"Where I am from?" is a potentially offensive question

[TheGrandK-Man]

Originally Posted by Frostnip

So when people try to politely deflect that they're not, for whatever personal reason, interesting in pursuing that line of conversation with you, you continue asking prying questions, then you post on a discussion board about how bad they are, while you make fun of their accents. And THEY're the ones behaving in a troublesome way?

I wasn't making fun of their accent here, just making a point that people who live in Brooklyn, Chicago, and Charleston don't have a thick accent like that. So what - you're from Turkey, or Lebanon - are you afraid I'll pull a Bill O'Reilly on ya? Sorry, you misjudged me.

[GoCUBS1]

Wow... Just yesterday, while out walking my dog, I started chatting with a woman with an accent. I almost immediately asked her the offensive question "Where are you from?" She said Bulgaria and we spent the next hour chatting about Bulgaria, our families, and interior decorating. I then invited her over to see my new kitchen design and she showed me photos of her beautiful kitchen in Bulgaria. Next week, we are meeting for lunch and a tour of the Merchandise Mart to get design ideas.

All this started after I asked her the offensive question "Where are you from?" And I have quite a few friendships that have started this way. In Chicago, I'm surrounded by people from many backgrounds, and I am interested in learning about people. I've never run into people that seem offended by this question.

p.s. I am Caucasian (Western/Southern European) with a local accent, and even I'm often asked about my ethnicity in my own hometown. This is just a common conversation starter.