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I generally take the question as they mean where I grew up, unless the question is in reference to my living here in Oregon. I grew up in Massachusetts and that is where I am from, it is my native accent and who I am. If I was just born in Massachusetts and raised in Oregon, then I would list Oregon as where I am from.
My answer would get too complicated unless someone was really interested in knowing the details. I was born in Texas but because my dad was in the Air Force, we moved after a year to Germany for 3 years, France 2 years, Turkey 1 year, Michigan 1 year, California 1 1/2 years, back to Germany 5 years, back to California for high school, moved back to Texas on my own at 19, been here 30 years. If the numbers don't add up my memory may be a little fuzzy.
Since I was born here I consider myself Texan and that's my short answer if I'm out of state. Within the state I say I'm from the Dallas area, within the Dallas area I say the town I live in which is Grand Prairie, a suburb of Dallas.
I answer according to where I did most of my growing up. I've lived in Kentucky, Florida, and Tennessee....but for me, middle school/high school was in Ky.....so I tell people that I'm from KY.
When I'm in Chicago, I say I'm from Alabama, the South, or if they ask me to elaborate I say, "Birmingham".
In any other part of the country (except for Alabama, of course) I simply say Chicago. Overseas, I say I'm American. However, since most people who ask me that question overseas are American, the next question is "what part of America?"
To me, it makes sense to say "Chicago" even if I have lived here for only a year (compared to 22 years in Alabama) - most of the time when people ask you that question they want to know where you live, not necessarily where you're actually from.
Telling people you're from Alabama, unfortunately, brings a lot of negative stereotypes and reactions automatically. Saying you're from Chicago makes you appear "normal" (LOL). Tell people you're from Alabama, and they treat you like a retard until you do something that requires extraordinary genius, like recite a page out of the encylopedia from memory
When I'm in Chicago, I say I'm from Alabama, the South, or if they ask me to elaborate I say, "Birmingham".
In any other part of the country (except for Alabama, of course) I simply say Chicago. Overseas, I say I'm American. However, since most people who ask me that question overseas are American, the next question is "what part of America?"
To me, it makes sense to say "Chicago" even if I have lived here for only a year (compared to 22 years in Alabama) - most of the time when people ask you that question they want to know where you live, not necessarily where you're actually from.
Telling people you're from Alabama, unfortunately, brings a lot of negative stereotypes and reactions automatically. Saying you're from Chicago makes you appear "normal" (LOL). Tell people you're from Alabama, and they treat you like a retard until you do something that requires extraordinary genius, like recite a page out of the encylopedia from memory
That depends.... As for me, I'd much rather be from Alabama than Chicago any day. To me Chicago has the bad connotations.
...Telling people you're from Alabama, unfortunately, brings a lot of negative stereotypes and reactions automatically. Saying you're from Chicago makes you appear "normal" (LOL). Tell people you're from Alabama, and they treat you like a retard until you do something that requires extraordinary genius, like recite a page out of the encylopedia from memory
True. On a visit to a Grand Canyon camp, people would physically step away from us when we said we were from Alabama. Disgusting. And rude.
Saying you're from Chicago makes you appear "normal" (LOL).
Normal? Chicagoans? Heh, you are kidding, right? (I can say this, I was born and raised here).
.... I've known plenty of people from Alabama that have moved up here, they all seemed fine to me. Of course there is the whole convincing 'em they won't freeze to death in the winter and the occasional quizzical look when I refer to a a couple of woman as 'you guys', but other than that, they (people from Alabama who I have met) seem perfectly fine to me.
Like many here have said, a lot depends on who is doing the asking and/or where one is at the time the question is asked.
Being a native Texan, I would answer "Texas" if outside the state. If somewhere else in the state, I would likely give the name of the city I live in.
I agree with what Vasinger said about meeting fellow Southerners when in northern or states of the Far West (Arizona, Colorado, California, etc). While there are certainly differences between Virginia, Alabama, Texas, etc., there are more similarities, and they become exceptionally pronounced when natives encounter one another outside the region! :-)
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I can't believe anyone in this day and age would be that way.
