50 Questions Non-Americans Asked Americans with Surprising Answers

I’m sorry, Ms. Jackson

The same rule applies to referring to the mom or dad of a friend. However, what you call them really depends on where in the US you live in. For instance, I call my friends’ moms and dads Mr. and Mrs. [Last Name], but some of my out-of-town friends call my parents by their first names.

Even among Americans, it can be confusing to hear our parents being referred to in ways we’re not used to. Here’s another example: a friend from Southeast Asia calls my parents Aunt and Uncle, which is supposed to symbolize the cousinly relationship my friend and I have. Now that’s pretty weird.