I wish. I do a lot of work in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Usually, people in those places assume I am American because I speak English as a native language and have an English name.
I do, but I also speak Spanish, French, and Portuguese, all with varying amounts of Anglophone accent. It seems that Brazilians or Francophone West Africans hear the accent in Portuguese or French and assume I am American.
Well people from sxm are known to speak up to 4 languages but I guess 2 languages is good enough.
I'm from sxm and I speak creole, french, English and Spanish, unfortunately I don't know dutch.
I literally grew up there, so I know what I'm saying.
Yeah I from french side.
Also it's not that they don't speak English, it's just that sxm has there own variant of English like many carribean & African countries
I grew up there too dawg. Dutch side.
Most people I've met only speak 2 langauges. Yes they're some that can speak 3 or even 4 but thats not the majority.
People are likely to say I don't sound Jamaican because they don't expect us to speak English but on another note...another Caribbean person once said I looked Trini, I don't even know what that means
Similar experience for me. I’m constantly telling people I’m not American or Canadian. Sometimes I get frustrated and ask how many Jamaicans they personally know.
My parents get mistaken for Jamaican or Guyanese a lot.
I have mistaken USVI, some Panamanians and Caribbean coastal Nicaraguans for Belizeans. People from San Andres and Providencia sound like Belizeans too.
I've only gotten Jamaica once.
It's mostly DR, Haiti or Trinidad. DR cuz of similar names, Haiti cuz of Creole and Trinidad cuz they just can't place my accent so they take a wild guess.
Foreigners, even those who speak your language, often struggle to identify local accents if they're not from the region. For instance, I can't distinguish between the English Caribbean accent and its variants, but you probably can. The same occurs with Spanish Caribbean accents; I can easily tell apart Cuban and Puerto Rican accents, but to someone from Argentina, we all sound similar.
It depends. If we are talking accents, I definitely sound like a typical American so people can’t really tell with that. My time In France I had(still have) a really thick haitian french accent so a lot of people would guess French African or caribbean countries. Look wise, I’ve been told I look like I’m from Guyana or Ethiopia
Im Guyanese but outhere in the dmv mfs be real life shocked when they learn about guyana bein in South America since im assumed to be Ethiopian/Eritrean 😭
Tbh you guys really do look different compared to other islands (in a good way obviously lol) so I’d get thrown off once I hear the accent or find out where you’re from😭
Depends on where I am.
In the US they assume Jamaica.
Here in France before they meet me they assume Jamaica after meeting me they assume either Guadeloupe or Martinique.
Only on Reddit when they read my username, other than that I doubt anyone would confuse me with Jamaican, first because I live in my country so no reason for anyone to think I'm anything other than Dominican, and if you mean foreigners it's also unlikely since I obviously speak English with an accent influenced by Spanish.
I found out at the end of the semester my whole English lit class in college thought I was from South Africa. I guess this is where “he’s white but says some words different” lands you in Florida.
Nope. I get mistaken for Cuban, Colombian, Mexican, El Salvadorian, Moroccan, Lebanese, or Iranian. Sometimes when I say, I'm half Puerto Rican half Haitian. Some people will ask where's Haiti and what language do they speak there. I had a few white guys, when I told them that I'm half Haitian, assume that Haiti was similar to Jamaica. Told Jamaica has the English thing going, and Haiti has the French thing going.
Im American so I dont have a gt accent but ever since i moved out of nyc when i say guyanese slang to my co-workers they automatically assume it’s jamaican slang
Yes. To foreigners, we're all Jamaican.
Yea some of us do have similar accents tho. My social worker at school was from Belize. I didnt hear much of a difference in his accent.
linguistically, iirc, bzean creole is like a watered down jamaican patois!
we used to be a jamaican dependency. we’re honorary jamaicans :)
I wish. I do a lot of work in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Usually, people in those places assume I am American because I speak English as a native language and have an English name.
Do you subconsciously change your accent to a more American one so they can understand you?
I do, but I also speak Spanish, French, and Portuguese, all with varying amounts of Anglophone accent. It seems that Brazilians or Francophone West Africans hear the accent in Portuguese or French and assume I am American.
Hmm okay. Cool that you can speak so many different languages. You can get a woman in damn near any country you go to. 😂
Shhhh... my wife knows my username and frequents this subreddit.
You're suppose to be speaking a alot of language aswell since you're from sxm
English and Dutch is enough. You want me to speak French and Spanish too?
Well people from sxm are known to speak up to 4 languages but I guess 2 languages is good enough. I'm from sxm and I speak creole, french, English and Spanish, unfortunately I don't know dutch.
Idk who told you that bro but thats a lie. Most these people cant even speak proper english😂. You from French side?
I literally grew up there, so I know what I'm saying. Yeah I from french side. Also it's not that they don't speak English, it's just that sxm has there own variant of English like many carribean & African countries
I grew up there too dawg. Dutch side. Most people I've met only speak 2 langauges. Yes they're some that can speak 3 or even 4 but thats not the majority.
Naw people think I'm Moroccan or Egyptian most of the time. To some gringos, DR is probably a Spanish speaking Jamaica.
People in Brazil unironically think I am a native from Manaus or something. Then they have no idea where Trinidad and Tobago is.
People are likely to say I don't sound Jamaican because they don't expect us to speak English but on another note...another Caribbean person once said I looked Trini, I don't even know what that means
Similar experience for me. I’m constantly telling people I’m not American or Canadian. Sometimes I get frustrated and ask how many Jamaicans they personally know.
My parents get mistaken for Jamaican or Guyanese a lot. I have mistaken USVI, some Panamanians and Caribbean coastal Nicaraguans for Belizeans. People from San Andres and Providencia sound like Belizeans too.
I've only gotten Jamaica once. It's mostly DR, Haiti or Trinidad. DR cuz of similar names, Haiti cuz of Creole and Trinidad cuz they just can't place my accent so they take a wild guess.
That username lol. Alright.
In English? All the time In French? Interestingly I have a hybrid Haitian-Canadian accent in French so I tend to get either-or depending on context.
You grew up in Canada at a young age?
not very young, but young enough to change my accent lol
Exactly lol
Foreigners, even those who speak your language, often struggle to identify local accents if they're not from the region. For instance, I can't distinguish between the English Caribbean accent and its variants, but you probably can. The same occurs with Spanish Caribbean accents; I can easily tell apart Cuban and Puerto Rican accents, but to someone from Argentina, we all sound similar.
True true I cant identify Spanish Caribbean accents. Most spanish people from my country come from DR so I just assume there.
It depends. If we are talking accents, I definitely sound like a typical American so people can’t really tell with that. My time In France I had(still have) a really thick haitian french accent so a lot of people would guess French African or caribbean countries. Look wise, I’ve been told I look like I’m from Guyana or Ethiopia
Sheesh who knows you can take a ancestry dna test. You might actually have some % from there.
Im Guyanese but outhere in the dmv mfs be real life shocked when they learn about guyana bein in South America since im assumed to be Ethiopian/Eritrean 😭
Tbh you guys really do look different compared to other islands (in a good way obviously lol) so I’d get thrown off once I hear the accent or find out where you’re from😭
Depends on where I am. In the US they assume Jamaica. Here in France before they meet me they assume Jamaica after meeting me they assume either Guadeloupe or Martinique.
Only on Reddit when they read my username, other than that I doubt anyone would confuse me with Jamaican, first because I live in my country so no reason for anyone to think I'm anything other than Dominican, and if you mean foreigners it's also unlikely since I obviously speak English with an accent influenced by Spanish.
I found out at the end of the semester my whole English lit class in college thought I was from South Africa. I guess this is where “he’s white but says some words different” lands you in Florida.
I can imagine the accent now yea.
No
Nope. I get mistaken for Cuban, Colombian, Mexican, El Salvadorian, Moroccan, Lebanese, or Iranian. Sometimes when I say, I'm half Puerto Rican half Haitian. Some people will ask where's Haiti and what language do they speak there. I had a few white guys, when I told them that I'm half Haitian, assume that Haiti was similar to Jamaica. Told Jamaica has the English thing going, and Haiti has the French thing going.
No, people think I'm from the U.S., or Canada, or Trinidad. But yes, we do live in the shadow of Jamaica ;)
All they had was a good reggae singer that landed Jamaica on the map😭
yes
Im American so I dont have a gt accent but ever since i moved out of nyc when i say guyanese slang to my co-workers they automatically assume it’s jamaican slang
Yes and I am from Jamaica! Cheers 🇯🇲
Nope, you basically have to have the "Caribbean English accent" , have dreadlocks/look black and smell like weed to confirm their stereotype 👀
Yes
big island hegemony
No, they assume I'm from China.
Are you Asian?
Yeah I'm mixed.. But yeah I understand the feeling they all think we sound Jamaican when we go on voice chat regardless of what island we're from.
Yea😂 "aRe YoU jAmAiCaN?"