I don’t know about you but I am an immigrant (invandrer to the locals). And it is not a term of affection, I’m afraid. Not that I look like one. My lived-in, Aryan features are a snare and a delusion for the unwary; they offer comfort – until I open my mouth. Then I suddenly receive the looks of fear, boredom or disapproval reserved for that class of human beings called immigrants.
Now here’s a funny thing (Max Miller). I’ll bet that if you’ve transferred your domicile to a country outside Europe, you don’t suffer such indignities. Do you? I mean, in Africa you’re a settler, in the Wild West a pioneer, in the Antipodes a neighbour, aren’t you? Or elsewhere you could be a colonist or just a Brit. But if you dared to penetrate the Old Worlde regions north of the Elbe, you’d be a marked person.
Strangely enough, despite the stigma of foreignness, it is possible to throw off the shackles of plasticity by becoming famous for something. Our beloved Caroline Wozniaki from Poland (tennis) is fêted just like Crown Princess Mary from Tasmania (royalty). And Kenyan-turned-Dane, Wilson Kipketer (athletics) is still mentioned with reverence whenever another record is broken by a foreigner.
I wonder why it is? “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?” Well , yes, comes the reply…….but not like we do. I give up. It’s Monday morning after all.
Boadicea's Chariot 
It is an atavisitc tendency relating to survival. We are instinctively suspicious of those who are different and we are attracted to those who are similar to us. I was very conscious of the fact when I lived in the US. If I was in a bar and I heard an accent from either England or South Africa/Zimbabwe, I would quite likely approach the individual and strike up a conversation and ask where he was from. In a world of foreigners, here was somebody with whom I had something in common. Back home in SA I do not approach people every time I here a South African accent.
I suspect those Danes who look down there noses at you now, would seek your company were you to cross paths in Asia or Africa or anywhere else where the similarities between you exceed those between themselves and the natives.
Sounds like you need to polish up your Danish, Janus, or become a film star!
It’s not quite that easy, Janus. In Minnesota I outwardly fit in. Light skin, Germanic appearance. I am not initially threatening until I open my mouth. By the time I utter 2-3 words it becomes clear that I’m “not from around this area”. I speak too quickly, my vowels too short. People are outwardly polite but it is clear that it is “them” and then there is “me”. So long as I stay out, so long as I keep to myself they leave me in peace. If they have to deal with me they will be pleasant but not overly inviting. In fact, the sooner I leave the happier they will be.
Christopher, is your accent German or English or something in between? When I went to live there, the girls used to say how much they loved my accent, which was great. But after a while I realised that what they meant was they found my pronunciation of certain words to be amusing. Tomato etc. Once I started pronouncing it tomayto and saying gas station instead of garage, the compliments dried up.My accent itself did not really change.
Er, yes. Which way to Hollywood, please?
Janus, go west, young man, go west!
J-man goes to Hollywood.
All the above!
After 35 years of it I have developed a totally over the top persona to deal with them!
I make it quite obvious that I believe them to be an inferior species that happen to rent my language, not own it!
Insult their cooking, clothes sense, nasty wooden houses etc etc. (not difficult!!)
Make quite sure that they know I’m doing them a favour even setting foot in their country!
This polarises them into those that avoid me like the plague and a few, just a few that find it funny and become real friends.
Janus I think it happens pretty well everywhere, it is how you deal with it that tends to define one. I have always been a great believer in taking the war back into the enemy camp. I don’t think you have to be a celebrity. Equally people are just as unpleasant to those that come from another geographical area within their own country. Spousal unit with a crisp transatlantic accent ex New York, spent 28 years in Texas getting the treatment. Try being a Northerner here South of the Mason Dixon line!
Janus, good evening.
Pay these foreigners no heed! I refer you to the wise and timeless words of the estimable Messrs Flanders and Swann who are one of the very few reasons why I almost regret not being English myself.
‘It’s not that they’re wicked or naturally bad….
Its knowing they’re foreign that makes them so mad.’
Janus: Never have the problem here, maybe it’s because I’m one of THEM.
Do get the “F*cking Yank” response occasionally in the UK, (strange because I’m mostly tidewater Virginia these days), usually soto voce, inevitably from some whey faced loser (why else is he working in Curry’s?), NEVER from any recent immigrant, black, brown or purple, often as a result of asking for something totally unreasonable, like next day delivery of a new washing machine, FFS.
CO: I’m South of the line here, not far in miles but definitely, undeniably South. You are right, Yankees are deeply and irredeemably suspect here. Blue blazers, button down blue broadcloth shirts, Khaki’s and shoes with TASSLES, recognizable anywhere and definitely alien, Spawn of the Devil or William Tecumseh Sherman, but I repeat myself.
That’s a relief and SO comforting. I thought it was just Backside’s abysmal Danish that caused it. I’ll shock you with a terrible revelation: I know I’m superior. 🙂
Sipu: my accent? It’s not an especially strong one, but I speak with a mild German accent with a detectable English influence. It’s fairly unusual for Central Minnesota. Nordic and German immigration dried up some time ago and only a trickle still comes in. Actually, there are far fewer people from Europe in general choosing to reside in the US preferring Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or even increasingly South America. Those who do decide to go through the “process” of emigrating to the US tend to move to either New York or California.
Don’t anyone think that that all Ozzies think of the Brits as ‘Neighbours’… far, far from it. I only have to open my mouth for everyone to know that I’m English … and I have not only had ‘The Looks’, but also the ‘Comments’.
Boadicea: and don’t think that Septics are especially welcoming! Even people from neighbouring states are often treated with disdain and derision.
Morgen, Janus. I am and always will be an ‘estrangeiro’ (foreigner) as long as I live in Portugal and my classic Aryan good looks (ahem) will always set me apart from my dark-haired, brown-eyed neighnours. Having said that, the locals are very friendly and indulgent of my English-accented Portuguese. One, for example, went into The Bar and asked Mrs Machiavelli for five beers for him and his mates and one for the ‘urso branco’, the polar bear, which is apparently my nickname in the village.
OZ