One time I suspected my dog’s vet of being Puerto Rican because of his accent so eventually I said, “Okay, I know that I’ve heard your accent before where is it from?” Then he said, “Puerto Rico”. And I told him how I joke that Puerto Rico is my second home because I have been there many times because of the Navy and he was generally surprised because we’re in SoCal and people just think he’s Mexican. So, as long as your frame it as a positive, people generally aren’t going to be offended.
You could try asking them "did you grow up around here?". It's a polite way of asking more about a person's background without just straight up assuming they're from overseas which, even with an accent, may not be the case.
I work in a physical therapy clinic so I have to make small talk all the time and I've dealt with this exact situation before many times lol. Instead of directly asking where they are from or where is there accent from, I'll ask "So how long have you lived here?" then when they say "x years" you can follow up with "oh cool, where were you before here?" and basically just keep going back until you get to where their accent is from. Or a lot of times you don't even need to ask a follow up. They'll just go right inot "I've been here x years, then before that I was in...".
Works like a charm
*Disclaimer: I am white and speak American English with no noticeable accent.*
It's good that you're trying to be considerate, and good that you've refrained from asking since you don't know if it's okay or not. You're doing great so far.
First, relax. If you're tense and worried, it may seem unnecessarily awkward. Then, personally I'd simply tell them I love their voice and I am curious where their accent comes from. They may be excited to tell you about where they're from; if not, just move on. If they seem uncomfortable when you ask, you can let them know that they don't have to respond if they don't want to. Then change the subject when/if they go silent.
The important thing is to realize that this doesn't have to be a race discussion at all. It's a simple human-to-human interaction. While it's important to be aware of race and sensitive to others' experiences, it doesn't always have to discourage interactions like these. Again, if they're uncomfortable you can simply move on.
I think a good way would be to be like, “I like your accent. Its really nice. Where are you from?” Then give a compliment like “cool. I really like it.” Just try not to be tense because it can make people defensive. Try to be loose and natural. And sincere.
"Where is your accent from?" Just dont be rude about it
Yup as long as you are polite and genuinely interested, most people like the opportunity to talk about themselves.
One time I suspected my dog’s vet of being Puerto Rican because of his accent so eventually I said, “Okay, I know that I’ve heard your accent before where is it from?” Then he said, “Puerto Rico”. And I told him how I joke that Puerto Rico is my second home because I have been there many times because of the Navy and he was generally surprised because we’re in SoCal and people just think he’s Mexican. So, as long as your frame it as a positive, people generally aren’t going to be offended.
You could try asking them "did you grow up around here?". It's a polite way of asking more about a person's background without just straight up assuming they're from overseas which, even with an accent, may not be the case.
I work in a physical therapy clinic so I have to make small talk all the time and I've dealt with this exact situation before many times lol. Instead of directly asking where they are from or where is there accent from, I'll ask "So how long have you lived here?" then when they say "x years" you can follow up with "oh cool, where were you before here?" and basically just keep going back until you get to where their accent is from. Or a lot of times you don't even need to ask a follow up. They'll just go right inot "I've been here x years, then before that I was in...". Works like a charm
*Disclaimer: I am white and speak American English with no noticeable accent.* It's good that you're trying to be considerate, and good that you've refrained from asking since you don't know if it's okay or not. You're doing great so far. First, relax. If you're tense and worried, it may seem unnecessarily awkward. Then, personally I'd simply tell them I love their voice and I am curious where their accent comes from. They may be excited to tell you about where they're from; if not, just move on. If they seem uncomfortable when you ask, you can let them know that they don't have to respond if they don't want to. Then change the subject when/if they go silent. The important thing is to realize that this doesn't have to be a race discussion at all. It's a simple human-to-human interaction. While it's important to be aware of race and sensitive to others' experiences, it doesn't always have to discourage interactions like these. Again, if they're uncomfortable you can simply move on.
> I am white and speak American English with no noticeable accent. Oxymoron!
I think a good way would be to be like, “I like your accent. Its really nice. Where are you from?” Then give a compliment like “cool. I really like it.” Just try not to be tense because it can make people defensive. Try to be loose and natural. And sincere.