The United States is one of the most diverse nations in the world and the great majority of it’s citizens have all immigrated from somewhere else. As for these newly immigrated Americans, they obtain their citizenship, become full fledged members of society, and integrate themselves into their new life. Meanwhile, like the rest of us, they pursue careers, buy homes, and often build families.
My father, as well as many of my friends are the first born generation of Americans.
Yet, one different point echoes. My friends of every ethnicity are always asked “where are you from?”, or “what are you?” my father was not.
To give an example, a friend of my was sitting at the bar when she was approached by a man in his early 30s. After a brief exchange, the man casually asked her “So, where are you from?”. She responded, “I’m from Florida”, to which the man shakes his head, then follows up with “No, no, like, where are you from?.”
Now, for those of you who do not follow where this conversation is about to go, this is not how you ask a persons heritage, or ethnicity.
Neither is,
-what are you?
-where are your people from?
-or anything along the lines of “what kind of Asian are you?”
Hopefully you get the gist.
After explaining to the man that she grew up near Cocoa Beach, he again responds with, “yeah, but, where are you from?”….
What can I say?
Sometimes you have to Fisher Price things for stupid people.
