Where Are You From?

Last summer, I was in NYC for a bit. I’m on the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building and the employee on duty offers to take our picture and subsequently asks, “Where are you from?” Instinctively, I respond with, “Ohio.” But she insists, “No, where are you really from?” Can’t I be from America, like why isn’t that a possibility? I was born and raised here, America is my home. You see, the employee wasn’t trying to be rude, but she really meant to ask about my ethnic background, which is Chinese by the way. The original question was quite a simple question on the surface. But that’s the problem. On the surface, all people see are the physical characteristics that make me look Asian and for whatever reason their minds automatically wonder, “which Asian I am.” Like, I don’t go around asking white people, “Which European are you?” Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of my roots and I’m glad that people are interested in my roots and the culture it brings, but it’s just kind of annoying to have to be always wondering if someone is truly asking about where I’m from or if they are asking about my roots. This issue is even worse for Asians that come from smaller Asian countries such as Malaysia or Laos because the common person doesn’t know of these countries and honestly may respond with, “So, are you Japanese or Chinese then?” So, to my Asian Americans out there, I extend an arm of support.