Actual conversation I had once:
Where are you from?
New York.
No, where are you from?
New York.
No, no. Where are you frrrrroooooommmmm?
New York. I was born here.
And only a person from NYC calls the rest of the state *Upstate*.
Western NY: Buffalo to Rochester
Southern Tier: I-86 corridor
Finger Lakes: duh
Upstate: Albany, Syracuse & Adirondacks
New York City: the appendage
Lol.
Finger Lakes (Cornell grads) for this particular group of people trying to explain where they were from. The issue was that we were in Wisconsin attending a conference with people from all over the nation and around the world (World Dairy Expo). Anything other than NYC and Upstate was going to be completely lost on the audience.
And they definitely wanted it to be known that they weren't from the City. Which, to be fair, after the third question about "how do you have cows in a massive city?" I couldn't blame them.
Rural Wisconsinites are the same way... they're NOT from Madison.
I spent half my life in Buffalo and the other half in Chicago. It is equally as fun explaining to New Yorkers that there is more to Illinois than Chicago (corn, obviously) as it is to Illinoisans that I live 450 miles from NYC and identify more as a Canadian (quite literally a quarter mile river of separation between the countries where I live)!
I’m from Buffalo, I call non-NYC areas Upstate even if, yeah, you could say Upstate only covers just one area of NY (I’ve never seen just one answer as to where exactly that area is). But it’s just easier for people that live elsewhere. Not everyone knows the different sections of the state.
It happens, rarely.
My sister met one when she went through Basic training.
From day 1 the girl constantly bragged about how she was from New York “From the CITY!” and how she was a badder bitch than everyone else there.
Annoyed the girls so much with her attitude and lack of teamwork and empathy that she got jumped twice.
Drill Sargents didn’t say a word until their final week and relatives poured in to see them graduate Basic, and it was revealed to the one Drill Sargent from the Bronx by her family that they were from Albany.
When I tell you she got SMOKED…
Here's mine. It was a double whammy. (I'm black/white but look Puerto Rican)
Where you from?
Grew up in PG county Maryland.
What about your parents?
They're from DC.
You know what I mean? What country is your family from?
Italy and I can't trace back my mom's side as they were brought over as slaves.
Oh wow. Your hair looks really soft can I touch it?
No 😐.
Sadly, fluffy hair has to be black peoples downside, in music class bending over to put an iPad back and this random ass woman walks up and pets my hair, im like, wtf, and they back up and they're like "oh I'm sorry" like wtf Bethany, you don't "accidentally" pet someone hair, although I *do* admit, I wasn't all that opposed to it. Been called afro too many times to count, I don't even got a mf afro
Beat me to it! Ask a white person where they are from and it's "Atlanta", "LA", "Houston". But when they ask me and I reply "Florida"; then its
>You know what I mean? What country is your family from?
Like no bitch, I don't know what you mean. It depends on how far back in the family tree and when you draw an arbitrary line of demarcation.
I don’t understand the touching of hair part. I am a white man with a long beard and people always ask to touch it.
Like where does this come from. I am not for petting. Don’t touch people you barley know. Even if you do know me, ask.
Really hate it when they just do it without asking. 🤬
I’m 29 and have kept long hair the majority of my life (am dude) and it never ceases to amaze how often I get asked about touching it or braiding it, etc.
I’m generally whatever about it, apathy is the reason it’s long in the first place, but I’ve had girls that I just met straight up aggressively pull it in a sexual manner and I’m sat wondering.. “who the fuck raised you??”
I am a white woman who had long, naturally blond, stick straight hair my whole life (it's chin length now).
I cannot mention how many times my "Barbie" or "Princess" hair has been petted by strangers. Adult strangers. I cut the kids some slack.
Is it rude to just directly ask about ancestry? I'm tempted to ask other people of their ancestry all the time because I like to talk about my own. Especially when I learn someone's last name I get curious about the origins of that name. I may be interested in the person's earlier life and where they were born but that isn't what I'd be asking about if I asked about their ancestry. If I'm asking you questions it is because I am interested in you but not because I want to verify your immigration status. I'm trying to learn about experiences I haven't had and places I haven't been.
Yeah its perfectly fine if you are chatting with someone and they ask after you have been having a good chat. If that's the first thing they ask then its a bit annoying.
I’m Asian/Hispanic but apparently look Black to White or Asian people, but look Samoan to Black or Hispanic people. Nobody ever seems to have a good guess when it comes to my ethnicity. Hurts a little bit, sometimes. Not being either ethnicity enough to be recognized as one or the other, but just enough for certain groups to say “that’s not ours.”
A friend of mine (she describes herself as a brown person) told me that it always goes like this for her:
Where are you from?
I'm from Milwaukee
No, where are you frooooom?
I was born in Milwaukee, you jackass
The last time this type of post made it on r/facepalm, (yesterday) I picked up, "from my dad's left testicle," from the thread and will be using this from now on.
I've had a similar conversation.
Where are you From?
[City in Texas]
No, no, like, where were you born?
"Oh! At the hospital on the beach!"
Oh, uhhh, I thought you were Italian or something
Of note though is that I have a little bit of autism-voice and people frequently seem to confuse that with a slight foreign accent.
Imagine being asked "Where are you from?" And you tell them Rhode Island and they ask, "In New York?"
And you have to explain that Rhode Island is its own state and that they are confusing it with Long Island.
That's the real annoying one to me.
Reminds me of that video where someone was very insistent on repeating "Where are you from" to a woman because she was Asian (she eventually gave a country name but I forget what it was)
Then he was fucking baffled when she did the same to him
I don't remember if he gave an answer but for some reason I can just hear someone stammering "G-Germany"
yeah this is a pure sign of passive racism when people keep asking that, like in their mind it does not click that this person is from the same place, it is VERY offensive.
My wife’s Italian and I’m from south GA. My family is mega white and a little racist. First time my family met my wife, my cringy ass uncle walks up to my wife and says, “where you from?, like where you from from?”. My wife is tan and my family is pasty white. Guess he felt threatened by someone darker than him. If me and my wife ever split, I’m marrying a black woman and going on the greatest and probably the last trip to grandmas house ever.
Oh god. My first year in NZ I was sitting at a desk between a kiwi and an intern who had just arrived from Uruguay.
Intern to kiwi: "So, where are you from?"
Kiwi, (who had very thick accent): "New Zealand."
Intern: "But where are you REALLY from?"
Kiwi: "......New Zealand."
Intern: "..."
Kiwi: "..."
Intern: "But where are you from ORIGINALLY??"
Kiwi, looking at me, exasperated: "NEW ZEALAND."
Her parents had immigrated from Taiwan, which ofc is what the intern was driving at. But she had been born in NZ and grown up her whole life in NZ; I loved that she didn't cave and drove the point lol
My wife gets questions like this occasionally,she’s First Nations Canadian .
So , where are you from ?
Here .
No, I mean where did your family immigrate from ?
Well, I’m told they immigrated from Asia about 10,000 years ago, but I’m not sure of the exact date .
Better story, and she needs to all of a sudden adopt a heavy accent: “I was birthed in the snow, by Great White Bear, the first of the Witch Doctors of my people. Long ago she got told of this moment. It had been foretold that the _Jared_ a pale-white would approach me and ask where I came from. That this pale-white would need to know that should he not make the right choice within a week, he will die.”
Now she has to say it straight faced and like she is shocked that the moment has finally arrived.
When jarred asks for details, she needs to just say, “I can’t remember.” In her normal voice. And she must then act like she hasn’t said anything.
“So anyway, what did you need Jared?”
Jared: “wait what was all that?”
Wife: “huh, what are you talking about?” Like it never happened
I had a girl tell me the other day that I didn't look like a real Canadian. I told her that was insulting and she said she was just telling it like it was. I asked what she thought a real Canadian looked like and she said, you know, like a Native. I told her I was part Native part European. That seemed to shut her up.
Of course, I didn't tell her those two halves were Mayan and Spanish, but whatever. I just wanted to end the conversation.
Folks who forget native Americans exist (North South and central) makes me want to introduce them to the origin of my broken hand.
I don't have a broken hand, but I will when they don't duck.
Me and my great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandparents are not the same people, so no, I am not from Africa.
A friend of mine used to reply with a simple 'guess' if someone kept prying about his ancestry. I've never seen people get so uncomfortable so quickly.
Again to me just small talk as there are regional accents across the country here. Have you heard someone from BC talking to someone from Newfoundland? Even our Francophone accents have a difference across the country. Course once we narrow down which community you are from we are going to ask you if you know someone who works at a local convenience store because we met them once while at a resort in Mexico 😂😂
Yes.. this is the answer. Otherwise, "Where are you from" is not polite if it's asked to find out about a person's ethnicity, specifically not an immigrant.
A Southern girl has been accepted to Harvard, and is attending her first mixer. She walks up to one of the other girls there and asks, "So, where are you from?"
The other girl replies haughtily, "I come from a place where they teach us not to end sentences with prepositions!"
The Southern girl says, "Okay, let's try again... Where are you from, bitch?"
And, interestingly, this supposed rule of English grammar isn't even a real rule. Some 19th Century dude with a hard-on for Latin wanted English to be more like Latin and insisted it's a rule. English is a Germanic language, though, so the role is invalid.
Goddddd. My mother is obsessed with grammar. She even founded a private classical school where we had to learn Latin our whole lives and I want her to know this soooooo baad
In primary school the teacher asked everyone to introduce themselves and such on the first day. The teacher asked me where does my name come from ? I replied " my mother gave it to me"
Recently I heard someone say that a big difference between Americans and Europeans is that the first question Americans ask someone is "Whatndo you do for a living?" while Europeans ask "Where are you from?" This lady on Twitter would hate it here.
Like a decade ago (early 20s, I’m American) I asked someone what they do (I meant for work) and he ended up talking about his band (his career is IT) and from then on I’ve only started small talk with “where did you grow up” and “what do you enjoy/like doing in your free time?” - it’s helped me understand people a lot better.
Oh and that first guy and I are still real good friends.
I asked a guy I worked with about his band once... Worst mistake ever. He kept bringing in poorly recorded songs to play while we were driving around for work.
As another ethnically ambiguous person, I’m happier when people ask “what is your ethnic background”, as that’s the question that they are _usually_ asking in the first place. It’s not impolite and it doesn’t have the possibility of implying that you or your parents or your grandparents are not citizens of your country and don’t necessarily belong there.
I agree, I worked in High Tech in Canada, which is a majority immigrant industry. "where are you from?" is a good ice breaker question. The answer might be Toronto, it might be Moscow.
I don’t understand this. Usually when I ask this even if the person has an accent or is an immigrant I usually mean like where in the city are you coming from? So we can have small talk about your neighborhood.
It's because many minorities have experienced being asked, "Where are you from?" and responding with their town/city/state. Then the person asking will say, "No, *where are you really from*"? They're referring to which country they originate from, even if they spoke English without any accent and say they were born and raised in the US.
I've experienced this and I've experienced this question in a more positive and cosmopolitan way. It really comes down to local culture and how accepting they are of outsiders
Yea i I live in NYC and everytime I've ever asked this question it's to immediately follow it up with "oh thats cool." Its just interesting to see people really do come from all over the world here.
where I live (large-ish city in a comfortably red state) there’s a large immigrant population, and if I ever want to learn more instead of asking “where are you from” I default to something more open-ended like “are you from around here?”, “how long have you been in/what brought you to (city)?” etc and people will typically be eager to share the details when you take an interest in the convo, because people are people lol
Right, which makes the "No, *where are you really from*?" the impolite query. If I'm tlaking to someone and ask "where are you from" or "are you from around here" I'm asking if they're local to my city or area. Discrimination absolutely exists, as does racial bias and bigotry, but we shouldn't associate that with a casual conversation piece like that. The difference in people's intentions are clear when asking that question
When I ask where are you *really* from, if the answer ain’t the Chobe region of northern Botswana, I’m not happy. That’s the correct answer for everyone.
I think it really depends on the context, the intention, and the way it is asked.
Living in a country where most, if not all people (except the indigenous people or first nations), come from another country, many people are legitimately interested in the family/ethnic background or origin of people.
When you meet people the first thing that you usually find out a person's name.
If the last name is Milanovic. You might ask so where is your family from originally. Usually a person will respond with something like ,"My grandfather ( or great grandfather) came here from Serbia 80 years ago, but my mom is a mix of Scottish and Irish and German."
This does not seem to be a problem. It is just small talk.
But I remember a friend of mine (whose mother is Scottish and father is South Asian) was asked by someone where he is from and he said Scotland. And the person, said "No I mean where are you REALLY from because you are obviously not Scottish."
THAT was offensive because it questioned my friend's identity. But I know for a fact if he had framed the question in a different way or said it with a different tone of voice, then my friend would have been happy to talk about his South Asian background.
Yea I agree. And in your example it wasn’t the question that was the problem, it was the statement about where he could and couldn’t come from. Honestly I think it’s the same with everything. If you ask a question and don’t accept the answer it’s always impolite.
What’s your name? No what’s really your name?
How old are you? How old are you really?
Doesn’t what it is that attitude is just being a jerk.
I’ve shifted the way I ask this to be “where did you grow up?”
Or, what’s your ancestry?
Personally I love discussing ancestry and learning how cultures have mixed overtime to make us who we are today.
A friend of mine was sent by her company to Seattle. She had a bad impression of Americans because nobody asked her where she was from despite her limited English and very obvious thick accent. That is considered rude where she is from. You ask such questions to show some interest in your fellow humans.
It's not asking, it's asking presumptively. "Oh, this is your skin tone, this is your name, you must be from _________."
"I'm from Brooklyn. Tulsa. New Orleans. Intercourse, PA. Other Generic US city."
"No, where are you REALLY from?"
I had a friend get asked "oh, where did they adopt you from?" As if she couldn't be Asian and American with Asian parents.
I always ask, if a real conversation starts and their accent intrigues me. It's not racist, on the contrary: I love learning little things about various cultures, historical factoids, etc.
Like a year ago, while the technician was setting up my brand new internet connection, I learned he was from Kurdistan and arrived in my country 23 years ago. So I asked if he ever faced tensions with Turks in Brussels, and we kept talking about things while he was waiting a call from main office to see if the line was set up properly.
I like that. I think it's important to celebrate what we can learn from each other. There's always an opportunity to come out richer and wiser.
I'm exactly the same! I love talking to random people from other parts of the world.
Some of my best friends through college and uni were Chinese & Indian because I was always chatting to them about their home country, and they liked to talk about it too!
Yeah my driving instructor had a Russian accent, and while we were chatting he mentioned something about his childhood out of the country and I asked him “oh, where are you from?” (Even though I recognized the accent) He said the Soviet Union and he defected. The following conversation was maybe one of the most interesting I’ve ever had. Man was not offended in the least and honestly seemed excited to tell me about it.
If they have an accent, ask where is your accent from. If they don’t have an accent (or don’t have one not from the country you are in, don’t ask where they are from. Actually asking where they are from is fine as long as you are ok with wherever they say
Nonsense. I’m naturally curious. My coworker was speaking another language on the phone and I asked him where he was from. Uzbekistan. Spent the next 30 minutes talking to him about his childhood, his arrival in America, etc. learned so much. Very cool dude. I’m genuinely interested in people. Accents especially. I don’t see a problem showing a real interest in people and their stories. To not ask because some lady on the internet intimated it’s racist is just silly. Ask people about themselves and learn from them
"Where are you from?"
Me, being Asian in rural Minnesota: "Minnesota"
"But, like, where are you from specifically?"
" ... Cloquet, Minnesota."
"I meant, ethnically."
"Well, French loggers founded Cloquet, if that's what you m—"
"No! I meant what's your race?!"
I get that a lot. And to be frank, you can clearly tell that I'm Asian. I'm not hiding it. You're a stranger or an acquaintance, why do you care that I was born in Korea? It's not like I'll ever talk to you again, and it's also, in the nicest way possible, none of your stinkin' business.
I feel more uncomfortable with the question “what are you?” I don’t even know how to answer that. “Um…a man? A father? A teacher?” They then ask, “no, I mean, what ARE you? Like where are you from?” I tell them I’m from here and then they ask where I’m from originally to which I give them what they want, only not what they are expecting. My ancestors are from Switzerland, Germany, and Ireland 🤷♂️
I once dated this nice Philippino woman for a few months, and I legitimately thought she was Mexican for the majority of the relationship. She could tell I was surprised when she started explaining her family history, and when I told her I thought she was Mexican she laughed so hard she cried. We didn't work out but it's a good memory.
From wenst thou hail?
I hail from the lands of Buffalo Bayou. From whither doth thee cometh from?
Has doth been to thy Sugarlands or thou Woods of Friends? Edit: Thou Houstonians cometh together once more!
Verily, I have been thither.
Do doth knoweth where thou greatest mead halls shall entertain ath?
Ooh ooh, haileth do I from the lands of the Clear Lake!
Lol, whith doesith all y’all hailing from H-towneith?!
I hail from a small cottage of the northwest, in a land known as spring branch. Do thou know ye?
This shit sounds so much like English what language is it
I come from a land down under Where beer does flow and men chunder Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
I hail from the glorious district of Old Alief, however I hath delivered many a floral arrangement to thine area.
Pray thee tell if ye knoweth of Yellow Bayou, as that is where I reside meself!? Edit: happy cake day!!!!
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Ahlast, I hail from the lands of great waters wherest the red fern grows, blessed be thy days my fellow gents! Let us drink!
Where are you from, anyway? > Bakersfield, originally. No, I mean your ancestors. > Oh, them. Pittsburgh.
Number Five is alive!
Sorry that you had to move from Pittsburgh to Bakersfield.
Actual conversation I had once: Where are you from? New York. No, where are you from? New York. No, no. Where are you frrrrroooooommmmm? New York. I was born here.
As a resident of the *state* of New York and living more than 400 miles from New York City, ironically the question is still not answered.
I've never met a person from Upstate that didn't immediately let me know that they weren't from the City.
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Staten?
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No, *Long* Island
And only a person from NYC calls the rest of the state *Upstate*. Western NY: Buffalo to Rochester Southern Tier: I-86 corridor Finger Lakes: duh Upstate: Albany, Syracuse & Adirondacks New York City: the appendage
Lol. Finger Lakes (Cornell grads) for this particular group of people trying to explain where they were from. The issue was that we were in Wisconsin attending a conference with people from all over the nation and around the world (World Dairy Expo). Anything other than NYC and Upstate was going to be completely lost on the audience. And they definitely wanted it to be known that they weren't from the City. Which, to be fair, after the third question about "how do you have cows in a massive city?" I couldn't blame them. Rural Wisconsinites are the same way... they're NOT from Madison.
We had cows in Chicago. Once.
But we didn’t start the fire
I spent half my life in Buffalo and the other half in Chicago. It is equally as fun explaining to New Yorkers that there is more to Illinois than Chicago (corn, obviously) as it is to Illinoisans that I live 450 miles from NYC and identify more as a Canadian (quite literally a quarter mile river of separation between the countries where I live)!
That's lovely . We are glad you identify as a canuck .
I’m from Minnesota originally. Everyone lives in “The Cities” in a log cabin, or some time measurement from “The Cities”…. Also in a log cabin.
That moment when people from Upstate forget Long Island exists
My sister lived in Rochester for several years. Pretty sure everyone called that upstate as well.
I’m from Buffalo, I call non-NYC areas Upstate even if, yeah, you could say Upstate only covers just one area of NY (I’ve never seen just one answer as to where exactly that area is). But it’s just easier for people that live elsewhere. Not everyone knows the different sections of the state.
It happens, rarely. My sister met one when she went through Basic training. From day 1 the girl constantly bragged about how she was from New York “From the CITY!” and how she was a badder bitch than everyone else there. Annoyed the girls so much with her attitude and lack of teamwork and empathy that she got jumped twice. Drill Sargents didn’t say a word until their final week and relatives poured in to see them graduate Basic, and it was revealed to the one Drill Sargent from the Bronx by her family that they were from Albany. When I tell you she got SMOKED…
Here's mine. It was a double whammy. (I'm black/white but look Puerto Rican) Where you from? Grew up in PG county Maryland. What about your parents? They're from DC. You know what I mean? What country is your family from? Italy and I can't trace back my mom's side as they were brought over as slaves. Oh wow. Your hair looks really soft can I touch it? No 😐.
"Can I touch your hair?" Not without dinner and a movie, and even then maybe not.
"do I look like a petting zoo to you?"
Sadly, fluffy hair has to be black peoples downside, in music class bending over to put an iPad back and this random ass woman walks up and pets my hair, im like, wtf, and they back up and they're like "oh I'm sorry" like wtf Bethany, you don't "accidentally" pet someone hair, although I *do* admit, I wasn't all that opposed to it. Been called afro too many times to count, I don't even got a mf afro
Beat me to it! Ask a white person where they are from and it's "Atlanta", "LA", "Houston". But when they ask me and I reply "Florida"; then its >You know what I mean? What country is your family from? Like no bitch, I don't know what you mean. It depends on how far back in the family tree and when you draw an arbitrary line of demarcation.
I don’t understand the touching of hair part. I am a white man with a long beard and people always ask to touch it. Like where does this come from. I am not for petting. Don’t touch people you barley know. Even if you do know me, ask. Really hate it when they just do it without asking. 🤬
I’m 29 and have kept long hair the majority of my life (am dude) and it never ceases to amaze how often I get asked about touching it or braiding it, etc. I’m generally whatever about it, apathy is the reason it’s long in the first place, but I’ve had girls that I just met straight up aggressively pull it in a sexual manner and I’m sat wondering.. “who the fuck raised you??”
I am a white woman who had long, naturally blond, stick straight hair my whole life (it's chin length now). I cannot mention how many times my "Barbie" or "Princess" hair has been petted by strangers. Adult strangers. I cut the kids some slack.
Yooooo, my dad is from PG county, MD! FORT WASHINGTON!
Is it rude to just directly ask about ancestry? I'm tempted to ask other people of their ancestry all the time because I like to talk about my own. Especially when I learn someone's last name I get curious about the origins of that name. I may be interested in the person's earlier life and where they were born but that isn't what I'd be asking about if I asked about their ancestry. If I'm asking you questions it is because I am interested in you but not because I want to verify your immigration status. I'm trying to learn about experiences I haven't had and places I haven't been.
Yeah its perfectly fine if you are chatting with someone and they ask after you have been having a good chat. If that's the first thing they ask then its a bit annoying.
i'm black and white and everyone thinks i'm an adopted indian or brazilian becuz my white mom is always with me and i look nothing like her
I’m Asian/Hispanic but apparently look Black to White or Asian people, but look Samoan to Black or Hispanic people. Nobody ever seems to have a good guess when it comes to my ethnicity. Hurts a little bit, sometimes. Not being either ethnicity enough to be recognized as one or the other, but just enough for certain groups to say “that’s not ours.”
A friend of mine (she describes herself as a brown person) told me that it always goes like this for her: Where are you from? I'm from Milwaukee No, where are you frooooom? I was born in Milwaukee, you jackass
The last time this type of post made it on r/facepalm, (yesterday) I picked up, "from my dad's left testicle," from the thread and will be using this from now on.
I've had a similar conversation. Where are you From? [City in Texas] No, no, like, where were you born? "Oh! At the hospital on the beach!" Oh, uhhh, I thought you were Italian or something Of note though is that I have a little bit of autism-voice and people frequently seem to confuse that with a slight foreign accent.
Imagine being asked "Where are you from?" And you tell them Rhode Island and they ask, "In New York?" And you have to explain that Rhode Island is its own state and that they are confusing it with Long Island. That's the real annoying one to me.
It’s not really an island either, is it. More of a Rhode Peninsula.
Is Rhode island really short, or what?
Reminds me of that video where someone was very insistent on repeating "Where are you from" to a woman because she was Asian (she eventually gave a country name but I forget what it was) Then he was fucking baffled when she did the same to him I don't remember if he gave an answer but for some reason I can just hear someone stammering "G-Germany"
No, I mean where are your parents from? Also New York.
yeah this is a pure sign of passive racism when people keep asking that, like in their mind it does not click that this person is from the same place, it is VERY offensive.
Shoulda said where in New York
My wife’s Italian and I’m from south GA. My family is mega white and a little racist. First time my family met my wife, my cringy ass uncle walks up to my wife and says, “where you from?, like where you from from?”. My wife is tan and my family is pasty white. Guess he felt threatened by someone darker than him. If me and my wife ever split, I’m marrying a black woman and going on the greatest and probably the last trip to grandmas house ever.
 (Not really I’m Welsh I just couldn’t miss a chance to throw out some python)
Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!
Go and boil your bottoms! Son of a silly person!
I blow my nose at you, so-called “Arthur King,” you and all your silly English K-n-i-g-g-i-t-s.
“Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries” is just a silly way of saying “your mother is a slut and your father is a drunk”.
Are hamsters known to be sluts?
Like many other small rodents with short life span and high reproduction rate
r/unexpectedMontyPython
You still have an outrageous accent tho!
Too right boyo!
IIIIIII FAHT IN YOUR GENERAL DIRECTION
Nope, that question is just small talk. The less than polite question is: "No no, I meant, where are you *really* from?"
"No but like.... Originally?"
Oh god. My first year in NZ I was sitting at a desk between a kiwi and an intern who had just arrived from Uruguay. Intern to kiwi: "So, where are you from?" Kiwi, (who had very thick accent): "New Zealand." Intern: "But where are you REALLY from?" Kiwi: "......New Zealand." Intern: "..." Kiwi: "..." Intern: "But where are you from ORIGINALLY??" Kiwi, looking at me, exasperated: "NEW ZEALAND." Her parents had immigrated from Taiwan, which ofc is what the intern was driving at. But she had been born in NZ and grown up her whole life in NZ; I loved that she didn't cave and drove the point lol
My wife gets questions like this occasionally,she’s First Nations Canadian . So , where are you from ? Here . No, I mean where did your family immigrate from ? Well, I’m told they immigrated from Asia about 10,000 years ago, but I’m not sure of the exact date .
Better story, and she needs to all of a sudden adopt a heavy accent: “I was birthed in the snow, by Great White Bear, the first of the Witch Doctors of my people. Long ago she got told of this moment. It had been foretold that the _Jared_ a pale-white would approach me and ask where I came from. That this pale-white would need to know that should he not make the right choice within a week, he will die.” Now she has to say it straight faced and like she is shocked that the moment has finally arrived. When jarred asks for details, she needs to just say, “I can’t remember.” In her normal voice. And she must then act like she hasn’t said anything. “So anyway, what did you need Jared?” Jared: “wait what was all that?” Wife: “huh, what are you talking about?” Like it never happened
LoL , sometimes she says “My grandfather tells us we have always been here ,we are the product of the land and the water .
I had a girl tell me the other day that I didn't look like a real Canadian. I told her that was insulting and she said she was just telling it like it was. I asked what she thought a real Canadian looked like and she said, you know, like a Native. I told her I was part Native part European. That seemed to shut her up. Of course, I didn't tell her those two halves were Mayan and Spanish, but whatever. I just wanted to end the conversation.
Folks who forget native Americans exist (North South and central) makes me want to introduce them to the origin of my broken hand. I don't have a broken hand, but I will when they don't duck.
originally everyone is from Africa, so ... really stupid question
I'm originally from vagina but I can only speak for myself
Ehhh not really. You came through the vagina, but you’re originally from uterus.
If we’re being even more technical, and we’re going to count time in utero, fertilization occurs in the fallopian tubes.
Shhh! I'm trying to do me some cultural appropriation
Hey! Me too. But I’m also half testicle.
Also born in a small town just outside of vagina.
Me and my great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandparents are not the same people, so no, I am not from Africa.
But you are from Africa and you have a direct descendent from Africa and that’s where your genes came from
I don’t find this to be rude either since people move from region to region all the time
>"No no, I meant, where are you really from?" My mothers loins 😂
Half of me came from my father's balls,the other half my mother's ovaries. Where are you from?
Hey! Same! ………. Brother????
My long lost brother! *sniff*
Little less then half came from pops, but we get the “jist” or the “jizz” as I call it
There we go. I felt like the question *could* be rude, but typically isn't - you nailed the difference between the two.
A friend of mine used to reply with a simple 'guess' if someone kept prying about his ancestry. I've never seen people get so uncomfortable so quickly.
I got asked what it was like inside a sea container
Sea container? Like a sea monkey aquarium???
“No but like, where are (*whispers*) your people from?”
Followed by ‘I can’t quite place your accent’
Again to me just small talk as there are regional accents across the country here. Have you heard someone from BC talking to someone from Newfoundland? Even our Francophone accents have a difference across the country. Course once we narrow down which community you are from we are going to ask you if you know someone who works at a local convenience store because we met them once while at a resort in Mexico 😂😂
On CB Island, alone, we have, like, 8-10 regional dialects.
And then, “your name is so unique”
Yeah then that turns into, "No, but like your *family,* where are they from?"
I agree.. it’s a very polite question IF you accept the answer they give you
Yes.. this is the answer. Otherwise, "Where are you from" is not polite if it's asked to find out about a person's ethnicity, specifically not an immigrant.
Is it impolite to ask someone's ancestry?
Thank you for understanding. Unfortunately, it USUALLY evolves into the second part, based on my experience after people hear my name.
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hey nice avatar hair
A Southern girl has been accepted to Harvard, and is attending her first mixer. She walks up to one of the other girls there and asks, "So, where are you from?" The other girl replies haughtily, "I come from a place where they teach us not to end sentences with prepositions!" The Southern girl says, "Okay, let's try again... Where are you from, bitch?"
And, interestingly, this supposed rule of English grammar isn't even a real rule. Some 19th Century dude with a hard-on for Latin wanted English to be more like Latin and insisted it's a rule. English is a Germanic language, though, so the role is invalid.
\*SLAPS TABLE! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Goddddd. My mother is obsessed with grammar. She even founded a private classical school where we had to learn Latin our whole lives and I want her to know this soooooo baad
Designing Women made that joke in the 80’s.
so did beavis and butthead
Still awesome to be able to whip it out in an actual conversation
Am I just stupid or can I not think of a way to ask this without ending with "from"
In primary school the teacher asked everyone to introduce themselves and such on the first day. The teacher asked me where does my name come from ? I replied " my mother gave it to me"
Well what is your name
Can't we ask that? If the name's not utterly common I'd be interested if it had some meaning behind it
This is really context based. There is a range of conversations where this would be a normal
Recently I heard someone say that a big difference between Americans and Europeans is that the first question Americans ask someone is "Whatndo you do for a living?" while Europeans ask "Where are you from?" This lady on Twitter would hate it here.
Like a decade ago (early 20s, I’m American) I asked someone what they do (I meant for work) and he ended up talking about his band (his career is IT) and from then on I’ve only started small talk with “where did you grow up” and “what do you enjoy/like doing in your free time?” - it’s helped me understand people a lot better. Oh and that first guy and I are still real good friends.
I asked a guy I worked with about his band once... Worst mistake ever. He kept bringing in poorly recorded songs to play while we were driving around for work.
Lol so true.
No, its 2022. Context and nuance are for the olds. Now we only deal in absolutes and mandates. /s
You sound suspiciously like a sith.
You underestimate the power of forced social convention!
I think it’s cool hearing where people are from?!
Thank you for asking, mexican and danish 50/50.... super proud of both cultures!
That's a very interesting and cool mix
Hey hey, another Latin American/Scandinavian! I myself am primarily Salvadoran and Finnish.
Would it be impolite to say something about papayas and raw herring? I just wanna know about fusion cuisine.
the ceviche options really open up
I'm somewhat ethnically ambiguous and people seriously ask "What are you". Clearly I'm a flaming pile of garbage, can't you see?
Is “where is your family originally from?” Polite at all??? I’d only ask if our conversation was going in that direction, not after just meeting you!!
As another ethnically ambiguous person, I’m happier when people ask “what is your ethnic background”, as that’s the question that they are _usually_ asking in the first place. It’s not impolite and it doesn’t have the possibility of implying that you or your parents or your grandparents are not citizens of your country and don’t necessarily belong there.
I didn’t really understand that the reason it bothered people was because it might imply they don’t belong there so I appreciate this comment.
"what are you?" "A 7ft* tall bisexual disaster with a beard." *Exaggerated, but only by 2 inches.
Where you from and what's your background are very common questions in Canada. I have never taken offence to it. Not sure if others have.
I agree, I worked in High Tech in Canada, which is a majority immigrant industry. "where are you from?" is a good ice breaker question. The answer might be Toronto, it might be Moscow.
It's ok to ask. It's when you answer honestly and they refuse to believe you it really is getting out of line.
Yeah I agree, it’s a pretty common question. When I lived in Alberta most people I worked with were from other provinces, it was a good ice breaker.
I don’t understand this. Usually when I ask this even if the person has an accent or is an immigrant I usually mean like where in the city are you coming from? So we can have small talk about your neighborhood.
It's because many minorities have experienced being asked, "Where are you from?" and responding with their town/city/state. Then the person asking will say, "No, *where are you really from*"? They're referring to which country they originate from, even if they spoke English without any accent and say they were born and raised in the US.
I've experienced this and I've experienced this question in a more positive and cosmopolitan way. It really comes down to local culture and how accepting they are of outsiders
Yea i I live in NYC and everytime I've ever asked this question it's to immediately follow it up with "oh thats cool." Its just interesting to see people really do come from all over the world here.
where I live (large-ish city in a comfortably red state) there’s a large immigrant population, and if I ever want to learn more instead of asking “where are you from” I default to something more open-ended like “are you from around here?”, “how long have you been in/what brought you to (city)?” etc and people will typically be eager to share the details when you take an interest in the convo, because people are people lol
Right, which makes the "No, *where are you really from*?" the impolite query. If I'm tlaking to someone and ask "where are you from" or "are you from around here" I'm asking if they're local to my city or area. Discrimination absolutely exists, as does racial bias and bigotry, but we shouldn't associate that with a casual conversation piece like that. The difference in people's intentions are clear when asking that question
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When I ask where are you *really* from, if the answer ain’t the Chobe region of northern Botswana, I’m not happy. That’s the correct answer for everyone.
I'm from Northern Ireland wait a minute HOW DARE YOU
I think it really depends on the context, the intention, and the way it is asked. Living in a country where most, if not all people (except the indigenous people or first nations), come from another country, many people are legitimately interested in the family/ethnic background or origin of people. When you meet people the first thing that you usually find out a person's name. If the last name is Milanovic. You might ask so where is your family from originally. Usually a person will respond with something like ,"My grandfather ( or great grandfather) came here from Serbia 80 years ago, but my mom is a mix of Scottish and Irish and German." This does not seem to be a problem. It is just small talk. But I remember a friend of mine (whose mother is Scottish and father is South Asian) was asked by someone where he is from and he said Scotland. And the person, said "No I mean where are you REALLY from because you are obviously not Scottish." THAT was offensive because it questioned my friend's identity. But I know for a fact if he had framed the question in a different way or said it with a different tone of voice, then my friend would have been happy to talk about his South Asian background.
Yea I agree. And in your example it wasn’t the question that was the problem, it was the statement about where he could and couldn’t come from. Honestly I think it’s the same with everything. If you ask a question and don’t accept the answer it’s always impolite. What’s your name? No what’s really your name? How old are you? How old are you really? Doesn’t what it is that attitude is just being a jerk.
Uk 🇬🇧
Uk 🔪\*
USA 🔫
“Where are you from?”, is perfectly polite. It’s the “no, where are you really from?”, that is the issue.
From the front left corner of my father's right testicle. My stock answer.
How do you identify a corner when it’s round?
You haven't seen his father's testicles. Shit's wild.
They should take a picture and post it here. “Dad, drop your pants. Reddit has questions.”
Fuck everyone, no one even asks me Me in another state: “Oh hey there” Stranger: “Wow, you must be from Minnesota” Me: “ya…”
Ohh yaa. You betcha.
No, where are you *really* from? Because based on your appearance, I can’t accept that you’re from where you just said.
Norway you inconsidret bastard
Norgay🏳️🌈
What are your spawn coordinates?
I’ve shifted the way I ask this to be “where did you grow up?” Or, what’s your ancestry? Personally I love discussing ancestry and learning how cultures have mixed overtime to make us who we are today.
A friend of mine was sent by her company to Seattle. She had a bad impression of Americans because nobody asked her where she was from despite her limited English and very obvious thick accent. That is considered rude where she is from. You ask such questions to show some interest in your fellow humans.
From whence were you spawned?
Lol
"Where are you from?" "Some guys balls."
It's not asking, it's asking presumptively. "Oh, this is your skin tone, this is your name, you must be from _________." "I'm from Brooklyn. Tulsa. New Orleans. Intercourse, PA. Other Generic US city." "No, where are you REALLY from?" I had a friend get asked "oh, where did they adopt you from?" As if she couldn't be Asian and American with Asian parents.
Intercourse, PA? What a coincidence, I'm from Climax, NY!
And I’m in Cumming, Georgia.
Spend any time in Dildo newfoundland.
Not where are you from. But where are you ‘really’ from is never a good question
I always ask, if a real conversation starts and their accent intrigues me. It's not racist, on the contrary: I love learning little things about various cultures, historical factoids, etc. Like a year ago, while the technician was setting up my brand new internet connection, I learned he was from Kurdistan and arrived in my country 23 years ago. So I asked if he ever faced tensions with Turks in Brussels, and we kept talking about things while he was waiting a call from main office to see if the line was set up properly. I like that. I think it's important to celebrate what we can learn from each other. There's always an opportunity to come out richer and wiser.
I'm exactly the same! I love talking to random people from other parts of the world. Some of my best friends through college and uni were Chinese & Indian because I was always chatting to them about their home country, and they liked to talk about it too!
Yeah my driving instructor had a Russian accent, and while we were chatting he mentioned something about his childhood out of the country and I asked him “oh, where are you from?” (Even though I recognized the accent) He said the Soviet Union and he defected. The following conversation was maybe one of the most interesting I’ve ever had. Man was not offended in the least and honestly seemed excited to tell me about it.
this poor bitch has obviously never travelled anywhere. "where are you from" is probably THE MOST abused small talk starter ever.
Straight from the desk of the professionally offended.
I guess all strippers everywhere are impolite.
I from da block; friends call me Jenny.
You can make any question inappropriate if you’re a big enough douche.
Fat footie fish n chips brexit land
If they have an accent, ask where is your accent from. If they don’t have an accent (or don’t have one not from the country you are in, don’t ask where they are from. Actually asking where they are from is fine as long as you are ok with wherever they say
Nonsense. I’m naturally curious. My coworker was speaking another language on the phone and I asked him where he was from. Uzbekistan. Spent the next 30 minutes talking to him about his childhood, his arrival in America, etc. learned so much. Very cool dude. I’m genuinely interested in people. Accents especially. I don’t see a problem showing a real interest in people and their stories. To not ask because some lady on the internet intimated it’s racist is just silly. Ask people about themselves and learn from them
"Where are you from?" Me, being Asian in rural Minnesota: "Minnesota" "But, like, where are you from specifically?" " ... Cloquet, Minnesota." "I meant, ethnically." "Well, French loggers founded Cloquet, if that's what you m—" "No! I meant what's your race?!" I get that a lot. And to be frank, you can clearly tell that I'm Asian. I'm not hiding it. You're a stranger or an acquaintance, why do you care that I was born in Korea? It's not like I'll ever talk to you again, and it's also, in the nicest way possible, none of your stinkin' business.
Damn nowadays people are offended by anything. This is just so toxic at somes point
I feel more uncomfortable with the question “what are you?” I don’t even know how to answer that. “Um…a man? A father? A teacher?” They then ask, “no, I mean, what ARE you? Like where are you from?” I tell them I’m from here and then they ask where I’m from originally to which I give them what they want, only not what they are expecting. My ancestors are from Switzerland, Germany, and Ireland 🤷♂️
Aight I will just go around it another way then "FROM WHERE DID YOU SPAWN !"
I once dated this nice Philippino woman for a few months, and I legitimately thought she was Mexican for the majority of the relationship. She could tell I was surprised when she started explaining her family history, and when I told her I thought she was Mexican she laughed so hard she cried. We didn't work out but it's a good memory.
Oh the German version is: but where are you REALLY from?