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.

I wasn’t expecting Rag n bone man to look like he does. Was expecting him to look more like Barry White!

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

@Karwomannghia you're showing your own very conscious and unpleasant biases right now on this thread. Stop twisting words to suit your own agenda, Popsicle said nothing of the sort.

I’ve had assumptions made about me too. As a black woman some people expect me to speak a certain way, so when they hear me speak, I’m told that I have a posh voice!

@WaltzingBetty

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

@Karwomannghia you're showing your own very conscious and unpleasant biases right now on this thread. Stop twisting words to suit your own agenda, Popsicle said nothing of the sort.

Yes she did. Her husband directly told her who she could wear make up for and she went along with what he said.

However if she wants to live her life that way that’s absolutely fine. I was objecting to the idea that all women have a choice about hijab wearing and they don’t. Be it being forced to wear it or having it forcibly removed.
Yes I am consciously biased against organised religion and I say that quite freely as an ex religious person who could no longer ignore the racist, misogynistic and homophobic aspects of it.

I’m mixed race and have a RP accent, so people make assumptions on the phone. Plus my married name is an incredibly unusual ancient Anglo Saxon name that’s dying out. I look like my Father and my characteristics are more his than my white Mother. DS looks white. The only thoughts I had was when DS was starting to date about him bringing a girl home and her expecting white parents. His GF is absolutely lovely and has enjoyed trying meals from my Fathers home country. I made sure to offer her other stuff when she first started to visit and said ok if she didn’t want to try stuff.

I used to have a very Cornish surname and on several occasions I was asked if it was German. Foxed me!!

Adele. Before I saw pictures of her I imagined her deep, soulful voice was that of a black woman.

I think I have an unconscious bias against white people having beautiful singing voices!

Her husband directly told her who she could wear make up for and she went along with what he said.

@Karwomannghia that is not what Popsicle said at all stop twisting things to suit your own agenda. Her husband simply corrected her naive misunderstanding of makeup use by Islamic women:

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.

You are implying that simply correcting a misunderstanding is somehow malign and controlling. It is not and nowhere does Popsicle imply there's anything in her situation that isn't her own decision or choice.

You might not like religion - fine - neither do I for many of the reasons you've mentioned. But that doesn't give you a free license to misinterpret, bully and spread your own version of bigotry and bias. Your behaviour simply puts you on a level with the things you claim to abhor.

I have Canadian nationality (through my DM). When this comes up in conversation, sometimes people say they could tell because of my accent! I've always lived in the UK.

George Ezra as his voice reminds me of Leo Redbone.

I think this shows that we make assuptions on preceptions. The reality is that overall the UK is 87% is white. 3% black, 5% Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi. (2011 Census for the proofcheckers)
Obviously there are areas of the country where this is different, and tv companies and advertisers would have us believe otherwise.

Easy to make a wrong assumption - no damage or upset to normal people of whatever hue.

Waltzing I may have misunderstood but he stipulated when she could wear makeup, he didn’t say do what you like. I guess only popsicle can shed light on that!
I really do struggle with men telling women what they can and cannot do with their own bodies, if that makes me a bigot then so be it.
But also popsicle I’m very sorry if you feel personally attacked

I know a woman of Black Caribbean heritage, called Shivonne, with a traditionally Irish surname...say for example O'Leary (it's not).

When she rings people and gives her name they invariably assume she's fully White Irish and her name is Siobhan O'Leary. Sadly this has led her to experience racism, turning up to interviews and such like and seeing faces drop.

This thread is very interesting. @HijabiVenus I disagree that there’s no damage/upset made when people’s incorrect assumptions and biases show. I’m black with an RP accent and I find it very offensive when I’m told I “sound white” or asked why I don’t talk “like a black person”.

I found that when I was pregnant, because I was white the midwives and doctors all put that I was white British on my paperwork. I am very pale and I am British, but my ethnicity is Romany and Jewish. I'm unsure if they just looked at my skin colour and ignored my facial features or something else as when you actually look at my face, it is extremely angular and has several features that do not look British.

I only realised when a midwife actually asked me during my second pregnancy. They were meant to refer me for specific blood tests based on my ethnicity but their assumptions got in the way and I didn't get them when pregnant with my first.

One of the girls who works for my husband is called Monica. I assumed Monica was skinny black lady based on her name. She's Asian. I was wrong to assume🤦🏽‍♀️ I was super confused when I eventually met her!

I thought the country song 'Your Man' was sung by a black man. But then I saw the person who sings it and it doesn't match up to me 🤣

@InkieNecro
I have very similar mix in me too, I am also usually passing as white (other), but probably due to my eastern european accent.

@AriadneCrete

This thread is very interesting. *@HijabiVenus* I disagree that there’s no damage/upset made when people’s incorrect assumptions and biases show. I’m black with an RP accent and I find it very offensive when I’m told I “sound white” or asked why I don’t talk “like a black person”.

Ceratinly someone saying "you dont sound (the race they presumed)" and being prejudiced on that basis alone is offensive.

My first name is a very unusual eastern bloc name, complete with unusual (for most) spelling. My last name is also a typical English surname. I thought about changing it to a more 'african' sounding name, but my family wouldn't have it.

I often get accused of it not being my real name as the name has no connection to my heritage. Well, after doing an ancestry kit, that is where they'd be wrong!

For some reason I am shocked every time I see Bob Dylan as I keep forgetting he’s white. I think at some point as a child I got him mixed up with Jimi Hendrix and it is stuck now. Every time I default back to thinking he’s black.

I have a very unusual surname which is unfamiliar to most people. Lots of people assume that it is either Arabic or African (Nigerian, Ghanian often cited). It's actually European but ancient and strange. Combined with a very old-fashioned first name, I've lost count of the amount of times I've turned up for a meeting and event and been told they were expecting a black lady. I guess I've been ticking and then destroying EDI compliance rates all over the place.

I’m black British, but I have a European surname (think Italian for example).

So when on the mainland I’ve had people speak to me in the language assumed by my name.

I worked with a black Scottish guy, took me weeks to work out his accent as I didn’t expect it (as so to speak).

[quote PopsicleHustler]@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.[/quote]
Can’t you wear it for your male friends who come over too?

Easy to make a wrong assumption - no damage or upset to normal people of whatever hue.

When you get it repeatedly, yes it is. Being assumed to be a different race because you don’t sound how someone expects you to, asked “where you’re really from”, and about your upbringing is offensive and says quite a bit about what said people think about people who look like you.

I only realised that Eminem was white a few years ago when I saw a picture of him.
I wouldn't be able to tell you anything he's sung so I'm afraid that's the rather racist assumption on my part of "He's a rapper, he's probably black." Rather than the sound of his voice.

At school I was taught French and German by a Korean woman with a very broad West Country accent and a very traditional Cornish surname (think Trevethan). I think she may have surprised a lot of people at parents evening.