Miss Manners: Wouldn’t I know if I had developed a Ukrainian accent?

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I work for a small, family-run restaurant. The owner is from Ukraine. She is fluent in English but speaks with a notable accent.

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I am from the area the restaurant is located in, and I have lived here all of my life.

Over the course of a month, about five patrons have asked if I am related to my boss or if I am also from Ukraine “because of my accent.”

I do not have one. I know that accents are often hard for the speaker to notice, but I feel like I would be aware if I had developed a Ukrainian accent thick enough to sound like it is my first language.

What exactly should I say when people ask? I’d like to stay silent or move on to the next part of the conversation, but often that’s not a viable thing to do in these exchanges.

GENTLE READER: Restaur