What offended me however, was the realization that the issue of my different accent was something that was used to demean me.  It was not just that I had a different accent but it seemed to signify that I was inferior or not properly educated. Many times I have been “corrected” when I said something, not because I was wrong but because I said it in a way that was different from the perceived norm.  Many times it is done in such a patronizing way which leaves no doubt as to the message being communicated.  I even had someone tell me that I needed to learn how to speak English. I asked them whether they meant that I needed to learn how to speak like an American. They never gave me an answer since they were really trying to demean me.  

I pronounce my words differently based on the vowel usage (a,e,i,o,u) which is different from how Americans use vowels. The other factor is I am a product of a different environment and that environment has influenced who I am including how I speak. People who demean others based on the fact that they speak English differently expose their ignorance because they assume that they do not have an accent. When I listen to an American speak English, I hear the difference in their accent and usage of Language from another English speaking person.

The fact that they speak different from me suggests that they have a different accent. People who use this issue to demean others ought to consider that the people they are looking down upon speak other languages on top of the English language. If you as an American were to speak those other languages I can assure you that you will speak them with an American accent, and that is okay. So please give a break to those who do not speak like you. They are not inferior; in fact most of them are highly achieved persons. Our differences should not be used as means of feeling superior or making others feel inferior instead it should be something to celebrate because we can learn from each other.