accent

I’ve always joked I was a product of international relations - the relation in question being between my British mother and American father, whose love affair led to my birth in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Swept along by the whirlwind of my parents' lives, the backdrop of my childhood cycled between these three countries, each cradling distinct aspects of my life and character. 

It’s been only since arriving in the United States that I’ve subconsciously “Americanized” my name to suit the American English phonetic pronunciation.

I want to extend this advice to all readers: In this lockdown, watch some movies from different parts of your parents’ countries — or even your friends’. 

With the fall semester in full swing, many of us are back to the usual grind: classes, homework and midterms.

When I first got to campus in summer 2018, my backpack was covered in political pins. Just three months later, when I boarded my flight to London to study abroad, my backpack was bare.

The “American accent” is used as the optimal standard of speech. It is equated to a higher IQ, to a less threatening immigrant, to a more approachable international student.