Stop asking "Where are you from?"

This is the introduction to a set of 7 episode podcast series, and each episode will last 3-5 minutes. The podcast format is a first person narrative interview series with a combination of analysis and research. I will discuss the format of this podcast, the topic of today, and address some of the current issues and concerns with the question "where are you from?"

In this episode, I will talk about a personal story that happened to me when I was in 6th grade that was fueled by racism. The inherent biases that come with it are skin color and race, since the surprise raised was partially due to my racial attributes that did not reflect that I was “American” or “white”. I want people to understand that our biases and stereotypes for race and color may affect our judgement and understanding of the question “where are you from” and offend other people.

This episode will share a story of my friends and how their ethnic origins are different from where they identify as themselves from. The question “where are you from” sometimes may seem like it's “why are you different looking from the others” and may hurt those who are being asked. It also may imply that because you look a certain way, you cannot possibly be from the country you denote.

This episode will discuss language and how that ties in with the question "where are you from". Language does play a role in influencing other people’s view of us, if we speak the language of another country, they automatically associate our origin to that country. However, there is also proof that much of the world is bilingual, which again emphasizes how language plays a role in helping people identify where we are from.

We will further our discussion on language and culture, and talk about a personal experience that I have gone through. Continuing on with the influence of language, where we are biased when a person speaks another language, and naturally associate them with that country. It is critical to understand that not only almost half the world is bilingual, but furthermore, those who have had previous experience being in another country usually are able to speak fluently.

In this episode, we will talk about the common misperceptions and interpretations of this question, and interviewing one of my friends as an example. With so many different perceptions and definitions of the question “where are you from”, we can see that it can create many confusions and identity crises. This is why we should stop using this question.

In this final episode, we will discuss and talk about one of my personal experiences through Panhellenic recruitment, and how I approached the problem when answering the question "where are you from". It’s important for us to understand and recognize these sensitivities, and be able to think before we speak. Sometimes, this one simple question can cause so much discomfort and awkwardness in a conversation, and I ask all of you to stop using the question “where are you from”.