Are you..Abdalla?

"Are you Abdalla?"

Yes! I am the brown/brunette girl whose name is the odd one out on the list of volunteers. Good job, you know how to match names with faces of people that you have never met. That is one of the main reasons I sometimes introduce myself as Cleo to people I am meeting for the first time. I didn't chose my name, or the color of my skin, or the texture of my hair, but at least I can choose what the barista calls me at Starbucks.

"Do you know IKEA?"

Yes I know IKEA. My house back in Qatar used to be literally five minutes away from IKEA. I also know it's Swedish. That country in Europe that cares about sustainability. Have you heard of that concept? Some countries are trying to save the Earth (hint hint: they are not producing 30% of the total waste on this planet).

"Oh! your English is so good" maybe you should finish the sentence the way you are thinking it: Oh your English is so good for an uncivilized Arab, a Barbarian Muslim, or how many other labels you already decided for me in your mind.

Thank you so much for the compliment. My English is good because my parents payed so much money to send me to an international school and an American university where I learned to say Howdy and y'all. Also, I am bilingual, like almost every other person in the Middle East and unlike every other person in the States.

Did I just sounded harsh? Yes.

Could I have said the same things in a milder tone? Absolutely.

Did I want to? Not really, because it hurts. It hurts so much when people say all of the above to your face. Maybe they didn't mean to insult me, and I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that they don't know any better. On the other hand I am thinking they don't have an excuse not to know any better. We have resources at our hands to know better like never before, we have trainings about diversity all the time. Yet, some people just can't help it but judge you, label you, and condescend you.

For being different.

For being brown/curvy/curly/ Arab/African/Muslim/Woman.

For being who you are.