"Wait, you're actually Irish?"

It took my Irish friends about three years to find out that Mom was actually Irish. I  would often say that my inspiration to attend UL was partly because my mother was born and raised on the Emerald Isle. When these words came out of my mouth my friends would often nod and say "All right, that makes sense".

It wasn't until we were getting ready for a night out at my house that I realized there was a misunderstanding. My mother called briefly while we were milling around my room and I had to put her on the speaker of my phone so we could speak and I could continue getting ready.

It wasn't until I hung up the phone that I turned around and saw the surprise on my friend's faces.

Myself and my (Irish) mammy at an event in UL

"We didn't know your mother was Irish! Her accent is so Irish!"

I could only reply with confusion: " What did you think I meant when I said she was Irish?"

" Every American says their parents are Irish, but your mom is actually Irish!"

Apparently my words were not as clear as I thought. I did not realize that my identity would affect the way my friends understood my words. I was used to my accent and my phrases giving away my American identity (I still automatically say vacuum instead of hoover) but I didn't know that being American itself would be a factor.

Like Michael Cronin states in Across the Lines language plays an intricate part of identity but being able to bridge two languages is another story entirely. My identity as an America affected the way my friends understood me, even though we were speaking the exact same language. I had a separate idea of what my words meant, compared to my friends who had another view. I didn't not realize that an extra effort was necessary to reach a complete understanding between myself and my Irish friends.