[csours]

Some of the stories on the stories page [0] are pretty egregious, but some of them are just how the brain works.

When you meet or see someone, you automatically try to categorize people. For now at least, that includes trying to figure out gender and ethnicity. Many of our parents or grandparent had very distinct prejudices. Also, for better or for worse, ethnicity still has a huge impact on someone's circumstances.

It was only a couple years ago that someone finally pushed back on the question "where are you from" to me. Before that, I would never have thought of it being objectionable. I also think context is important here. There's nothing wrong with finding out the ethnic ancestry of your friends, but maybe it's not an appropriate question when you first meet someone.

I'm sad to say that I don't actually know many of my Indian coworkers full names, simply because they are so different from people I was raised around.

0. http://rentaminority.com/stories/

[nostrademons]

I've gotten the "where are you from?" question a few times - I'm multiracial, so I look ethnically ambiguous and talk with a slight accent that isn't possible to place. I just answer "Boston".

If they want to drill into it more, I say "Well, my mom's from NYC, my dad is ethnically Cantonese but was born in the Philippines, and I grew up in Boston. My maternal grandfather was Irish Catholic and my grandmother was a WASP." Usually at that point their eyes start to glaze over though.

[dsfyu404ed]

>someone finally pushed back on the question "where are you from"

As someone who absolutely hates the place I am "from" and pretty much everything about it this questions always made me uneasy.

[csours]

That's understandable. It still helps give context to you as a person. I understand that may be lost on someone who first meets you, and it may be too much to explain on initial context.

[Retra]

It's better to have no context than misleading context.