"Never mind--You're American."
There is nothing special about those three words, but, when strung together in that particular order, they have become something that I will never forget. It's not so much the meaning behind the words that have become embedded in my memory, because it is true. I am American. It's the context and way in which the words were said that stood out to me.
This past summer I went on a month-long trip throughout several countries in Europe. I visited many cities in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. It was without a doubt one of the most amazing experiences of my life. When I go back and think about it, it truly is quite funny the things that my brain has remembered the best. One of those things that it remembers is a very short interaction I had with a person after having just landed in the Paris Beauvais Airport in France.
I was waiting in line at customs when the man before me turned around and asked me a question in a different language. I can only guess it was a question, because, to me, it sounded like one. At that moment I'm sure I had a very confused look on my face. Not only was I not expecting a random person to turn and speak to me, but they spoke in a foreign language. I can't say for sure, but looking back at it I assume he was speaking French. After all, we were in France.
What I said next was something we do in the United States, and I'm sure you'll agree with me. It's not considered rude or disrespectful here, but in other countries I can see how someone could take offense. I looked at this person and simply said "What?" Now, I didn't say it in a rude or disrespectful way. It was a "I'm sorry could you repeat that? I didn't understand" type of "what." I truly was curious as to what he had asked me, but I'll never find out what it was he had said. After asking what, the man looked at me with pure disdain. He quickly, and quite rudely might I add, said, "Never mind--You're American," in a European accent then turned away from me.
I stood there for a moment in shock, processing what had just been said right to my face. Never had my ethnicity been referred to in such a negative way before. It felt as if this man looked down on Americans, thinking that he and his people are superior to us.
Luckily, that was the only negative thing that happened to me while I was abroad. I was surprised and shocked by what that man had said to me at first, but when I think about it now, it makes me laugh, and I tell that story every opportunity I get.
