Is having Indian accent a problem to make a mark in career?

Accent is not important but the grammar.If you try accent, it is not possible at this age and this will to some unwanted fun of you by others.

If that lady talks to hurt you again, tell her clearly that there are no boundaries for a learner and one can go anywhere on the earth according to one's wish.Also tell that,whole American IT business highly dependent on Indians and that US ppl need us and not vice a versa.

Tell her clearly that you love your culture very much and at the same time you have respect for other cultures too and not like her, boasting own culture and offending others.

You can also warn her that you can complain for she is discriminating based on race,religion and culture ect and hurting some one's esteem and values of life and she will have to pay for that.

do not ever hesitate to give back

 

Abc, I admire your resolve and determination. It is never easy to enter the workforce/improve one's academic or technical qualifications when one is older, no matter who you are, or where you're from. It is even more challenging to do this in a foreign country.

I want to address the problems you raise above. Firstly, you are right not to try to put on a fake accent. Some people are good at it, but it requires an immense amount of energy and concentration. As GoldenMist suggests, grammar is more important, as well as articulation (being clearly heard and understood) and voice projection (speaking with confidence, and "throwing" your voice out to the back of the room, instead of mumbling).

Some of the most mellifluous, pleasing-to-my-ear accents I have ever heard (and language and accents is something I pay very careful attention to) have come out of the mouths of confident, intelligent Indian women (admittedly, I am just a bit biased). You can achieve this by telling yourself over and over that what you have to say matters, and that what you say is far more important than how you say it.

Second, the issue of your classmate making disparaging remarks about immigrants is disconcerting. She is out of bounds expressing these prejudicial and racist remarks, especially if they are made out of context (that is, not related to anything being discussed in class as part of coursework).

I agree that you should address this problem, but let me share with you something I learned from American culture. It is far more beneficial (and desirable) to hash these kinds of problems out in private. If you start a "flame war" with this woman in class, in front of everyone, then you are backing her into a corner and not giving her a chance to redeem herself (everyone needs a chance, even villains).

It is quite possible that she has had very little contact with immigrants outside of the stereotypical "they come here and steal our jobs and lower the standards" kind of right wing rhetoric. You need to show her that you are much, much better than that. This means you should have better manners than she does, and you need to be more mature than she obviously is.

After class, ask her if you can speak to her (5 minutes in the hallway, or 15 minutes over coffee - the choice is yours). Start out generally, and ask about her life, and talk about yours - why you are in school again, how you came to the US, etc. If she seems friendly and receptive, then you can gently broach the subject of her hurtful and generalized comments, and tell her that it is hard for you to listen to her opinions, because they are not your reality.

Hopefully, when she is confronted by a real person instead of the stereotypical image she has in her head, she will understand the repercussions of her offensive comments. She and you may never become friends, but at least you would have possibly made her more mindful of what comes out of her mouth. I think this approach will serve to dilute whatever animosity she has. If you engage with her in the same vein as her rhetoric in class (that is, try to prove she is wrong in front of everyone) it is possible you will aggravate the situation.

As for your teacher... I've been a teacher, and one of the most trying aspects of my job was remembering names, and pronouncing them right. I don't know if your teacher is like the obnoxious woman (if he is also voicing opinions about immigrants and the trouble with them, then he needs to be reported, because that is unacceptable) but I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is just struggling with your name. It is no excuse for him to behave disrespectfully, but again, it's in your best interests to solve this problem, instead of just assuming the worst about their motives.

Approach your teacher after class, and say something like, "I notice you don't say my name. It can be a little tricky to pronounce. This is how you say it: Un-SU-yah". Then, have a question or two about the class ready (doesn't have to be anything too significant - just let him know you're interested and paying attention). If you do this, hopefully his attitude towards you will change. You need to distinguish yourself to him, and make yourself more approachable. In other words, you have to break the ice.

I know that it is not fair for this burden to be put on you, but some people here in the US struggle with diversity and difference more than others. It really depends on where you are, and what kind of a community it is. If you find yourself in a situation where "difference" is awkward, inconvenient, and even stressful for some people, I think tact, diplomacy, friendliness, and compromise will work much better for you than head-on, bring-it-on, confrontation.

Yes, you deserve to be treated well, but sometimes, you have to be the bigger, better, more mature person and "guide" those who are struggling in their journey. They need to be taught, and patience and understanding will bring both you, and them, to a place of convivial co-existence quicker and more effectively.

Good luck! I like your "I'm a fighter and do not want to give up easily" attitude

 

Unless you have to work in direct contact with customers like market/sales/support, as long as you can clearly communicate your thinking and ideas, you needn't worry too much about accent. It wouldn't have much impact on your career.

 

is that all there is to a young lady?

 

Well,

I did not try to divert your topic tried to help you out.
Was that my mistake?

And yes, one cannot build up confidence in other.One has to do oneself

 

oh I am heartbroken!