I’m in this two-week class and am trying to learn everyone’s name. Today, we split up into groups and the whole time, I couldn’t see this kid’s face (just the side of it). All I knew is that a) he was wearing a grey hoodie and b) he was Asian. That’s all I knew. And, I called him by the name of another Asian kid that was also wearing a grey hoodie. I’m white and I’m pretty sure they think I’m racist when, in reality, regardless, of race, I confuse people + forget names all the time. Yesterday, I called a Chinese friend of mine by my Australian friend’s name. How do I recover?
2 comments
If it happens again just mention that you have trouble keeping names and faces straight. If you think they’ll be receptive, you could mention that it causes you stress and ask for people to be understanding if you mess up.
You can just say you forget names all the time.