r/asklatinamerica • u/Address_Mediocre • 5h ago
r/asklatinamerica Opinion Lack of empathy and awareness
Like many of us our parents emigrated to a different country. In my case they emigrated from Colombia to Spain and then moved to the UK.
I don't have a Colombian accent and my Spanish can be either neutral or very southern Spanish depending on whom I'm talking to.
I went back to Spain recently to see my friends from school and it happened that one of the people who came that night had a girlfriend who was from Latin America too. I said I was Colombian the immediate comment like everyone does is "oh but you don't sound Colombian".
I know, especially not if I am surrounded by Spaniards. Accents tend to stick to what is phonetically close to you at that point in time.
This person told me another Colombian would come later, and other Latin people. I spoke to all of them and they all commented on my accent and when the Colombian girl came she made sure to say I was not Colombian that I was Spanish because of my accent.
I was actually excited to talk to her but after she heard my accent she seemed disappointed and literally turned her back at me and said goodbye to everyone but me.
Another time in Colombia I went to get a SIM card for my phone and when I gave them my ID the first thing was " You're Colombian? Why do you speak like that?" This was a bit funny at least.
People like us already feel like we don't belong, I sure was made to know by Spanish people I was not Spanish when I moved to Spain.
I have a Spanish accent when I Speak English and then when I go to Colombia it is the exact same...
I definitely feel more Colombian than anything else 🇨🇴🇨🇴
I know others on my boat who feel the same way... nowherelandpeople
Edit: thank you to the people for their nice comments.
Surely it should be as easy as saying the country you were fucking born when people ASKS I didn't say I was stating it myself people literally asked where I was fucking from 🤣. A lot of you are assuming I'm a no sabo kid that has no assimilation to my Colombian roots just because I said I have a Spanish accent.