Treatment from the locals; your experiences

[TBoneTX 45,900]

when you're going through the immigration process... you really don't want to make any waves that might slow things down. If it happened now, I would be a lot more assertive!!!!

Si, man!

[Krikit 1,165]

The only person who was ever rude to me was when I had to have my medical for adjustment of status.

The nurse.... just before she stuck me with a needle... told me she hated the British for what they did in 1812.

I pointed out to her I wasn't there at the time.... she said "No but your ancestors were"

When I pointed out my parents were from Hungary....I also asked her if she held herself accountable for attacks on African Americans in the past... she wasn't happy....

That blood test really hurt!!

I get confused with latinos all the time here in Texas because I got dark hair and eyes.I get a lot "you must be a Puertorican from Brooklyn" guessings..Very few were actually able to guess which

I get a lot of people speaking Spanish to me all the time. But I don't speak a word of it. Well, I do know "Dos cervezas, por favor." But you can only stretch those words so far.

TBone we thought about it.... but I didn't want to stir anything up.... in case she "found" HIV or something in my medical.... so we let it ride..... but really.... she was horrible!! Dirty scrubs, greasy hair... and totally unprofessional!!

I will say this was the dirtiest most disorganised doctors office I have ever been to in my life.... how do USCIS choose designated doctors?

I would have made a written complaint to the people who license the civil surgeons. That is appalling.

[Mrs.J06 4]

I don't get this "excuse me" debate. It's common, perhaps more common in the UK. If you need to get past someone in a supermarket, what else do you say or do? Do you simply push past, or ask them to move out of your way? What would be common procedure in other countries?

In my part of Germany people would run you over with the cart, then glare at you and say "ooops", if anything!

I was a little confused about the excuse me at first too, since I thought I was supposed to move away or something, but was positively surprised to find out people are just being very polite! Guess I'm not used to that.

When I visit Germany now and am polite to people in the supermarket I always get the ####### look!

[JeremyR 8]

Honestly, I've had no problems whatsoever in just over one year. In fact, some demographic groups treat me better than their British counterparts. I'm talking about teenagers, of course. The first few times that I was called "Sir" by a teenager, I assumed they were talking to someone else until my with pointed out they were referring to me (I'm 26!). That wouldn't happen in Britain. Ever. Really. Never.

It's just a little unethical but having a British accent is such an asset here in some circumstances. Random little freebies in restaurants, nice comments from shop assistants, silly questions about whether I like hot tea (Mmm... Yorkshire Tea Gold...), etc, etc...

I've also come to the conclusion that every single American either personally knows someone in Manchester or lived there for a while. When asked whereabouts in England I'm from, I always say near Manchester because it stands the best chance of them knowing where I'm talking about. Almost always, the response is that the know someone there or that they visited or lived there for a while

[Dave and Helena 0]

I then realised that a lot of them were saying excuse me when you could get a bus through the other side of the aisle. I just assumed that some people have a habit of saying excuse me everytime they pass somebody and are not necessarily asking you to move out of the way.

That is exactly what threw me off. There is plenty of space but they still say "Excuse me" and I am then supposed to respond with "I am sorry" or "Excuse me". I just didn't understand (still don't) why I have to be sorry or excuse myself when I am leaving them plenty of space to get by.

On the other hand my husband says Swedes are the most rude people he's ever seen so I guess from a rude Swede's perspective Americans are just extremely polite.

When I visit Germany now and am polite to people in the supermarket I always get the ####### look!

I know what you're talking about. I found myself doing the "Excuse me" in the grocery store when I was visiting Sweden the other week and people looked at me like I was crazy.

Edited July 17, 2009 by Dave and Helena

[English Muffin 59]

I've also come to the conclusion that every single American either personally knows someone in Manchester or lived there for a while. When asked whereabouts in England I'm from, I always say near Manchester because it stands the best chance of them knowing where I'm talking about. Almost always, the response is that the know someone there or that they visited or lived there for a while

I've noticed that too. I'm from 'near' Manchester and I'm surprised at how many people over here have flown into Manchester airport.

[reeses16 8]

Okay, I'm a USC (and from the South!). And I'm one of those "excuse me people". I will say "excuse me" in a grocery store if (1) someone is blocking the aisle and I can't pass and (2) if someone is looking on the shelves for an item and I want to pass in front of them. I mean typical if someone is looking for something on the right side of an aisle they stand on the left to get a better view....and there I come down the aisle and I say excuse me as I pass, I'm interrupting their search.

Thankfully, my hubby has had many more positive experiences than negative in the US. Here's a quick run down of the bad, (1) No job interviews when he uses his given name. When we used his American nickname + legal last name, he was suddenly overwhelmed with interviews, (2) Racism. There is discrimination in Ethiopia, as I'm sure there is in every country on some basis or another. But its a bit overwhelming to be treated differently from the start and endure comments about race since he never experienced this at home. (3) Most people here are kind, but when he first came here and didn't know the city very well I told him to ask people around him if he got lost or confused (He speaks English very well). Some people would flat out ignore him and some ladies would clutch their purses. I remember he spent 3 hours one day lost down town. He was determined to make it home on his own-and he did!

Well, like Ireland and Sweden (lol), Ethiopia is a 3rd world country. People may think as a 3rd world country that everyone is desperate for an opportunity to leave. So I figure there's not much I could say and don't bother. In Ethiopia, my hubby had his own business and was close to his family. He wasn't going to get rich there....I don't think he will in America either (but I'll keep my fingers crossed!). At times the transition has been overwhelming, but he's handled it all very well and I'm extremely proud of him. My family is very close to him, and my mom realizes how much he gave up to be with me and live in the US....she even told him so. It was so sweet!

[brnidokiegurl 0]

ahmed only HAD a problem with his boss at work, he would single him out turning the situation very hard, giving him the worst jobs etc so he finally quit. Most people usually want to see pictures or hear about Morocco and with our large population of mexican here they are very amazed that he has been here such a short time and talk so much better than them ha he has to explain to them he is from Morocco

[JeremyR 8]

Ok, this just happened yesterday. It was one of those 'don't look at your wife or you'll both crack up' moments.

So we're in Petsmart buying a new filter for the fishies and when I got to the checkout, I asked one of the kids to take the basket back to the pile for me. He totally failed to get what I was asking him to do so I had to explain it very precisely (not unusual ). End result: more of my accent escaped my lips than normal.

The checkout lady asked where I was from "originally" (if she hadn't appended that word, I'd have been tempted to say 'Atlanta' ). When I said England, she smiled, and said "That's nice... [pregnant pause] I cried when Diana died."

O...K....

I don't know how but we both managed to get outside before we laughed

[Ihavequestions 419]

Here's what's up with the walking down the hallway thing. Americans are trained to stay to the right when moving forward. Going up the stairs? Stay to the right. Going down the stairs? Stay to the right. Driving? Right side of the road. Walking down the hallway? That's on the right side, too.

"Excuse me" is aaaaaall about personal body space. Here's the hard, fast rule: you get your 18" and I get my 18". If looking for something on a grocery store shelf causes me to look in your 18" of personal body space, I say "excuse me" so you'll move your body and your personal body space. It's also the polite way to get someone to just move because you need them to move and concede their space to you. They may not know you need them to move. Saying "excuse me" puts them on notice it's time to get out of the way.

I'm happy to see that almost everyone's experiences have been positive.

[foxtobee 1]

Do any of you have any stories of the local people in your new city being hostile or welcoming towards you because you are a "foreigner"? Not so much your race, but the fact that you are a foreign national (and therefore NOT american)?

My husband and I are watching CNN right now, and they're having a discussion on immigration & employment opportunities in the current & future economy. For myself, the transition from Vancouver to Seattle isn't drastic (so, no stories of hostility from the locals here), but as noted, it's not a major transition.

So VJ members, I'm (and I'm sure many others) very interested in hearing about your experiences of how the locals treat you.

Yes, I have a phone job for an Insurance company. When I answer the phone, a lot of people with say: WHAT...is you name. I repeat. SPELL THAT!!! (no please, here). Customers belittle you. Spell the most easy words. Repeately say: did you get that. did you understand, or demand to speak to an American.

They asked you WHERE in the USA you are. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that it is insurance, but people hesitate as soon as I greet them with m,y accent. My comprehension of English is very good, otherwise I wouldn't be working for this company.

[foxtobee 1]

Do any of you have any stories of the local people in your new city being hostile or welcoming towards you because you are a "foreigner"? Not so much your race, but the fact that you are a foreign national (and therefore NOT american)?

My husband and I are watching CNN right now, and they're having a discussion on immigration & employment opportunities in the current & future economy. For myself, the transition from Vancouver to Seattle isn't drastic (so, no stories of hostility from the locals here), but as noted, it's not a major transition.

So VJ members, I'm (and I'm sure many others) very interested in hearing about your experiences of how the locals treat you.

Yes, I have a phone job for an Insurance company. When I answer the phone, a lot of people with say: WHAT...is you name. I repeat. SPELL THAT!!! (no please, here). Customers belittle you. Spell the most easy words. Repeately say: did you get that. did you understand, or demand to speak to an American.

They asked you WHERE in the USA you are. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that it is insurance, but people hesitate as soon as I greet them with m,y accent. My comprehension of English is very good, otherwise I wouldn't be working for this company.

On the otherhand, being from The Netherlands, everyone wants to go there, because we legalize everything. If I then tell them that even *pot* isn't legal they are stunned.

[NatPatBen 3]

can you say something in Russian for me"...

Sounds as though they're Russian to judgment about you, si man!

Corny, but I still

[Krikit 1,165]

It's just a little unethical but having a British accent is such an asset here in some circumstances. Random little freebies in restaurants, nice comments from shop assistants, silly questions about whether I like hot tea (Mmm... Yorkshire Tea Gold...), etc, etc...

Mmmmmmmm. Yorkshire Gold. I just had a cuppa!