Do you find it rude or offensive when people ask you what your ethnicity is for no reason?
This happens to me all the time, and it's starting to really annoy me, especially when strangers come up to me and ask, "What are you?" I’m never quite sure how to respond to that, but I don't like having to explain why I look the way that I do. It's also awkward when people come up to me and start trying to guess my ethnic background. I know they're just curious and don't mean any harm, but I get really tired of it sometimes.
27 Answers to "Do you find it rude or offensive when people ask you what your ethnicity is for no reason?"
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Your question reminds me of a time when my granddaughter was a baby, She is half Asian and has darker skin than my daughter who is blonde, They were in a store once and someone actually asked my daughter what my granddaughter is, My daughter just looked at the person like they had lost their mind and said "A girl!" She left the person tongue-tied, lol
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That happened to me too when I was growing up! My mom has blonde hair and blue eyes and no one ever thought I was her daughter.
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my granddaughter always complains that she is tired of people asking her what she is all the time lol she is 27 now.
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To me it's more annoying than offensive.
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I just tell them I'm American.
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People are usually pretty sure that I'm black; they ask if I'm mixed with every other ethnicity imaginable. If they know me well enough for a conversation I'm not that offended, but from a total stranger I would find it a bit intrusive.
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Yeah, I don't mind having a real conversation about it with people I know. But when I'm grocery shopping or sitting on the subway, and a complete stranger comes up to me and asks or starts guessing random ethnicities, it bothers me.
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I don't find it rude or offensive, as people have a naturally curious and inquistive nature. It's fascinating to see all the different people in the world.
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no. I kinda like it, in fact. I'm obviously Native American and
unless your surname is "Custer", people generally like Indians.
I like it even more when someone is thoughtful enough to ask "what Tribe?"Like (3)
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I can see that Custer being a sore spot! I would not be a fan if they were named after Columbus either.Like (1)
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I'm only half Native American, and that seems to really confuse people. I get asked by strangers if I'm everything from Turkish to Brazilian.
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sometimes i find it rude but usually not offensive unless they use racial slurrs or say it with a tone in their voice. i had a guy in louisiana aske me 'are you one them wetbacks moved to town?' ...i said hell to tha no, and mind your business. but its hard for ppl to guess cause im a mix of 4 things so they usuallyonly get a couple of them haha...seems to always happen in elevators, ugh hate that... hate elevators already, then trapped in there with somone badgering me with rude questions haha.
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Most definitely not!
I think it's a great thing to be curious, and who know? Maybe a new friendship will come out of it!
The more you ask, the more you know.Like (2)
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hello, SJM2,
you feel like the questions really scratches at you...?
it used to bother me, i felt like someone was picking at me, finding faults
until i made an internal psychological change
and now i enjoy it that someone took an interest in me
respect, from robbieLike (2)
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Just say, "human."
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Yes, but I haven't been asked in a while which is nice. I think many just assume I'm biracial (Black/White) ba
sed on the color of my skin, but I'm not. Like (2)
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people need to get their manners learned
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In person ppl know I'm black but online they're always guessing n I'm happy to leave it that way. ;-)
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I don't seem to have that problem , maybe its the permanent frown on my face
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I have never been asked that question
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I ask people all the time.. just curious.. it's inteting where people come from!!
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It gets really annoying when you don't want them to know. Like u are from a country that has been on the news a lot and is not much liked.
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...it's right up there with people asking 'where I'm from' whenever I open my mouth to speak...
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If I don't know them, that can be intrusive, otherwise I don't mind that much, actually have a little fun with them guessing..lol. I am a super mutt..looking at me, one would guess some type of native american and some type of white or hispanic. But all it really is, is a bit of some type of eurasian/there's eastern european and some other unknowns on my mother's side, put simply half my family looks sort of hispanic and the other half look white.
Once they get done guessing wrong, (smiling) then I run them down the list.Like (1)
Best Answer (Chosen by Voting):
Posted by Hirafu Nov 9th, 2012 at 4:56PM
Just tell them you're human like everyone else.
[ Reply ] | Like (4)
Reply by Xinman Nov 9th, 2012 at 5:03PM
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