I have been complimented numerous times because I don't have an American accent. But that has an opposite affect.
If the person does not know, ich bin Amerikaner, they will speak to me fast and I get way over my head for my language skills.
Then I have to wie bitte, and ich verstehe sie nicht until I tell them I am American.
What I like about Germans is they warm up to me very quickly when they realize I am trying to speak their language and be respectful. They will say, "I understand because German is a difficult language to learn."
It is a matter of trying. When I encounter , errr, non citizens here that don't even try, it bothers me.