this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2024
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Asklemmy

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103
Why do people keep asking where I'm from? (lemmy.ca)
submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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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?

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[โ€“] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago (1 children)

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...

[โ€“] [email protected] 20 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Skating it once might be standard. But asking where the grandparents are from is kind of strange

[โ€“] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago (2 children)

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.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Yes, indeed. That's also strange.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

OP says this has happened multiple times though

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

But asking where the grandparents are from is kind of strange

Yeah, that's almost always a question based on racism.