this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2024
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Why do people keep asking where I'm from? (lemmy.ca)
submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by Shampoo_Bottle@lemmy.ca to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
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Up until I started working, I didn't really encounter that question. When I did start working, people started asking me that question.

Them: Where are you from?

Me: Canada.

Them: Where are your grandparents from?

Me: Canada.

Them: Ok, where are your great grandparents from?

Me: Canada.

It's irritating sometimes. I just want to exist, do my job and go home, like anyone else. Once is ok, twice is odd, three times is weird, and the fourth time is a pattern.

The only accent that I might have would probably be from Newfoundland, Canada, as I grew up with a lot of people from there. I also talk too fast sometimes.

Have you had similar experiences, and if so, how did you handle it? Can fast speech patterns cause this? Why do random people care so much?

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[–] yenahmik@lemmy.world 90 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Asking where you are from is pretty normal conversation, especially if you have a noticeable accent. Asking where your parents/grandparents/etc are from is less common. Are you by chance not-white? Sometimes these sorts of questions have a race element to them

[–] PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 37 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, asking where someone's from is completely normal but asking where their parents/family is from automatically sets off some racism red flags

[–] Floufym@lemmy.world 0 points 9 months ago

Asking where someone’s from is already racist. As white, no one ask me where I am from, or only in late conversation for specific reason. My non-white wife get this question every single time she met a new person.

[–] Shampoo_Bottle@lemmy.ca 22 points 9 months ago (3 children)

I think I look pretty white, tbh

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 18 points 9 months ago

Well you either look or sound funny/different. I'd say since you get asked about grandparents etc it's not sound, so you don't look local Canadian.

[–] Kanzar@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

You say you look "pretty" white, that's like how "not really" isn't a "no".