No True Scotsman: Week 7 LJ Idol

[xlovebecomesher]

If you were to hear me speak, rather than typing, you'd note that for an American, I don't have much of an accent. I don't drawl my words like a southerner, I don't drop my r's like someone who lives in the Northeast, I don't have a midwest twang. I don't even have a true Marylander accent - I can even say wash correctly (ask many Marylanders and they'll tell you they "warsh their clothes in wooter").  In fact, I probably sound like any other typical American besides that I don't pronounce the words "Maryland," "Baltimore," and "County" the way they were meant to be pronounced. I can easily put those three words into one true sentence for you.

"I graduated from the University of Merlin, Bawlmer Counny." (translated: I graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County).

I also believe that the word aunt should be pronounced "awwnt." Otherwise you're saying ant, and my aunt is not an ant! That's neither here nor there.

You probably couldn't tell from my voice alone that I was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Maryland.

You probably also couldn't tell from my voice alone that I'm bilingual. Nothing about my accent would give that away to you.

I was born to Israeli parents and I grew up surrounded with native Hebrew speakers. Little known fact: my first word was in Hebrew and my parents didn't speak English to me until I was 3.  I've spoken Hebrew my entire life and yet, I've never acquired the skill of speaking Hebrew with an Israeli accent. I'm blessed (or cursed) with my typical American accent. Growing up though, I struggled with the intricacies of the English sounds due to my parents. Until I was 10, I couldn't pronounce "birthday" correctly because "th" doesn't exist naturally in Hebrew. I sung "Happy birsday to you!" To this day, when I see a shopping cart, I refer to it as a "carriage." In Hebrew, the word "agala" can refer to a baby carriage or a shopping cart. While nothing about my accent would give anything away, speak to me long enough and you might pick up on hints that I was raised by non-native English speakers.

Interestingly enough, if you were to hear me speak Hebrew and if you're a native Israeli, it's glaring to you that I have an accent. One that probably makes me sound like the dumb American trying to practice basic vocabulary despite my fluency. My accent makes most Israelis rush to reassure me "Oh, don't worry, I can speak English." No true Israeli would sound as atrocious as me speaking the language. Some are quick to laugh at my accent. "Look at the American trying to speak our language, how cute." I get a kick out of proving people wrong because their reactions never fail to amaze me.

"How can you speak Hebrew?" I'm always asked in shock when I open my mouth to converse.  When I explain that my parents are Israeli, the next question undoubtedly is "Have you lived there?" and "How often do you visit?" The shock grows when I inform them that I've never lived there and I've only been to Israel once in my life and that was on a Birthright* trip back in 2006.

But then they'll turn away from me and continue speaking amongst themselves, effectively cutting me out of conversation. Despite my language skills, I'm never truly accepted as one of them. A native speaker who converses as easily and fluently as they do with vocabulary that certainly surpasses mine. I'm never seen as one of them but as an outsider who just happens to speak Hebrew.

They have a term for people like me in Hebrew: "chetzi chetzi" or half and half. This means:  A person with a mixed identity due to growing up with the influence of at least two different cultures, one of them being Israeli. Most days, I love having a mixed identity....

But some days? I wish I had that gorgeous accent and was truly accepted as one of them. Unfortunately, that will continue to be just that...a wish.

*Birthright Israel is a completely free 10 day trip to Israel for Jewish people between the ages of 18-26. I went to Israel for the first time when I was 20 years old.

Comments

[seizetheday.livejournal.com]

I don't think that I have much of an accent but when I lived in Boston people thought I sounded like I was from the south. My dad is from MD and says "warsh" and other words with the MD accent.

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

I don't have much an accent myself, but ever since moving to the South, people have noticed that I talk differently than everyone else, where most people I have met would sometimes have a Southern drawl, and others don't have an accent whatsoever.

[night-owl-9.livejournal.com]

I don't think I have much of an accent, but since moving to Virginia, more people have commented on my lack of an accent. I've also heard that I have an interesting voice. Which is, well, interesting.

[violaconspiracy.livejournal.com]

Accents are weird and crazy things. I thought I didn't have an accent, until I moved to Colorado and people started asking me if I was from Canada (nope, Michigan). As a teacher abroad, I had to suppress a fit of giggles when one of my Korean students spoke English with an Australian accent. I wish that we could all treat accents more as something interesting and amusing, rather than as something to be used as a basis for exclusion.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I have an accent... And it's changed over the years. Growing up, I sounded like I was from Brooklyn, though I've never stepped foot in New York to this day. I grew up in a tiny Italian part of town though. Them I moved to the country and the school put me I'm speech classes. People now tell me I have a southern twang. I don't hear it.

I'm often mocked out here in CA because I can't pronounced Spanish words at all.

Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this. I knew you were Israeli and spoke Hebrew, but I still found it interesting to read :)

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

This was interesting to read!

I don't have a Maryland accent either, though for me it was more that I wasn't really raised here until I was twelve. Because I moved so much I have sort of an "anywhere and everywhere" accent, and I also have some physical issues with my voice.

Some of the accent also depends on where you're from in Maryland? I feel like people in Baltimore County pronounce water "wudder" and Baltimore "Buldimore", but I also hear "Balmore" and "wutter." I generally say Balt-i-more, although I'm sure "Balmore" slips out more than I realize. It means the same thing to me. I've noticed the "t" in "County" tends to be dropped regardless. Hm.

ETA: I just experimented and said my county really quickly - I think I am a bit Maryland after all! It came out "Harfer Cownny."

[strong-delicate.livejournal.com]

This was a great read!

Accents fascinate me. I've moved around alot so I don't really have one unless it comes to saying specific words. I can either have a southern twang or an eastern sounding accent. I spent my early years in Maryland and my mom said I had a very thick Maryland accent.

[majesticarky.livejournal.com]

I share a lot in common with you! I'm a Russian Jew with family and friends in Israel. I've been there twice, once through Birthright. Many people are very surprised I can speak Russian (very little to no Hebrew though). I sometimes wish that my family had immigrated later too, so not only could I be more literate in Russian, but could have a pretty Russian accent like my mom. Literally strangers stop to tell her that she has a pretty voice XD.

[eska818.livejournal.com]

It's really difficult, having a foot in multiple worlds. I'm half Chinese, and while I adore my heritage, I'll never be accepted as Chinese, which I find really heartbreaking and disappointing. ._. Loved your entry.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

*hugs you*

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

My birthmom was born in Israel - her family emigrated there from Czechoslovakia after WWII. I was born in the USA. Even though her family moved here when she was 5, she still has a very noticeable Israeli accent (or at least she did the last time I spoke with her over 10 years ago).

I wish I'd known about Birthright when I was of an age to go!

[whipchick.livejournal.com]

It's so interesting to see what includes us and what sets us apart from our heritage groups.

[kajel.livejournal.com]

Nicely done. Accents are such a funny thing. We moved around a lot and when we didn't think we had an accent, others did.

[dreamsreflected.livejournal.com]

Dual identities can be a blessing and a curse. I very much liked this piece.

[elledanger.livejournal.com]

Thank you, this was really interesting.

[ryl.livejournal.com]

I have a very pronounced Southern accent. It changes based on where I live. When I lived in the center of NC I had a Piedmont accent, and when I lived on the coastal plain I had a Down East accent. Now it's changed to the mountain variety. If I moved somewhere else, my accent would change again.


I also believe that the word aunt should be pronounced "awwnt." Otherwise you're saying ant, and my aunt is not an ant!
My niece and nephews don't use the word "aunt" to refer to me or my sisters. They just call us by our first names. My oldest sister's MIL is responsible for that: she taught my oldest nephew that we step on ants. That's what happens when you live in fire ant country.

[cheshire23.livejournal.com]

I wish I could speak another language that well.

[eternal-ot.livejournal.com]

I found the birthright tit-bit quite interesting... i had read somewhere that the misfits of the society are the most creative...:) (that's the compliment I could think of right now)..:)

[itsjustc.livejournal.com]

This was a great read!

Accents fascinate me. I have a strong but soft Yorkshire accent.

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

(Many of us Southerners don't have a drawl, though.)

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

My accent makes most Israelis rush to reassure me "Oh, don't worry, I can speak English."

Awww. :(

I'm sorry you get so easily overlooked just because you sound as if you don't know the language, when in fact you do. Think if we ignored every person trying to speak English just because they didn't sound "local" to our ears. :(

[bubblesandlace.livejournal.com]

Im totally with you on awwnt!