# My co-worker doesn't believe I'm American **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635 "2010-12-02T05:40:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/1 "2010-12-02T05:40:48Z")
In case my username doesn’t give it away, I’m a native of the US State of Mississippi, now residing in New York City. I was talking to the cook at the restaurant where I work, who is originally from Ecuador. I asked him some questions about Ecuador, which he answered, then he asked me, “Where your country?” “I’m an American,” I explained. “From Mississippi.” At that, he gave me a look that could be expressed as :dubious: :rolleyes: _Bitch, sell crazy someplace else, I ain’t buying it._ “No, really. It’s a state, like how New York is a state.” Undaunted by my ridiculous statement that I was from a place called Mississippi that was allegedly an American state, he repeated his question: “Where your country?” I could not get him to believe me that there really is a state called Mississippi, which is part of America, and that I am from there. I realize the name may sound a little weird if you’re not used to it, but I swear, it exists. It’s not just a river! And I’m not making it up, I really am an American! I think I know now how those people from New Mexico feel when they’re told that New Mexico isn’t a state. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/2 "2010-12-02T05:52:07Z")
Do you have a southern accent? What made him assume you weren’t American? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/3 "2010-12-02T05:53:00Z")
> [@CatherineZeta](#): > > Do you have a southern accent? What made him assume you weren’t American? There’s a Mississippi River in Eastern Ontario? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dukette71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@dukette71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dukette71)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/4 "2010-12-02T05:53:06Z")
Is it because of your exotic accent? Did you try showing him a map? There’s a comedian who is asian, but has a southern accent (I forget his name), and you just can’t believe the accent isn’t part of his act. Are you not black or white? I guess that could cause confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/5 "2010-12-02T07:42:33Z")
> [@dukette71](#): > > There’s a comedian who is asian, but has a southern accent (I forget his name), [Henry Cho?](http://www.choindustries.com/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/6 "2010-12-02T07:48:39Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > Undaunted by my ridiculous statement that I was from a place called Mississippi that was allegedly an American state, he repeated his question: “Where your country?” Really? He didn’t know Mississippi was a state? Heck, I’m not even American, and I know Mississippi is a state of the US. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/7 "2010-12-02T08:18:39Z")
The only reason Mississippi is a state is that Missouri loves company 😛 ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/8 "2010-12-02T08:40:42Z")
It says right in the second sentence “I was talking to the cook at the restaurant where I work, who is originally from Ecuador.” So no, he probably doesn’t know all the state names. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/9 "2010-12-02T09:07:34Z")
Stop calling him ‘comrade’ and lay off the borcht. That should help. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/10 "2010-12-02T09:41:34Z")
Tell him you’re fixing to kick his ass and then just do it before he figures out what fixing is. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/11 "2010-12-02T10:01:40Z")
The first time I heard the name “Misisipi” I couldn’t believe it was real either… and then I saw all those double letters and just couldn’t stop giggling. Once we were watching a movie which took place in Mississippi, and my brother (who must have been 4 or 5) got this congested look and whispered to me “misipipí?” “no, misiSIpi” “aaaaah!” (pipí=pee) OK, Mississippi met the Acceptability rules, Misi_pipí_ definitely would have not. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/12 "2010-12-02T10:53:21Z")
He asked you for your country and you replied with your state? No wonder he’s confused! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/13 "2010-12-02T11:12:00Z")
He’s just chatting you up. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/14 "2010-12-02T11:54:57Z")
maybe he wants to know your"genesis" like where your ancestors are from, UK, Germany that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/15 "2010-12-02T12:24:23Z")
**My co-worker doesn’t believe I’m American** Your last name isn’t Obama, by chance, is it? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/16 "2010-12-02T13:16:20Z")
He probably thinks you’re Capetian. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/17 "2010-12-02T14:06:25Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > He probably thinks you’re Capetian. Which would make MSenne her own second cousin twice removed. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/18 "2010-12-02T14:09:14Z")
> [@chela](#): > > maybe he wants to know your"genesis" like where your ancestors are from, UK, Germany that sort of thing. I come from the Land of Confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/19 "2010-12-02T14:09:57Z")
Maybe you should spell it out for him. M-dotted letter-crooked letter-crooked letter-dotted letter-crooked letter-crooked letter-dotted letter-hump back-hump back-dotted letter. That’ll clear things right up. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635/20 "2010-12-02T14:14:17Z")
“[Emma come first, den I come…](http://www.free-jokes-online.com/jokes/emma_come_first.html)” 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-co-worker-doesnt-believe-im-american/562635.md?page=2)