https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:11:37 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup/page/2#post-111351 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:29:07 +0000 cheesetomywhine 111351@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@miss-spunkin: Thanks so much! I do too, she's the cutest little thing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-111332 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:20:27 +0000 joyjoy 111332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jos1e267: I'm from the Bay Area, too, and I know that people here don't ask these things very often. That's why I know that when they ask me, it's out of genuine curiosity/confusion, so I'm not offended. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-111113 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:13:06 +0000 Mrs. Pen 111113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cheesetomywhine: I hope she embraces it because Cambodian women are lovely!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110925 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:19:11 +0000 j0s1e267 110925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mr Bee, yeap!!! I got a ton of 'Konichiwa!' in Europe!!!!! Thankfully such incidences are rare in the Bay Area. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110890 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:39:27 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 110890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pastemoo: Hahaha, I love that response, though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110882 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:30:35 +0000 lavender 110882@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: You hit the nail on the head. I equally hate that as much as the "Where are you from" question. It's very annoying and awkard. My response usually is, "um yeah..." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110737 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:35:22 +0000 pastemoo 110737@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I get this a lot. From various sides, I'm 9th to 4th generation American, but "foreign" looking. Everyone likes to argue with me where I;m from.<br /> When I'm busy I just say "America" and they say, and before that? And I say "America--it's a country of immigrants, but once we're here, we're from here. Are you from here, too?" And I usually manage to say it in a reallynice way that makes people smile.<br /> Sounds awful typed, though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110719 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:43:19 +0000 mrbee 110719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@j0s1e267: Haha good point! It's pretty annoying when people try and guess your ethnicity. The only thing worse is when people try and use your language to say hello. </p> <p>"Ni hao ma!" Ugh... you're an idiot. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110718 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:22:11 +0000 j0s1e267 110718@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mr Bee, reading your entry and all the above comments puts things in perspective for me. It sounds like whether you were born here or migrated here at age 6 or 30, we all get asked the same questions. It is not offensive if it is genuine curiosity. It is both annoying and offensive when you receive stereotypical comments like 'Your English is so good!'. What irkes me is when they think all Asians are the same and I hate being identified with the wrong ethinicity. It's like don't even go there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110708 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:11:54 +0000 teaberry 110708@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also, I can relate to "needing" to dress nicely... not for race, but for age. :) I know that it's supposed to be nice to look young, but I'm in the camp of having to avoid hoodies, sweatshirts and non-form-fitting t-shirts to avoid being viewed as a teen and treated accordingly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110707 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:07:17 +0000 teaberry 110707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@miss-spunkin: I like that :). That sounds like a nice way to weave it into the conversation, and besides, I think people ought to tell others more often if they truly think they're beautiful (just thinking of all the negative self-image out there...). </p> <p>I feel like I've been getting asked less what my "ethnicity / nationality / place of origin" is these days, and more along specific lines. "Are you Chinese / Japanese / Korean?" </p> <p>My mom (100% Korean) was once asked in rural NC if she was French. We still don't know what to make of that... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110670 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:19:10 +0000 Mrs. Pen 110670@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I ask, it's usually much later in the conversation and I usually ask "what's your heritage?", which sound more respectful in my mind, and like you said, doesn't imply any sort of "un-Americanness".<br /> Or sometimes I really like someone's look and think they're beautiful, so I will ask, " oh I love you hair/eyes/etc, what is your heritage?" and everyone is always flattered when it's phrased that way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110655 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:49:07 +0000 Grace 110655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lemondrop: Me too! We had a whole month in some grade in elementary school devoted to multiculturalism and we were doing projects based on the classes different ethnicities. I was so jealous of the kids that had so many different backgrounds. I thought (and still kind of do think) that mine was boring! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110649 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:34:43 +0000 mediagirl 110649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like to find out as much about people I am spending time with or friends I am spending time with as possible. I won't come out and say, where are you from if it is someone I just met. I do want to know more about you if we're spending time together. I usually ask people where they are from and expect an answer like Ohio or Florida. If I want to know what someone's ethnicity is, I'll either wait until it comes up somehow or wait until we're closer friends to ask. That being said, if someone is speaking another language fluently, I will mention how great it must be to be bilingual and might see how they learned their languages. </p> <p>I can understand the same exact question gets so old, though. I don't think it's polite to ask someone where they are from if you don't really know them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110319 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:00:13 +0000 Modern Daisy 110319@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: That's a great tip! Unfortunately though I can't really afford to do that. We probably go out to a nice place once a month at the absolute most, usually more like once every three months. We are excellent tippers though - for us the least we leave is 20% and that's only if the service is bad or just nothing special. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110313 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:44:22 +0000 mrbee 110313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Modern Daisy: The secret to getting a good table: go to the same restaurant a few times during a single week, and leave a great tip. Then in the future, whenever you go to that restaurant you will always get an amazing table! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110308 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:35:37 +0000 Modern Daisy 110308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know, I guess we are kind of young considering the average restaurant goer at an upscale place. Not that we eat at expensive places that often, only for special occasions. But I am not even exaggerating when I say that I literally have to ask for a different table every time we go out. Sometimes I won't if the worst table isn't terrible, but it usually is. Right next to the kitchen or next to the cc machine and silverware station where all the servers hang out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110303 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:31:15 +0000 MamaMoose 110303@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Modern Daisy: hubs and I get this every now and then we decided it's because we're young and so they don't expect us to be big spenders. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110293 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:23:20 +0000 Modern Daisy 110293@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It annoys me too. Mostly because I don't know exactly what I am since I"m so mixed. People aren't easily willing to accept that and ask a lot of follow up probing questions that honestly are none of their business and I don't even know the answers to.</p> <p>As far as dressing nice to get treated better in NYC, I'm still figuring this out! Every time I go to a nice restaurant I get seated at the worst table. I'm convinced it's because I'm not dressing nice enough or I'm not pretty enough. I have an excellent opentable reputation though, so I don't know what else it could be! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110282 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:14:43 +0000 Red 110282@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I understand why other people may feel offended by the question but I'm not offended personally. When people ask me where I'm from, I usually respond with, "What do you mean? city, country, ethnicity?" Although I live in a pretty diverse city so I don't get asked much anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110214 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:59:09 +0000 lemondrop 110214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm from that mythical Caucasia (that cracked me up!). My husband and I are both descended from several locations in Europe, but compared to some, it is nothing too exciting. I didn't even get the red hair that most of my family has. </p> <p>I've always been jealous of those with interesting heritages. I know it is a pain in the rear question to hear all of your life, but I've never heard it. I guess it is similar to the usual pregnancy questions you get- only it lasts your whole life. </p> <p>Also I am also jealous of those with accents, even regional accents- growing up in AZ, there is none. No cowboy drawl, nothing interesting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110193 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:42:36 +0000 cheesetomywhine 110193@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think this will happen with my sister. She is only six but my mum has mentioned that an older woman asked her (my sister) where she was from...she responsed from her birth mother's tummy and the town she lives in. They live in a non-diverse area. I've gotten asked where she's from before, I just say America and if they're still curious that she is Cambodian. I don't think it has been said in an offensive manner, more so people just being curious but again she is only six. As a side note she has been big into skin color lately and not so happy to acknowledge that she is Asian, not sure where it came from but hopefully she outgrows it and becomes proud! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110161 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:07:14 +0000 regberadaisy 110161@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You know for some reason I've never been bothered when people ask me this. I usually tell them where I was born and that I immigrated here when I was 3. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110124 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:34:36 +0000 HabesBabe 110124@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@duckduckkristen: YES! hahaha. I should've just Googled it. It was the best when the little ladies measuring my mom and I for ao dais were talking smack about us in Vietnamese as if we didn't understand-- they knew we spoke/understood it, but I don't think they cared. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110122 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:32:52 +0000 duckduckkristen 110122@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@HabesBabe: Viet Kieu? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110113 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:28:22 +0000 HabesBabe 110113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Yoyo: I once got asked on an airplane (when I was about 8 or 9, and after I said I was Vietnamese) if my mom worked in a nail salon.</p> <p>@duckduckkristen: This is actually another subgroup-- Vietnamese people who didn't grow up in Vietnam-- native Vietnamese don't consider them to be Vietnamese. My mom and I experienced this when we went to Vietnam when I was in high school. My mom grew up there, lived there until her early 30s (until the Fall of Saigon), and they still didn't consider her to be "Vietnamese" anymore. There's a VNmese term for it, but I forgot what it was. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110112 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:28:14 +0000 CarrieLouWho 110112@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ Mrs. YoYo - I grew up between Lynchburg &amp; Roanoke near Smith Mountain Lake... no stoplights near my house and closest grocery store was about 30 minutes away growing up. I'm in Richmond, VA now... not a huge city, but much more diverse!</p> <p>I agree, there are some bad seeds and those that are just ignorant... it's usually pretty easy to tell the difference. It always makes me sad to see those that are so closed minded. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110098 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:11:27 +0000 MamaMoose 110098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I personally kind of enjoy having a cultural heritage outside of being just "American". My dad's parents both emigrated from Greece so Dad is 100% Greek and is first generation. Our family weddings have a lot of Greek influences, and we make Greek food a lot, celebrate Greek Easter, etc. I think sometimes it bums my mom out that my brother and I identify more with our Greek side then with her side. But she's just a big old mix of white European and truly is just American at this point. Her family has been in America since before it was really America (for real, one of my ancestors signed the declaration of independence)! I always find people's heritage to be really interesting! But I do my best to ask about it in non offensive ways, and usually only when it's already been raised in conversation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110093 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:10:30 +0000 duckduckkristen 110093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband is Vietnamese and gets asked this all the time. Even when we were in Vietnam for a trip people would ask him since people tend to think he is Cambodian or Chinese. He was born in Vietnam, so technically he is "from" there, but he doesn't speak the language very well and isn't hugely connected to the culture since he has lived in the US since he was 5. </p> <p>I'm white (Irish, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, German) so our children will be half Vietnamese and I am not looking forward to them having to deal with this question, especially for reason #2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-you-from-a-followup#post-110087 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:04:53 +0000 mrs. wagon 110087@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I keep it simple. "I was born here in America, but my parents immigrated from Korea before I was born." Sometimes I add "I've never been there myself."</p> <p>I get it all the time as well. I grew up in a town that had 3 or 4 asian families total. We now live in a town that has probably less than 10 asian families. It doesn't bother me at all, probably because of where I was brought up. </p>