Out-Arabed by a Non-Arab
I’m Arab. Of course I should know how to pronounce the word “Arab”, right? Well, I guess not, because somehow I was told how to pronounce my OWN race by a non-Arab. And not even that, but he didn’t even know how to speak the Arabic language whatsoever nor could he say the word “habibi” (Arabic word for My Love) properly. If you’re going try educating me on MY language, at least be able to say the most well-known word of it (if I could add an emoji, I would add an eye-roll). Let me set the scene for you: it was my freshman year of high school. I was standing in line to get a school cookie, that, mind you, is actually the most disgusting cookie I’ve ever eaten. I’m with my two friends and this fellow freshman decides to join us. I already knew him as I occasionally tutored him in math. Somehow, the four of us get to talking about ethnicity. Out of curiosity, this boy asks me what mine is. Now, before I continue, I would like to address the fact that I pronounce “Arab” two ways: one way is the American version since Americans can’t understand the heavy a that is added in along with the rolled r sound, and the second is with an accent for when I’m speaking to other Arabs. Because he wasn’t Arab, I pronounced it the American way. When I tell you this boy looked me straight in the eyes for a solid five seconds before going, “That’s not how you pronounce it”. Guys, when I tell you I was genuinely flabbergasted, I actually mean it. I have never felt so gaslit in my life, and I literally have a twin brother. Of course I stared at him like he had three eyes, because there was no way this kid had the audaciousness to educate me on how to say what I am. To entertain him, I asked him, in his “expert” opinion, how to pronounce it. “Ay-rob. That’s how you say it.” I might’ve been fuming before but boy was I actually gasping for breath as I laughed my heart out at the absolute absurdity of that. Listen, I’ve had my fair share of know-it-alls, but he was my top experience. I’ve never felt so insulted yet thoroughly amused before. Thinking about it, I wanted to excuse it as pure ignorance, but as I ponder it now, I realize just how crazy that event really was. I really was out-Arabed by a non-Arab. Is that even possible? I guess so if this kid attempted to educate me on my own language. He did fail though, as you will never, ever catch me saying it that way, I can promise you that.
I love this post. It was incredibly interesting to see how you conveyed this issue through a humorous scope while also emphasizing the more serious side of it.
ReplyDeleteI like how you used a narrative and elaborated on the significant experience through humor. I also found the irony of the situation pretty interesting
ReplyDelete-sukruta
I like how you used the rhetorical device of humor when you said, “I have never felt so gaslit in my life, and I literally have a twin brother.” -Aly Matuza
ReplyDeleteI like how you address the audience with "listen" and "let me set the scene for you". I also like the irony in the story since the kid you tutored was the one correcting you
ReplyDeleteI like how you used humor to present a serious issue. The irony was also really interesting.
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