Reply to Kind of Felt Uncomfortable Because of My Ethnicity On a Tour

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[quote=SAM2][quote=Anonymous]... would you ask someone their religion or political affiliation or sexual orientation at first meeting?  All of these are questions in which the answers have frequently been used to exclude or persecute people. Would you ask for someone's weight?  It's good policy to avoid asking people questions on first meeting that they may not want to disclose or that are often asked for reasons other than wanting to get to know someone better.  If it mattered to the poster HE'd disclose it in conversation.   [/quote]
I don't really think these are fair comparisons.  Religion and political affiliation are known hot-button topics that routinely divide people.  Sexual orientation and weight are not only hot-button topics, but are also issues that many people keep private and closely hidden.  By contrast, a person's ancestry is often somewhat evident on her face.

It's also something that many people are intensely curious about.  There's that "Who do you think you are?" show, and 60,000 web pages dissecting the ancestry of people like Tiger Woods and various other celebrities.

I don't see what is offensive about asking the question.  Sure, if someone is making negative and unfair inferences about you, based on your response to the question, that's a problem.  But I imagine the question itself is just part of human interaction.  No more offensive or intrusive than asking me where I grew up, or what I do for a living.  Besides if I really don't want to answer your question, no one can make me.  There are plenty of ways to brush off that question without really responding.

If you think questions about your ancestry or ethnic background are offensive, what is it you find offensive about those questions?  Please educate me.[/quote]

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