When I think about the question "Where are you from?" the most immediate answer that comes to mind is geographic location. Geographically, I'm from New York. I think this is the first answer that comes to mind because this is my usual go-to answer when I get asked by someone where I'm from. I think this is the answer I give because it's the easiest answer to give. Where I'm from is such a huge part of who I am and location determines what external factors influence my identity so it's hard to say where I'm from without going into who I am as a person. Since it's socially inappropriate to delve into the recesses of your personal identity the first time you meet someone, I give the geographic location answer as many others do as well. When I saw the "No, where are you from from?" question, I thought about what I derive from. The most straightforward answer to that question is my family. Not only do I derive from my family biologically, but the morals, values, perspective on the world and overall demeanor I have is a product of my family as well. Almost everything that makes up my personality and beliefs that are an extension of the aforementioned values come from my family as well. When I think about what nationality I am I immediately think I am American. I have lived in the United States my whole life and the culture I am familiar with since birth is American. Especially since the first question asked how we know we belong to a nation, I am firmly confident that I identify with American as my nationality.
The duality between answering the "Where are you from?" question from a geographic perspective versus talking about the derivative of your identity is apparent in Anna Deavere Smith's Twilight: Los Angeles 1992. In this film, Smith takes on the persona of people she interviewed about the 1992 riots in Los Angeles and relates to the audience exactly what those people said to her. Through her comical caricatures, Smith paints a portrait of the opinions about the riots and Los Angeles as a whole from the perspective of the people that live in the area. Immediately, the diversity among socio-economic status, nationality, age, race, and mannerisms were striking. This fact is a testament that answering the "Where are you from?" question with a simple geographic answer does not tell the whole story.
Though where someone is from is crucial to understanding a person as a whole, it is not the most important factor when considering someone's identity. The fact that saying that you're from a certain city can denote you as resembling any one of the multitude of identities Smith portrayed on screen clearly means that there is diversity among people even when they live in the same geographic area.
I agree with your point on answering geographically because it what you are used to being asked. And, I would like to add to it. I believe that one's answer to that question will vary depending on what people typically mean when they ask that question. For example, if someone looks like they may not have been born in America, I'll just say they look like they could be from the middle east, then this person may be used to people asking them where are they from, meaning where does their genealogy stem from, their race. And I can go on with examples like that.
ReplyDeleteSo, yes, I agree, one's answer will depend on what they are used to being asked by others.
Right on! I think what they're accustomed to being asked when it comes to where they're from plays a major role in how a person answers the question. What other factors do you think come into play besides custom that I may have missed?
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