Member-only story
Too Foreign Here, Too Local There
What my African accent taught me about fitting in and standing out
“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”
My first job interview in Canada was over Zoom. The interviewer smiled politely, but every time I spoke, I caught the faintest squint in her eyes — the universal expression of “I didn’t understand what you said.”
I didn’t get the job—no explanation, of course.
I told myself it was something else — a lack of Canadian experience, maybe. But in my gut, I knew.
In person, it was no different. I’d speak, and people would pause—not rudely, but curiously. Some complimented my English, which always carried the silent assumption that it shouldn’t be as good as it is.
They asked where I was from, then followed with “No, I mean originally.”
Performing Belonging
My African accent, shaped by years of education and travel, became something I had to manage. I slowed my speech, flattened my vowels, and swapped out local slang for Canadian phrases.
I performed Canadian politeness like theatre. But I never quite got the standing ovation—just polite applause—the kind you give someone who tried.
