Comments on: ‘Where Are You From?’: Thoughts From A Second-Generation American

By: unity_for_all

unity_for_all — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:04:00 +0000

What comes to my mind is the expression: “… it doesn’t matter what you say; it matters how you say it!”. People are not stupid. They are usually able to detect that “special” tone from the questioner! Go with your gut feeling responding…

By: Ghamilton58

Ghamilton58 — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:54:00 +0000

…sound a bit naiive. I agree with you about having a good and casual conversation with new people. However, must it always start with the assumption that the other person is from somewhere else other than America because of his/her looks, “exotic” name, or even accent? I work as a server at a restaurant in downtown, Baltimore, and there isn’t a day people don’t assume I must be a foreigner. Truthfully I find it very annoying. So, here is my question, why don’t they know this?

By: J108

J108 — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:53:00 +0000

Guess what, even tenth generation immigrants get asked that question all the time too. Where are you from doesn’t necessarily mean “where are you from because you are not American…” America is a diverse country, just like the article says. Where people come from and the stories they bring with them make the country a richer place to live, whether those stories are from a different neighborhood, city, state, or country. Yes, you may be asked more often if you have an accent or if you don’t look like one of the many groups of people who have been in the US for hundreds of years. And yes, some people are ignorant, racist, or just annoying. But most people are just trying to start a conversation with a common and generic question. You can always ask the person who asked you where you are from where they are from and start a conversation about your own personal histories, meet someone new, and have a good conversation, which is likely all that was intended in the first place.

By: Simcha

Simcha — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:28:00 +0000

Oh yeah, I hate this question too. I get it all the time, especially after correcting people on the proper way to pronounce my name. Irony is then they’ll say…some bs about how “Oh I noticed your accent.” I DON’T have an accent…I grew up in Florida! Geez. My boyfriend says it’s just because people are trying to be interested in you, but I think it’s just plain ignorance and prejudice.

By: Elahe Izadi

Elahe Izadi — Mon, 09 May 2011 20:35:00 +0000

Hi @afd53ba2b91ac93487fef56c766b9701:disqus , sorry I am just reading this. Thanks for the comment. Sure, I may be interested in where my friends’, neighbors’ and colleagues’ ancestors came from, but to me that’s a different question and implication than asking where my friends, neighbors and colleagues *themselves* are from.

By: Dr Oldskool

Dr Oldskool — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:59:00 +0000

I’ve had this same interaction many times. My favorite is when they ask my “nationality.” I’m American, Jackass.

By: TheGoriWife

TheGoriWife — Wed, 04 May 2011 13:18:00 +0000

Just to clarify, my son is bi-cultural and only biracial depending on what theory of race one subscribes to.

By: TheGoriWife

TheGoriWife — Wed, 04 May 2011 13:17:00 +0000

My husband is from Pakistan and as a result our son is biracial. As a parent searching for ways to expose that half of his heritage to him, I’m always looking for things – and people – who might help him identify who he is. I wonder what’s a less offensive way to ask people this question? I usually go with “What’s your heritage ?”

By: Sierpien

Sierpien — Wed, 04 May 2011 00:46:00 +0000

I’ve been working on my family’s history for a number of years and one thing is readily apparent. Immigrants’ children always get asked that question. It doesn’t matter if they came from Scandinavia, Germany, Lebanon, Scotland or Siberia.

I’m not really sure that it is racist really, more that it is part and parcel of the American Experience. We’re all from someplace else and that’s what makes this country so fascinating. Admittedly we’re not very good at phrasing the question, I think part of that is PCness gone mad, but I do honestly believe that for most of us, it is an honest question. I also don’t believe that it’s based in racism, rather egalitarianism. Is the author never curious about where her friends, neighbors, colleagues ancestors came from?

For what it’s worth, I’m Finnish-German-English by way of Canada. The Finns of Garrison Keillor’s “Finnish Triangle” didn’t have it that easy either, so it’s not just a matter of skin color.

By: Ballroom4eva

Ballroom4eva — Tue, 03 May 2011 13:14:00 +0000

I was born in DC with an African father and An African-American mother who had very strict rules about speaking correct English. As a result I get asked “Where are you from” -more from black people then any other all the time because of my lack of a typically “black” accent and my African last name. I tell people “I’m from here, just a product of the suburbs.”