Conversation

Mar 23, 2021

Interesting... I’ve mostly only seen my mother ask this question to White Americans, and it’s literally first thing she asks most everyone I introduce her to... We’re first gen immigrants - most are pretty confused at first, say things like “Ohio” Never an acceptable answer

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Dave Lu 呂曉龍

@davelu

· Mar 22, 2021

We've been enduring subtle racism and microaggressions our entire lives, but we stayed quiet. FYI asking someone "Where are you from? No, where are you really from?" is racist.

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QC (in Berlin 7/29-???)

@QiaochuYuan

Mar 23, 2021

fwiw i don’t find this question offensive in the slightest, it’s just complicated for me to answer - could be “nanjing” or “singapore” or “vancouver, WA” or “bellevue, WA” depending on what “from” means

QC (in Berlin 7/29-???)

@QiaochuYuan

Replying to

@QiaochuYuan

and

@Conaw

i think in an important sense the real answer is “the internet” and in another important sense the real answer is “nowhere” - like, one interpretation of the question assumes a certain kind of home feeling about a particular place that i don’t feel about any place

7:39 AM · Mar 23, 2021Twitter for iPad

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Conor White-Sullivan 𐃏

@Conaw

Mar 23, 2021

Replying to

@QiaochuYuan

Internet is where I live - but still not where I’m from

A/S/L?

Replying to

and

Agreed 100%. I don’t find it racist, but it’s annoying because the answer is so complicated.

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Kish

@KishavanBhola

· Mar 23, 2021

I think calling this racist dilutes the word, but I do find it extremely annoying when someone does this, mostly because I never know what to say: I was born in the US, family is from Trinidad, childhood in Canada and the Midwest, and lived in a bunch of states since. twitter.com/davelu/status/…

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