Asklemmy

Asking where you are from is pretty normal conversation, especially if you have a noticeable accent. Asking where your parents/grandparents/etc are from is less common. Are you by chance not-white? Sometimes these sorts of questions have a race element to them

This is often a proxy for a different question.

they're trying to figure out your race or whatever

Sounds like the correct answer to the question is Newfoundland, if it isn’t the accent it is probably some regional colloquialisms.

When someone asks me where I am from I normally say the city / province. I would never answer Canada while I was in Canada having the conversation.

They're either making conversation or racist, depending on context. Answering the country you're from if you're currently in that country is pretty odd.

As a mixed third generation immigrant, I get this a lot. In my experience, most people want to know my ethnicity, but for some reason they never ask me that directly.

So are you autistic? Because the literal-mindedness of your answers and the lack of awareness of how to engage in small talk is telling. I say this as one on the spectrum myself; it took me a long time to understand this is just an attempt to establish social connections by finding points of commonality. "Oh, you're from Calgary? I used to live there, too! Did you know a store called Myth Games?" Neurotypical people are also waiting for you to ask the same things in return and often feel miffed if you don't show any curiosity about them.

I'm a white Australian and I get asked this all the time. Mostly they're just trying to make conversation and since most people at work are migrants it's a natural conversation starter. Sometimes they are looking to remind me that the only real Australians are the indigenous peoples and I am, therefore, British. This what you get labelled if you say your background is English/Irish lol. My favourite was being called British by a mixed German/Brazilian who insisted he was Spanish.

In countries with a lot of immigration and diversity I think it's natural for people to talk about this. I like hearing about what life was like for people in Tibet, or Myanmar, Eritrea, Cook Islands etc. I don't think it carries the same level of racist connotations as it used to. How are we supposed to have cultural exchange if we can't talk about our backgrounds?___

Yea but where are u from?

It's just a standard office getting to know you small talk thing. You'll get used to it.

FYI, they were looking for you to actually talk and engage with them, not a one word answer. Tell them what part of Canada, that your family was part of the Canada-US wars and locked the US's. And most importantly, ask them something in return...

Probably racism like in this skit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGvEBWJ0_-k

After the second time you should just respond "don't overthink it"

I have a long time friend who complains about this kind of behavior. Friend is a Creek Indian living in the Muskogee Creek Nation in Oklahoma. That's about as native-born and indigenous as you can get.

Unfortunately, her skin is somewhat less than lily-white, and that just seems to bring out the dumbasses.

I'm swedish and living in France and I get that question a lot (but not about my parents/grandparents wtf?)

If cute girl: you have to guess! Then get very fake outraged if she says Germany etc. Friendly banter ensues.

Otherwise it's just people who want to chit chat with you so just roll with it and expect the classic jokes (for me it's IKEA, Volvo, surströmming...).

So, Sam, where are you from?

Why are you asking us instead of them? Surely they would know.

I was created within the bounds of the milky way galaxy.

Anyone who’s asked you four times where you’re from is not paying attention.

Newfoundland has a very particular accent, do you speak with a strong accent?

Where are your great great grandparents from?

I have a classic NZ voice as well as a tan and get asked this often because I'm in the most Caucasian place outside of Europe (I'll let you guess). Half the time they don't even assume where I'm from because they don't have enough education about the world to hold any stereotypes about me (which makes them draw a blank about countries), which ironically gives me the freedom to respond however I want.