This is really irritating, I’m sure they grow tired of being asked but I always ask very respectfully and with a clear interest, not to make them feel like an outcast or to seem judgmental.
shareI have asked plenty of people about their ethnic background and have never had a problem.
shareLol are you with the census bureau?
shareI live in Toronto one of the most multi-ethnic cities in the world. On my street alone I have Indians, Russians, Ukrainians, Filipinos, Peruvians and more.
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-most-diverse-cities-in-the-world.html
I think it's interesting that so many people make an assumption that the question comes from a negative prejudiced place.
I think that a multitude of different ethinticities can make up some of the most attractive and talented people in the world.. but sometimes you can look at them from different angles and see something entirely different. It's interesting and natural to be curious sometimes.
I'm just Welsh, English, Scottish and American Indian. I'd love to be something more exotic. I envy those people with so many different cultures running through their veins.
I love learning about various cultures, heritage, ethnic backgrounds and histories. Awesome stuff!
shareMe too.
It's a shame some people today want to mistake all interest for something malicious.
My father is retired Army, I grew up over seas till almost age 10. In the military, at least back then, everyone gets 30 days of leave every year and my folks tried to show us Everything!
It was awesomely, incredibly astounding and I never got over it😀
That assumption comes from the fact that the people his is asking, by his own admission, are offended by the question and reply "America". Do you really think that if he was politely making conversation for cultural interest purposes, those people would reject that and get "irritated" by the question? More to the point, he doesn't seem to care that they are irritated, in fact this irritates him. So this is all about MovieBuff once again, not the feelings of the Americans he keeps asking where they come from.
I know what you mean roxie because I have talked to many friends about their backgrounds and it's fascinating to learn about other cultures, these things come up organically in conversations. Adult conversation, you know how it is. I have never, however, approached an "ethic looking person" and asked them where they come from. Any sane person would expect to be flipped off, let's be honest.
Well, no...I would not go up to a complete stranger and just ask coldly out of the blue with no preliminary. And it is easy to make some assumptions about Moviebuff because he seems to have various hassles with various people and things.
But there's still nothing really wrong, on the face of it, with what he is doing. The problem could be the how he is doing it. Sure..
Still...sometimes some people can be sensitive to the most innocent of intentions.
You know the thing is, like many of the little scamp's other posts, he really doesn't give us much background to say for sure either way. His jam is to say something ambiguous like this, which is rather intentionally left WAY open to interpretation (like WHO EXACTLY is he saying this too? Friends, co-workers, random people in the street? Each would have varying degrees of appropriateness) and then lol's his way through all the responses like he's getting exactly the reaction he wanted. More fool for me playing along, I admit.
I wouldn't be entirely surprised if he never had the conversation with anyone and is making this all up. Cynical perhaps, but this isn't the first post where I've been left scratching my head. Not even the tenth.
It's obviously made up. Just like the other poster named intothenight. Probably they are one and the same anyaway.
shareYeah MB does seem kinda self centered.
shareNo. Most are usually happy to tell me what country they're from. I've met a Czech, a Turk, a Taiwanese, Chinese, native Africans, and many Filipinos. I don't have to ask where Hispanics come from, though they make it very clear if they aren't Mexican. Even if someone were to get upset and huff at me, I'd just smile and say "Okay," and walk off.
shareIf I'm interested I wait for them to speak and make a guess about their origins. The rest of the conversation usually flows easily from there.
shareI always say the state, or city if I assume they would know where it is
share