Zoe Saldana was bullied for speaking English

Actress Zoe Saldana says she was bullied at school for being an English speaker.

The "Guardians of the Galaxy" star moved to the Dominican Republic when she was 9, following the death of her father Aridio. She says she was bullied because she used English words rather than talking in Spanish, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"It was a very traumatising time for me because I didn't know how to stand up for myself. I was never equipped, trained or taught to defend myself. My mother never raised me believing that I was different, so the moment me and my sisters started getting attacked, shock was the first reaction," Saldana told Balance magazine.

"Bullies can reach a depth within you that may cause irreparable damage. There were years that I felt ashamed of myself, thinking, 'I should have known better, I should have always stood up for myself.'"

--IANS

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