Up until I started working, I didn’t really encounter that question. When I did start working, people started asking me that question.
Them: Where are you from?
Me: Canada.
Them: Where are your grandparents from?
Me: Canada.
Them: Ok, where are your great grandparents from?
Me: Canada.
It’s irritating sometimes. I just want to exist, do my job and go home, like anyone else. Once is ok, twice is odd, three times is weird, and the fourth time is a pattern.
The only accent that I might have would probably be from Newfoundland, Canada, as I grew up with a lot of people from there. I also talk too fast sometimes.
Have you had similar experiences, and if so, how did you handle it? Can fast speech patterns cause this? Why do random people care so much?
Asking where you are from is pretty normal conversation, especially if you have a noticeable accent. Asking where your parents/grandparents/etc are from is less common. Are you by chance not-white? Sometimes these sorts of questions have a race element to them
Yeah, asking where someone’s from is completely normal but asking where their parents/family is from automatically sets off some racism red flags
Asking where someone’s from is already racist. As white, no one ask me where I am from, or only in late conversation for specific reason. My non-white wife get this question every single time she met a new person.
I think I look pretty white, tbh
Well you either look or sound funny/different. I’d say since you get asked about grandparents etc it’s not sound, so you don’t look local Canadian.
You say you look “pretty” white, that’s like how “not really” isn’t a “no”.
ok, but are you? what’s your ethnicity? Just wondering.
This is often a proxy for a different question.
And that question is “why isn’t your skin the same colour as mine?”
Well, if he’s from Canada (as I am, no hate!), the answer is “We get like 4 hours of sunlight per day here.” I wear shades to block the glare of my own reflection in the snow.
It’s also a form of othering. You are different and they are establishing why
they’re trying to figure out your race or whatever
That’s exactly what it is.
Light haired white people don’t generally recieve this type of question.
I mean, there is a chance that somewhere along the way someone was sneaky, so 🤷♀️
Sounds like the correct answer to the question is Newfoundland, if it isn’t the accent it is probably some regional colloquialisms.
When someone asks me where I am from I normally say the city / province. I would never answer Canada while I was in Canada having the conversation.
Exactly, that’s just a weird non social answer
Also some Newfies I’ve met have an odd mix of Irish/Scottish/Canadian accent that really threw me the first time I heard it.
I’m not from Canada (but within 1/2 day drive or less my whole life), but I think if the first answer I got was Canada, the next question I might ask would be what part/province?
Yeah OP if you’re from Canada, and you’re in Canada, the normal response is to be more specific. That’s like saying you’re “from Earth”.
They’re either making conversation or racist, depending on context. Answering the country you’re from if you’re currently in that country is pretty odd.
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I would say Canada because I’m multiple generations deep and it feels the most accurate.
So are you autistic? Because the literal-mindedness of your answers and the lack of awareness of how to engage in small talk is telling. I say this as one on the spectrum myself; it took me a long time to understand this is just an attempt to establish social connections by finding points of commonality. “Oh, you’re from Calgary? I used to live there, too! Did you know a store called Myth Games?” Neurotypical people are also waiting for you to ask the same things in return and often feel miffed if you don’t show any curiosity about them.
I might or might not be. I was tested as a child, but my parents were told that I had ADHD. They could have been wrong, though. I’ll keep my mind open and maybe get checked out again at some point though.
I would agree with you about the small talk thing, but I could also argue that some people just suck at small talk. ADHD, trauma, behavioural diagnosis, etc could all be a cause. I would also argue that most people would pick up on someone avoiding a topic. If I get one worded answers, I’ll usually move on to the next thing or I’ll let that person be. I won’t usually keep asking someone the same question in different ways if I don’t get an answer the first couple of times haha.
I’m a white Australian and I get asked this all the time. Mostly they’re just trying to make conversation and since most people at work are migrants it’s a natural conversation starter. Sometimes they are looking to remind me that the only real Australians are the indigenous peoples and I am, therefore, British. This what you get labelled if you say your background is English/Irish lol. My favourite was being called British by a mixed German/Brazilian who insisted he was Spanish.
In countries with a lot of immigration and diversity I think it’s natural for people to talk about this. I like hearing about what life was like for people in Tibet, or Myanmar, Eritrea, Cook Islands etc. I don’t think it carries the same level of racist connotations as it used to. How are we supposed to have cultural exchange if we can’t talk about our backgrounds?___
And besides, more and more people from around the world are going to be going to other places around the world to find better opportunities. It’s gonna be ramping up exponentially if we don’t at least try to get a handle on climate change.
As a mixed third generation immigrant, I get this a lot. In my experience, most people want to know my ethnicity, but for some reason they never ask me that directly.
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It’s just a standard office getting to know you small talk thing. You’ll get used to it.
FYI, they were looking for you to actually talk and engage with them, not a one word answer. Tell them what part of Canada, that your family was part of the Canada-US wars and locked the US’s. And most importantly, ask them something in return…
Skating it once might be standard. But asking where the grandparents are from is kind of strange
Maybe, but they were probably thrown off or annoyed by his weird one word answer. Replying “Canada” when you’re in Canada is just strange.
Yes, indeed. That’s also strange.
But asking where the grandparents are from is kind of strange
Yeah, that’s almost always a question based on racism.
After the second time you should just respond “don’t overthink it”
So, Sam, where are you from?
They got movie theaters there?
Pppppp ppppp ppppppppp ppppp pppp?
I’ve watched a lot of Canadian TV and worked with a lot of Canadians and the Newfy accent is pretty distinct, even in Canada. If you’ve just got a touch of it you might sound vaguely Irish or Scottish. That would explain why people are asking where you’re from.
Anyone who’s asked you four times where you’re from is not paying attention.
I would imagine they’re trying to ask what someone’s ethnicity is but forgot the word for it.
