dumpy kind)

I assumed my friend name was a Jamaican name , it was actually a very old Biblical name

It made Me feel like a right bigoted twat

Hermione Granger. I assumed from the first descriptions that she was mixed-race, and always visualised her that way.

I assumed stupidly, that Muslim women were only allowed to remove their hijab at home by the approval and permission of their husband. I was a teenager at the time. Hahahahahaaaaha. Reading that back I feel so ridiculous

Its literally the case of Muslim women wear the hijab or headscarf outside to protect their beauty and modesty. And that their hair and body is for their man only. Which I totally respect. At home they can wear what they want, mini skirts and makeup.

Amazingly, I actually reverted to islam 8 years ago and the happiest woman in the world.

On the other hand, I have had people make weird accusations and assumptions at me or ask me hilarious things. But I also answer questions to help people who dont know and I enjoy that.

1, I was forced to islam.
There is no forcing. You have to feel god in your heart otherwise its.not a true declaration of faith.

2, that I have joined the taliban.
So stupid. I hate terrorism and any form of abuse or murder to any animal or human being. Our holy book also teaches us not to harm any living thing and to be peaceful.
3, that my husband forces me to wear hijab.
I wear it because I love it and I cant imagine life without it. Mother Mary wore it and shes a very important person in my faith so why cant I be like her.
4, How can you be a muslim if you're white is the classic one.
Religion is for everyone. You dont have to be a certain ethnicity or nationality to love God.
5, when people are shocked I dont eat pork.
Pork is full of crap. Pigs are known to eat their own and other pigs faeces and even their own young. T. I didnt have eat pork before I was muslim.
I'm not going to die because I dont eat pork and gave up booze.

I worked with someone who was a white Jamaican. She had a very strong Jamaican accent. It was always amusing to watch the surprise of people who had spoken to her on the phone when they came in to the office and actually met her.

I spent a lot of years teaching English in London to students from Korea and China . I had to speak slowly and clearly . One weekend I went on a city break to London with new kiwi boyfriend and we were a bit lost getting off the underground their , it was quite deserted except for another couple of people with luggage too . I started talking to them all slowly in English , and was surprised and embarrassed when they spoke back in kiwi accents.
Now I live in NZ and know there’s a huge Chinese community, but at the time my boyfriend was the only Kiwi I’d ever met.

Mistake above - the city break was Brussels !!!not London

Wow amazing @Quaversplease . Interestingly there a lot of white and chinese jamaicans. I love love love kitchen nightmares and will happily watch each episode a billion times. One episode is the Kingston cafe and there is a white man having his dinner and the owner asked him what he thought of the dish, he said yeah mon, it was great, took mi back to mi Chile woods dayzzzz. . The food was awesome, it took him back to his child hood days. This was literally an older white man, grey hair and blue eyes. Theres lots of them when I lived in london and theres actually quite a lot of asians in other Caribbean islands like Trinidad and so on.

I get this a lot - I'm a Jewish woman and very frequently have my name mis-read as a Muslim male name. It leads to all sorts of hilarity.

I can actually fancy people from emails just from their names or their way of writing. God only knows what they look like!
Note: I do not spend my entire work day fancying people lol, it's just a passing thought that you get when someone contacts you.

I'm Asian and used to answer calls for people seeking govt grants. When people were ineligible (mainly due to age) I'd often get an earful about immigrants/ ethnic minorities stealing benefits and ruining "our country", little realising they were on the phone to one of these "ethnics".

If only we had zoom calls then!

@PopsicleHustler

I assumed stupidly, that Muslim women were only allowed to remove their hijab at home by the approval and permission of their husband. I was a teenager at the time. Hahahahahaaaaha. Reading that back I feel so ridiculous

Its literally the case of Muslim women wear the hijab or headscarf outside to protect their beauty and modesty. And that their hair and body is for their man only. Which I totally respect. At home they can wear what they want, mini skirts and makeup.

Amazingly, I actually reverted to islam 8 years ago and the happiest woman in the world.

Apart from Iran where it is literally against the law to not wear a hijab.

Note: I do not spend my entire work day fancying people lol, it's just a passing thought that you get when someone contacts you.

Don't believe you!

karwoman women can wear whatever they want in Iran inside their home (and they do!)

I've seen a lot of Iranian women who are Shia muslims. They actually just wear whatever. Whether it be a long gown or leggings.
Yes you can wear whatever you want. But as a muslim , it's the guidelines to cover to avoid stares from men your beauty is for your hubby only. That's perfect for me. Might not be for everyone but I respect every woman of every way of life.

@EvaHoffman yeah, that's right. You can wear whatever indoors. Even flounce around in a thong, if the kids aren't about lol.
I wear hijab, but indoors I am in jeans and top, mini skirt, dresses. People ask me why are you buying this, you dont wear it, when I am buying typical western style clothing. I say yes i do wear, inside the house. Makeup too, whatever I want. When I became muslim though, I was new to it all, I thought Muslim women dont wear makeup anymore and was prepared to chuck it all away. Husband said dont be silly. You still wear it for yourself, for me, for your female friends coming over and so on.

I have never thought assuming a race from a singing voice is racist.
Watching the masked singer us, I generally don't know who the singers are (even when revealed!) but the panel pretty much consistently guesses the same race for that person for all their guesses and is mostly correct.

I only recently realise Jamiroquai (the band) wasn't a black man I think I just assumed the name sounded like Jamaican name or something. I was totally shocked when I saw him on telly. But I'm not known for my pop culture knowledge (don't pick me as a team mate in a pub quiz)..

@EvaHoffman

karwoman women can wear whatever they want in Iran inside their home (and they do!)

I was talking about outside the home where it is not guidelines in Iran it is a punishable crime. How wonderful they can wear what they want in the home.

And popsicle how nice for your husband to allow you to wear makeup for him and your friends only.

I have an odd surname from my marriage, and my forename is very uncommon nowadays, so I'm often expected to be Black African when I go to places (e.g. hospital appointments etc).
People who have spoken to me by telephone always expect me to be older too...but that seems to have lessened in the last five years!

I frequently talk to a lawyer in London on the phone who has a name which at first glances looks Chinese. So I’d imagined I was talking to a Chinese man. I’d looked him up on his firms website but no pictures. Just a bio.

When I met him in person he was nothing like I imagined. He wasn’t Chinese and a small softly spoken man. He’s about 8ft tall black and built like a rugby player.

George Ezra.

Deep bass-y voice, didn't realise Ezra wasn't his surname. Assumed he was black.

Also couple of your Youtubers, Young, black, into hip hop (they react to music outwith their own experience).

Recently found out their names. Not sure what I was expecting exactly, but it sure as hell wasn't middle-classes, middle-aged names like Tim and Fred!

Not race related but a very embarrassing moment of speaking to my new boss on the phone many years ago, assumed they were an older male due to their deep husky voice and being called Charlie. Well a tiny, posh lady arrived. My colleague and I actually gasped