“Where are you from?”
I get this question regularly, but I still have a hard time knowing what exactly they’re asking.
Are you asking what city I’m from?
Are you asking my ethnicity?
Are you asking my citizenship?
Are you asking where my last name is from?
Are you asking if I was born here?
Are you asking if I speak Spanish?
I especially have a hard time deciphering between 1 and 2, so I end up answering both preemptively. I still feel guilty when I don’t fit into someone’s idea of me. A few day ago a woman approached me in a doctor’s office waiting room asking if I spoke Spanish. I answered “no” and had to resist explaining why not or resist trying to help anyway. I don’t owe anyone an explanation.