Awkward, non American

Have you seen those videos “What if Asians said the stuff White people said?” (there are also ones for Latinos and African Americans), well I had one of those moments the other day.

Except it wasn’t me saying something stupid.  It was the other way around. Here’s the scoop: 

 At our new pediatrician’s office:

Dr: “Ma…Ma…Malischke. Where is that from?”

Me: “Uh, Germany” [it kind of is, not sure]

Dr: “Yes. That name is not American.”

Me: [uh, wha?]

I didn’t think much about it again until we were talking about family health history, and I mentioned something about my Dad, and the doctor said something about my Dad in Germany, and I said:

“I’ve never been to Germany.”

Dr: “Oh? Oh.”

No, just because I’m German doesn’t mean that I’m from there. haha  I had a similar experience in England once. I was talking to a drunk Scottish priest in an Irish bar on St. Patty’s day.

Me: “Are you Irish at all?”

Him: “No, I’m Scottish.”

Me: [yeah duh I knew that] “I’m not Irish”

Him: “No, you’re American.”

It’s so interesting to find out how people perceive me, and Americans in general.

For the record, there are only 9 Malischkes in the USA, and yeah, it’s an American name by now (what last name can’t be considered ‘American’?)

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1 Response to Awkward, non American

  1. Barbara Schutt says:

    Haha! My husband is German, too, and has never been there either. But he likes to strongly identify with being a German. He still says to us Illinoisians (sp?) after he himself movd here from CA 27yrs. ago, you “guys” have this or that instead of saying we.

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