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All About Accents: What You Told the White Guy
Why do people view foreign and southern accents differently? The White Guy's answer provoked a slew of responses from DiversityInc readers. Here's what you said. I read your recent "Don't Apologize for your Accent" column, and while you addressed the "diversity" portion of the question quite well, there's another aspect that was not addressed, at least not in this column. I live in the South, specifically Tennessee, and while a "southern drawl" from Georgia or Alabama might seem charming, the "hillbilly" accent from Tennessee, Kentucky or West Virginia almost always solicits comments regarding the perceived intelligence (or lack thereof) of the speaker. I'm college educated and I work for a very large company with sites all over the world. As soon as I went away to college I realized that one's accent can draw unwarranted/incorrect perceptions, for good or ill. In the corporate world, I've attended various events and training away from my office in —Terry Goans I was annoyed when Tyra Banks kept chastising one of the African-American contestants, Danielle, to work on her "country" accent on an episode of "Top Model." What kind of message does that send? Tyra is also African American. I've heard "ghetto" used to describe the manner of speak of northern African Americans and I just don't like it. People at work frown on people of color who may have more of a pronounced "urban" accent. How do we reconcile those attitudes? Especially since perception is everything. —Mimi Noel I agree that immigrants to the U.S. shouldn't have to conquer their accent to be perceived as the talented professionals they are. However, I think your focus on skin color is misplaced, and your assumption that white southerners get a free pass is flat-out incorrect.
I moved away from the South 15 years ago, but despite my best efforts I still have an accent. I meet people every day who seem to assume that people with an accent like mine are banjo-picking half-wits. If our conversation lasts long enough, I usually see their attitude shift. I think it's because I've had a chance to demonstrate correct grammar and a robust vocabulary, or because I've had a chance to contribute ideas to solving a problem. I have struggled as an adult to learn French and Spanish as well, but I would not take a job [in] Spain or France and expect forgiveness if my fluency was a drag on the work task at hand. Concerning accents, we can and should "get over it." But regardless of skin color, it is unreasonable to expect to be perceived as a peer without the necessary skills in grammar and vocabulary in the language that predominates the work team. —Renee Buffington
Regarding white people with southern accents, I couldn't disagree more with the White Guy on this one! I have heard my white peers say that they think southerners "sound stupid" because of their accents, and I've heard it said about both poor and middle-class whites. —Rus Binkley I'm a white guy with a strong southern accent. I've lived in the Northeast, —Dan Just read your response to the question about accents. I do agree with you, but FYI, I was reminded of a routine that comedian Lenny Bruce did in the '60s about President Lyndon Johnson. Bruce's routine made much of northerners' unwillingness to accept any sort of intellectual comment from a southerner (he lampooned Johnson's —Elliott Bronstein Have a question you've always wanted to ask the White Guy? Click here to submit a question or comment or read past comments.
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