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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote]
I don't really think these are fair comparisons.  [b]Religion and political affiliation are known hot-button topics that routinely divide people.[/b]  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.  [/quote]

And race is NOT?!?  Race is most definitely a hot-button topic.  And by highlighting someone's race, whether it is physically evident or not, immediately says that you place more  importance on my race and what you can learn about it than about me as an individual.  It is EXACTLY like asking about religion or political affiliation as it places the emphasis that your race, religion or political affiliation allows me to either make assumptions or learn more about this group that you belong to rather than as you as an individual.  And that I don't have a say whether I am affiliated with that or not.  If I'm several generations removed from my ancestry, don't know much about the culture and don't identify myself with the culture, you are placing that emphasis on me whether I want it or not.  Just like people categorize blacks or Hispanics without knowing how much they identify with those cultures.

As PPs have mentioned, you need to wait until you know me better and find out how much I identify with my cultural background, or even IF I identify with it to determine whether it is significant enough to make it a point of conversation.

[quote]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.
[/quote]

The problem is that 90% of people who ask this question follow it up with further inappropriate questions or associations, much like the OP's experience.  And especially in the situation that the OP was in, it was also off-topic, unless they were demonstrating that they didn't know what they were teaching their students and that making wild and inappropriate associations was an appropriate thing to teach students.

[quote]
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]

I find it offensive that despite the fact that I was born and raised in the United States and am as American as the next guy, that I am still treated as a foreigner.  I find it offensive that when my colleague who is an immigrant but white is not being asked questions such as "Where are you from?" that make him feel like an outsider or foreigner, I am.  You assume o r at least make me feel like you assume that I am not from here, I am not American and I am not "one of us" but don't treat the Caucasian person who is a foreigner that way.

Until you know how much importance *I* place on my ethnic heritage, then you shouldn't place more importance on it than I do because otherwise you imply that my heritage is more important than I, as an individual, am.[/quote]

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