Thread by @alexandreafonso

It is interesting that despite my Swiss passport, distinct French accent in English, German and Dutch and the fact that I was born and completely raised in Switzerland, with my Portuguese last name I am almost never introduced as Swiss or asked for my expertise on Switzerland.

I was interviewed quite extensively once by the FT on Swiss politics and by Time Magazine on Dutch elections. In both cases my name didn't appear in the article, while names of experts with more Swiss or Dutch-sounding names did. It sounded more authentic I suppose.

I don't think the media look for experts with "African-sounding" names to comment on African countries though.

I don't exactly experience it as xenophobia, but as annoyingly rigid mental maps that people have in their heads that need to 'fit' together 'a Swiss *must* look like this, an Italian like that'. But people are a lot more diverse than that.

And I am probably guilty of doing that about other countries I suppose.

The fun fact is that I taught a course on Swiss politics at university in Switzerland and the prof and we TAs had Greek, Belgian and Portuguese names.

This is great and shows this phenomenon pretty well:

My daily interaction at the bakery at the station until recently:
Me: 'Goedemorgen, mag ik een croissant en een kopje koffie alsjeblieft?'
Dutch person: 'Of course sir, here you are, paying by card?'.

It's been happening a lot less lately though, which I take as progress on my part.

Another funny experience is the French person who, after 6 months talking in French, asked me where I had learned French, that it was pretty good. It is my first language.

Unclear whether that was because of my name or because he didn't know that yes, some Swiss people have French as their first language.

Another recurring thing is the perception that as someone with that name in the Netherlands I couldn't possibly be able to speak Dutch. My Dutch is very far from perfect but after 5 years here it could be a lot worse.
soundcloud.com/goedegesprekke…