strangers asking what are you???!!!! HUH
By leklyn007
@leklyn007 (1)
United States
May 28, 2008 9:15pm CST
ok so here is the situation, perfect strangers walking up and just asking "so you look very exotic. I can't place you! Where are you from??? What are you?????? my answer?? Well it is typically amerasian, but do they settle for that? NO! So how do you answer such a question from a perfect stranger? What should a person say without being rude but feeling a little offensive since a perfect stranger just walked up without introducing themself and asked "what are you?". I have recieved this question for a few years and no matter how i answer they still give me a disbelieving look. Has anyone else heard this question before???
1 person likes this
3 responses
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
29 May 08
I have been with a friend of mine several times when this happened to her. I loved how they would ask "where are you from", thinking they are going to get some exotic answer, and she would give the name of the town she grew up in, 20 miles away. Or they would start talking to her in Japanese, guessing correctly, but not realizing they spoke more of it than she does. lol Sorry, I guess it is not funny if it happens to you. I would not like this, as I do not generally enjoy personal questions from strangers myself.
@Kierstal (142)
• United States
29 May 08
What these strangers probably mean is "Who were your ancestors". They are trying to pay you a compliment (I think, unless they are very obviously being mean) by saying you are exotic looking, but they are going about it very tactlessly.
If you were born in the USA, then what you can probably get away with saying is, "I was born here, but I have (whatever ancestry you happen to be) in my family." If they can't accept that then maybe they are being rude after all....
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
29 May 08
I am usually the one to ASK the question, but not because of how someone looks, but because the person probably has a beautiul accent. I simply tell them that I like the sound of their accent, and wonder where they are from. I have met a lot o really great people that way. They tell me where they are from, and we start talking. If someone asked me, I'd tell them I was Canadian with a Danish mother.
