Brown People Problems: Stop complimenting our English

Описание: In this episode, Winnie explains why it's not a great idea for white people to compliment non-native speaking people of colour (POC) on their English.

Long note, but necessary (untuk sesiapa yang terasa): Initially, I thought of addressing Westerners in general rather than white people, but in my entire life, the only people who have ever been surprised at and complimented my English proficiency are white people. POCs from the West don't even flinch- perhaps because they too get asked why they speak English so well!

As Winnie states in the video, we understand that white people think they are saying a nice thing to us, but what needs to be pointed out is that the compulsion to want to compliment us on our English is rooted in their surprise that we are able to speak it well.

They wouldn't compliment another white person on their ability to speak English well, so for them to compliment us rests on the assumption that we wouldn't be able to speak it well, which is a gross generalization, and shows a serious lack of awareness on their part, of world history, as well as the effects of globalization. In short, it doesn't make them look good.

It's 2017. It shouldn't be a surprise anymore that many of us know how to speak English. Case in point: a local woman I know with a degree in English from a UK university AND is an English teacher told me that a white male friend had expressed surprise at how excellent her English was.

Having said that, there should not be an expectation for everyone to know English. When I was in Tokyo, a white woman standing in front of me in a queue, was complaining out loud about how the locals were unable to speak English. You're in Japan, wtf!