You know what question I'm talking about! Some of the wrong ways to ask are:
1. Where are you from?
2. Where are your parents from?
3. Where were you born?
4. Where were your parents born?
5. Where did you grow up?
6. Were you born here?
7. What nationality are you?
8. Are you Chinese?
9. I love sushi! (Wait, that's not a question!)
10. What language do you speak at home?
11. Ni hao ma? (Wo hen hao.)
I've often answered the "Where are you from?" question with "Anaheim" and watched as the other person squirmed and umm'ed and uhh'ed as they tried to come up with the right words to ask me the question. You know. The question that would get me to the answer, "I'm Korean" or "I'm Chinese" or "I'm whatever."
But I myself often can't pick the right words to get at this exactly. What IS the right question to ask? Is it, "What is your ethnicity or race?" Is that the right question? Or is it "What country are your ancestors from?" That just sounds awful.
Comment with your thoughts and what you think should be the "PC" way to ask this question.
- Mary is ready for this Monday to be DONE.
