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I welcome it. My ethnicity is not something people are that familiar with, at least not in this part of the country. So I love the opportunity to teach someone about it.
This is in response to another long thread on asking people about their ethnicity and nationality.
I sometimes ask white people about their background: Irish, Italian etc. Or where their accent is from. Or where their parents or ancestors immigrated from and when. I wonder if they have problems with that. It does not appear to be.
Those of you married to someone of another ethnicity, how do you feel when your children are asked that?
I don't mind. I'm a white dude but I could pass for a Latino, at least according to some people. I'm routinely spoken to in Spanish and one time an older Mexican guy started chastising me and telling me to not be ashamed of my background. He mistakenly thought I was Mexican and when I told him I wasn't he got a little testy with me about it. LOL.
I don't hardly even pay much attention to race anymore. In So Cal there are so many mixed race people here that I can't tell anymore if someone is a light skinned black person or a darker white person.
I like mixed people, I'm jealous. LOL, see some really cool combinations. I'm just a plain ol vanilla white guy.
Ask someone from Britain if they are Aussie, or vice versa if you want to see someone go unhinged.
Yeah, my mom was like that. She was from Australia and came here when she was in her 20's. Her accent had sorta morphed a bit being here and at times she almost sounded like she was from the east coast.
I have an ear for accents and can usually spot pretty accurately where someone is from. A lot of people don't, they often mistake the brits and the aussie for each other and yeah, I think it gets some people annoyed.
I would not like it if someone asked me that. I mean, why are they asking? Usually the person is trying to find out if I belong to some particular minority, because I look like I "might" not be totally white, but they aren't sure. So I don't like that question. The fact that they are asking in the first place tells me that I don't want to share my ethnic background with them.
I like mixed people, I'm jealous. LOL, see some really cool combinations. I'm just a plain ol vanilla white guy.
Yep! I'm a run-of-the-mill mix of British, German, and smidges of who knows what else. Boring surname, no noticeable accent or interesting features except being very tall. People sometimes ask if I am Scandinavian. If I ask someone about their ethnicity its because I find something interesting about them and would like to learn more about them. If they don't choose to elaborate that's fine too. It wouldn't occur to me to be offended either way. Variety is the spice of life.
I don't mind. I'm a white dude but I could pass for a Latino, at least according to some people. I'm routinely spoken to in Spanish and one time an older Mexican guy started chastising me and telling me to not be ashamed of my background. He mistakenly thought I was Mexican and when I told him I wasn't he got a little testy with me about it. LOL.
I don't hardly even pay much attention to race anymore. In So Cal there are so many mixed race people here that I can't tell anymore if someone is a light skinned black person or a darker white person.
I like mixed people, I'm jealous. LOL, see some really cool combinations. I'm just a plain ol vanilla white guy.
I've had that happen to me as well. I am always spoken to in Spanish and I'm like, "umm, sorry, I don't speak Spanish." On several occasions, the Spanish speaking people got rather rude with me saying that I look Spanish so I should speak Spanish. Those conversations didn't go so well but that's a whole other topic lol I have dark eyes and dark hair. Apparently that checks off all the boxes and automatically makes me a Spanish speaking person <shrug>
My sister-in-law is Filipino. Have to admit, my niece and nephew are 2 beautiful kids Also, when we nag her enough, she gives in and cooks Filipino food when we go to their house otherwise she always cooks Italian lol
I do not think the white people commenting(except one) get it.
White Americans are already getting the benefit of being the face of America.
A black,Asian,or Hispanic American will always be seen as "other" even if their family has been here for generations.
For example,on another forum on CD some posters love to yell" If blacks do not like it they could go back to AFrica".
Most black Americans came here before 1865. They are just as American as someone whose ancestors came to the Usa in the 1900's through Ellis Island.
Not even going to get into the term"American".
Canadians can also say they are American,because North America is a continent.
I get it but then again I'm not white I'm Asian. It's interesting to see the replies in this thread. You're right about POC being the other no matter how long they've been in the US.
It doesn't bother me. Originally from a mainly homogenous country, back home its not unusual for people to ask where are you from (meaning what region/city) even though everyone is pretty much (or was) the same skin color.
PC America is obsessed with "white privilege" and "race." Anything that is classist, economically, culturally, or geographically distinguishing is labeled as racist. Sorta dilutes the word "racist", which really used to mean something but now a quarter of the time results in eye-rolling, and ends up undermining the actual problem of racism.
Is this indirectly pointed at me? I'm not obsessed about white privilege, but it's dumb to try and say it doesn't exist. And I didn't bring racism into the discussion either. So...roll your eyes at yourself I guess.
Sometimes I'm asked if I'm Italian or Jewish, but I'm of Irish and English ancestry. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY but now living in AZ. When people in AZ ask where I'm from, they are usually asking because of my accent.
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Also, when we nag her enough, she gives in and cooks Filipino food when we go to their house otherwise she always cooks Italian lol
