Reply to Is there a non-offensive way to ask where someone’s ancestors are from?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
"So where are you from, originally?"

I am half white european, half asian, have a mixed accent because I have lived in many different countries, and am not American.

IT IS FINE TO ASK.

Americans get offended for the most irrational of reasons. It makes your case against true racism and xenophobia far less strong when you tear each other apart over ridiculous cases of "cultural appropriation" and weird hang-ups against asking people where they're from.

What's important is your tone. Be warm and friendly.
[/quote]
+1

-signed an Asian American whose foreign DH gets asked this all the time and he's never offended.

Now, if you were to ask me even though I have no accent, I would say "I'm from <insert x state here>".. because that is where I am from.  If you then proceed to ask me "no.. where are you *really* from", I will say, "oh, are you asking about my ethnicity?"... I will answer, "I'm <insert asian ethnicity here".   Then I will say, "where are you *really* from".  If they say, "from OH [for example]", then I would say, "no... where are you *really really* from".

Just ask people's ethnicity if you really want to know, but be prepared to answer yourself, and no, there is no such thing as an "American" ethnicity.  If you don't know, just say, "i'm probably a European mut" because chances are, many white Americans are mixed European ethnicities.[/quote]

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