This post is pertaining to the Seven Deadly Sins news item in our Interesting News on the Net section.

I liked this article.  I do think it does a good job in delineating some of the issues we, Asian Americans (AAs), have with the way non-Asian Americans (non-AAs) treat or relate to us.  There is just one thing—one very important thing—I think the article failed to really clarify.

That is the "Where are you from? No, where are you really from?" or "When are you going to go home?" Or "How often do you go home?" question.

I think if there’s a clearer and more unfortunate casualty of miscommunication of all the examples given of the commonly made mistakes non-AAs make when speaking to an AA, it is this one.

Because, whereas all the other questions stem from plain ignorance, this one has nothing to do with bias or prejudice; all it is is a simple clash of semantics!  You see, from an AA’s perspective, when we get asked this question by a non-AA, it should by no means be interpreted as an effort on their part to try to marginalize our “American-ness” or a subtle way of them trying “put us in our place,” which is how AAs too often come to unfortunately perceive it. 

No, this couldn’t be farther from the truth!

I think—and I am putting myself in a non-AA’s shoes right now--all they want to know by asking this question is, “What is your ethnic background?”  Or, “What is your ancestor’s country of origin?”  But, they’re just truncating it or relaxing it to simply:  “Where are you from?” 

I think non-AAs ask this question, because they, at the same time, don’t want to be accused of being that “ignorant American” who assumes all Asians come from China.  And, maybe, they’re just curious or want to know more about your cultural ancestry.  Can you fault them for that?  Heck no! 

Their intention is sound, but not so much their execution.

So, for next time, non-AAs:

don’t say: “Where are you from?” 
and do say:  “What is your ethnic background?”

Have a nice day!