[ Wednesday, September 21, 2005 ]
No, I'm not ArabMy Geography GSI (grad student instructor) thinks I'm some expert on the Middle East. That can't be further from the truth. I just don't like awkward silences when a GSI asks questions so I attempt to start a discussion. She passed out a blank map of the Middle East and I was bitter to see that Palestine wasn't listed as a country to label on the map, although Israel was. At least the Gaza Strip was listed, but it just made me feel sad to see it listed under "Other Cities," almost as if it was an afterthought. My GSI then asked the class what would classify the Middle East as a region. Since no one else seemed to have anything to say, I talked about religion, culture, and history. It was interesting to hear my GSI explain that although only about 6-7% of the world's population is in the Middle East, it contains 68% of the world's oil supply, though the oil reserves aren't distributed equally and impact the pattern of development of the different countries in the region. But if people in berkeley don't already know that by now, then this is a sad, sad environment to be getting an education in.
At the end of the hour, I gathered my things together and got ready to leave. My GSI smiled and remarked that I should do well on next week's map quiz since I seemed to know so much about the Middle East. I explained that I don't really know much about it. I should've known that the infamous question was coming:
"Where are you from?"
God, I hate that question with a passion.
"I'm Pakistani," I replied, "but I was born and raised here."
I don't know why I always have to add that last bit. Maybe it's because I'm insecure and don't want people to assume that I'm an immigrant. Maybe it's from years of seeing people surprised to hear my flawless English when I open my mouth to speak...yeah, coming from a girl wearing a mixture of Pakistani and American clothes with hijab.
Reminds me of that time when I was enjoying lunch with a close friend and a guy felt the need to sit at our table, even though there were other tables available, and then interrupted our conversation to tell us we looked "exotic," even though the only "foreign" thing we were wearing was hijab, and I wouldn't necessarily even consider it foreign.
That little disclaimer at the end of my answer to that question is my way of screaming, "Hey, I'm just as American as you are!"
4 comments
4 Comments:
I feel like sometimes muslims egt too offended with questions like these, without reason. Often people are really just curious, and are interested in other cultures and ethnicities. But questioning origins aside, I do hate it when people ask whether I speak english or not.
We were on our way back from Orlando, and were sitting next to an emergency exit on the plane, so the stewardess comes up to us, goes to my sister (wearin heeejab) and asks, "Maam, do you speak English??". So my sister says "yes", and shes like, "say a sentence." At this point, anyone who can see me, can see the horror and disgust on my face about the assumptions she had just made (there were several "european" looking passengers right next to us, but they were not questioned). So my sister, rightfully, says "would you like me to take a test?" - and the woman starts joking pretending its all precautionary, etc. She asks my bro, and she doesn't even ask me, seeing the disgust on my face. Suffice it to say, all my facial expressions did was deprive me of an extra packet of biscuits.
By 
, at
7:53 AM
Ayan-
I have to admit, maybe I do get annoyed too fast about things. I try to remember that people are asking b/c they're curious and at least they're trying to find out more about me rather than assuming certain things about me. I guess it's better to ask than assume. Still, it's easy to get annoyed with the "where are you from" question, probably b/c I'm asked it so often and b/c a lot of time I feel it has more to do with my ethnic clothign than anything else. Maybe you're sister feels different about it than you do, since she wears hijab and may get a different response.
I can't believe that stewardess! That's just wrong! The only time someone actually pushes and says to say a sentence is when they're totally excited about the idea that you may speak a foreign language and want to hear it out. Crazy woman! I think you're sis and I would get along! I'd probably say something just as sarcastic.
Airline crackers and peanuts are overrated!
*clothing
*your
well, your other option is just saying "actually, i live dowtown" (or wherever).
i just tell people i'm from Toronto.
and you could of course play "stupid," which would be saying you're american, and they asking "where you're from *originally*" and you telling them about where you were born, where you went to school, where you lost your first tooth, where you learned to ride a bike.
etc.
and watch them get frustrated.
such fun.
By , at
8:03 PM
