> as immigrants, we always get ‘where are you from originally’. That question in the US usually means either 1) your accent is noticeably not American, or 2) y

> as immigrants, we always get ‘where are you from originally’. That question in the US usually means either 1) your accent is noticeably not American, or 2) you or your ancestors didn't come to the US from Europe or via the African diaspora. Native Americans get asked that question. Fourth-generation Chinese-Americans get asked that question. Puerto Ricans are asked that question. But a white friend of mine, born in the US to English parents, with no noticeable non-US accent, doesn't get asked that question. So "where are you from originally" comes across not about "immigrant" but about being "different" and even with an implication of being a second-class citizen. See for example the opinions given at https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2017/08/opinion/where-im-really-from/ https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2017/08/opinion/where-im... . Quoting Samantha Geovjian Clarke, born in the US, raised in Portland, Oregon: > Sometimes I think they feel like it's more polite to ask ambiguously "where are you from?" or "what are you?" because they're afraid to say race, ethnicity, heritage or nationality – lots of white people don't even know the difference. But they end up being hurtful and displaying deep-seated biases about race by implying I'm not really from America if I'm brown, even though I was born here, or worse, implying that I'm not human because I'm brown (with the "what are you?" question). If the question "where are you from originally" and variants are interpreted by many as a sign of intolerance, and not simply one of curiosity - which it surely is for some! - then perhaps it's not a particularly effective counter-example? If you want to dig down deeper to get to the root of this specific issue, here are some resources which talk about it: "Everyday Racism: ‘Where Are You Really From?’" at https://theglobepost.com/2017/08 https://theglobepost.com/2017/08 , /10/everyday-racism/ ; "Is It Racist to Ask People Where They're From?" at https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/07/question-where-are-you-from-racist/373818/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/07/qu... ; and an essay more focused on examples of when that question is asked with racist overtones, "“Where Are You From?” Racial Microaggressions" at https://othersociologist.com/2017/07/15/where-are-you-from-racial-microaggressions/ https://othersociologist.com/2017/07/15/where-are-you-from-r... .