Random Question: Do You Think It's Rude To Ask Someone Where They Are From/Grew Up?

[lakercat]

This is a question that I have asked, and have been asked thousands of times. Not once has someone been offended by the question until today. This dude starts talking to me about the storm, and we were just conversing, before I noticed that he did not have a Kentucky accent. So, I asked if he was from out West (I grew up out west). He says that he lives in the Lexington area (Nicholasville), and I asked, "So you were born and raised here?". He says "no" initially, then asked if I wanted to know if he was from Lexington, or from the US. I replied "Lexington". He gets offended, saying "I don't want to disclose that", then asked "Do you understand what I just said?!?", then asked me where I was from. I answered, in which he replied "nice to meet you". I left immediately thereafter. This dude is Middle-Eastern decent, but I never questioned his ethnicity. It seems like he either misunderstood me, or chose to get offended. Weird.

 

[Bill Cosby]

Did you speak very slowly and annunciate every syllable so he could understand you since he looked foreign? If not that may have been the problem.

 

[lakercat]

Did you speak very slowly and annunciate every syllable so he could understand you since he looked foreign? If not that may have been the problem.

No, I talked to him like he was American; I actually assumed that he grew up here in America, if not born here in America. Just a normal conversation. He spoke to me first, and has an American accent.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Maybe he thought you were weird

 

[BeaveUKGT]

Did you speak very slowly and annunciate every syllable so he could understand you since he looked foreign? If not that may have been the problem.

enunciate

 

[JDHoss]

Did you speak very slowly and annunciate every syllable so he could understand you since he looked foreign? If not that may have been the problem.

Don't forget loud. You have to speak loudly to people who may not understand you.

 

[Deeeefense]

To answer your question, no I don't think it's rude to ask where someone is from but if I were to ask once and their answer seems vague I would just let it go.

 

[Mdnerd]

It’s only rude to someone ashamed of where they’re from…

 

[JumperJack]

Is it rude to ask people who are obviously foreign where they’re from? Like Italy? Or Louisiana?

 

[the nail at the foul line]

If someone asks me I respond with this.

 

[megablue]

No. Not rude. It’s called conversation.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

He wasn't weirded out because of the question, he was weirded out because you probably said something like "now let me tell you how much I love Steph Curry!"

 

[Freetaxreturn]

Is it rude to ask people who are obviously foreign where they’re from? Like Italy? Or Louisiana?

Easy now 🍺

 

[fatguy87]

It is very rude.

The proper question is “Hmmm…you seem unfamiliar. Which high school did you attend?”

Depending on the answer, you can engage in further conversation or disregard.

 

[etowncatfan]

I live in Florida. Was eating dinner the other evening and a lady with a UK sweatshirt sat down at the next table to us. I said GO CATS! She said yes. We finished our meal but upon leaving I asked her where she was from. We exchanged our Kentucky roots and said Goodbye. I have done this hundreds of times in my life and have never had one person be rude. In fact most of the time they have some connection or knew someone from my hometown. It is a Small World out there!

 

[MGGA]

This dude is Middle-Eastern decent, but I never questioned his ethnicity.

So, I asked if he was from out West

ok

 

[blubo]

Probably thought you were ICE.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

I misread the OP. I didn’t realize the dude was the one that struck up the conversation. I find it odd that total strangers would do that.

 

[812scottj]

What business of it is yours where I’m from, friendo?

 

[Dore95]

My wife is Asian (Korean) and I know from experience that when people ask where she is from (she is from Virginia) what they really mean is what Asian country she is from. But I don’t know why anyone would be offended with that ordinary question.

 

[JonathanW]

Not rude at all.

Many years ago when I lived near Philly, one day I had the following conversation with a coworker:
Him “were are you from”
Me “Kentucky”
Him “no, where you from”
Me “Kentucky”
Him “no!! Where do you come from”
Me “ Kentucky!!”
Eventually figured out he was asking what country my ancestors came from. Talk about an irrelevant question! And my answer was “I don’t really know”, which shocked him. I mean you have to go back over 200 years to find an ancestor of mine not from the US. But I think I have some American Indian, some British, some Scottish, maybe some German and/or Irish.

 

[Deeeefense]

Not rude at all.

Many years ago when I lived near Philly, one day I had the following conversation with a coworker:
Him “were are you from”
Me “Kentucky”
Him “no, where you from”
Me “Kentucky”
Him “no!! Where do you come from”
Me “ Kentucky!!”
Eventually figured out he was asking what country my ancestors came from. Talk about an irrelevant question! And my answer was “I don’t really know”, which shocked him. I mean you have to go back over 200 years to find an ancestor of mine not from the US. But I think I have some American Indian, some British, some Scottish, maybe some German and/or Irish.

I had a very similar conversation with a guy in a New Jersey bar when I was stationed there. He kept asking "what are you" Iris? Polish? Italian? I finally just said "American mutt". So many first and second generation types up there at least there were in the 70s that most had some sort of foreign identify but they were the most American patriotic folks I have ever been around.

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

I don't think so. Depends on the manner in how you ask someone. Condescending, of course it's rude but for the sake of a conversation I see nothing wrong with asking.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

 

[CB3UK]

Not rude at all. That dude is just weird.

 

[Creed Bratton]

Some people are really strange. I had a friend who started into a store once and a woman was coming in behind him. He grabbed the door handle, opened it and stood to the side to let her go in first. She looked at him and said "What are you doing?". He said I was just holding the door for you. She then went on a profanity laced tirade about being a strong woman and not needing a man to hold a door open for her. I don't recall where he was at the time but I don't think it was anywhere in Kentucky.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Some people are really strange. I had a friend who started into a store once and a woman was coming in behind him. He grabbed the door handle, opened it and stood to the side to let her go in first. She looked at him and said "What are you doing?". He said I was just holding the door for you. She then went on a profanity laced tirade about being a strong woman and not needing a man to hold a door open for her. I don't recall where he was at the time but I don't think it was anywhere in Kentucky.

Her hair was probably purple. He should have asked her if she would’ve been offended by the “women and children first” command on the SS Titanic.

 

[JonathanW]

Some people are really strange. I had a friend who started into a store once and a woman was coming in behind him. He grabbed the door handle, opened it and stood to the side to let her go in first. She looked at him and said "What are you doing?". He said I was just holding the door for you. She then went on a profanity laced tirade about being a strong woman and not needing a man to hold a door open for her. I don't recall where he was at the time but I don't think it was anywhere in Kentucky.

It’s not about “needing to have it held for her”, it’s about common courtesy and respect.