Is it possible to trust someone who speaks with a foreign accent?

I have a thick pronunciation. Until I was a young adult, I had no understanding of this. However, I do have an accent. When I first started learning French, I quickly recognized that I speak with an American accent. This understanding didn't disturb me for a long time, and it even fascinated me at times. "What a strange thought: I have an accent that I'll never be able to hear in this language!" I wish I had the ability to hear myself!" I pondered. I've always been interested in learning more about other cultures, languages, and viewpoints. People with accents intrigue me because they have a wealth of different perspectives and thoughts to contribute. Unfortunately, not everyone shares my excitement for this subject, much to my surprise. When speaking French, I immediately found that my American accent may elicit both good and negative reactions. I began to wonder if other foreigners in the United States experienced the same negative reaction that I do while speaking French in France. When they meet a foreigner who has learned their mother tongue, the French are often overjoyed. However, due of my accent, I am sometimes mistaken for someone who is unintelligent.

I was curious whether other foreigners in the United States and internationally had had similar experiences. What do we think of people with accents? And why do we see them in such a bad way so often? In fact, many educated and scholarly people have experienced what some psychologists refer to as "accent discrimination." It's the premise that, while most societies will have open discussions about how to avoid prejudice based on race or gender, accents aren't a topic that comes to mind when we think about discrimination. We are also simply lazy as a society (maybe now more than ever). Our brains despise having to exert extra effort to absorb information when conversing with someone who speaks with an accent. It's also worth noting that immigrants make about 13% of the population in the United States. That's a lot of information! I guess there's a reason they call us a melting pot. I'm honored to be surrounded by so many diverse viewpoints. Other countries with a lower percentage of immigrants may find it more difficult (aka foreign accents). Reading an article about a psychologist who discovered that "We're less likely to believe something if it's spoken with a foreign accent" really surprised me. This is thought to be owing to the extra effort our brains have to put in when digesting data. All of this may induce our brains to believe that the longer processing time indicates that the information is incorrect! Non-native speakers can be perceived as untrustworthy by those who are not used to hearing foreign accents. This could be one of the reasons why there are so many Disney villains with foreign accents!

I became really discouraged after reading all of this material. There is, however, a silver lining! According to the psychologist who conducted this study, the more we are exposed to foreign accents, the easier it becomes to understand them and the more we trust the person with the accent. What a welcome relief! This, I believe, is why I've always been captivated by foreign voices and cultures rather than afraid of them. My brother and I were exposed to a variety of dialects as children because we had individuals from all over the world living with us at various periods. My mother always made sure that our home was welcoming to people in need. Do you have no one with whom to celebrate Thanksgiving? Please come to our house! Are you looking for a place to stay? We had a spare room available for them. I had no idea this was one of the reasons why I consider immigrants and accents as a good light in my life until I learned I had one and began researching these studies. It's difficult to live with an accent since it's easy to feel misunderstood or condemned for no apparent reason. I'm only now beginning to understand how to embrace my accent with open arms. I'm confident that I'll meet others who are curious about diverse cultures and willing to converse with me, accent and all!