Why I Still Ask People Where They Are Originally From

I know that asking people where they are originally from is not considered to be "politically correct" in today's society, and I can understand the reasons for that. You don't want to make people feel as if they don't belong. Here in Canada, a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian, as our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau once said. And I don't ever want to make a Canadian feel that they aren't Canadian.

But, face it, when you meet someone who has an accent and it is apparent that they were born in another country before coming to Canada, you can't help but wonder about their history and their culture. At least I do. That's why I will ask where a person is from. It's a learning experience. And, you know what? The vast majority of the time, people are very happy to talk. In all my years, only one person took offense to the fact that I asked. I felt bad, but haven't allowed that to stop me.

I think at first some may wonder why I ask, but once they see I have a genuine interest and am not about to say, "Go back to where you came from!" they open up and seem to want to tell me. And I appreciate that. I appreciate them for talking to me.

The thing is, this is Canada. We are a multi-cultural country. We are a land of immigrants. Unless you are Indigenous, your roots are from somewhere else on this planet. We can't pretend otherwise, so why not talk about it?

Where I grew up, a town called Thunder Bay, it was interesting how ethnicity was often interwoven into identifying people. People were identified by their last name. "Oh, ya, that Polish guy!" or "You know, the Italian guy?" or "Ya, he must be Finnish based on his last name." That's the way it was. And there was nothing wrong with it. No one really got offended because it was how everyone was. And, I guess that's still how I see the world. It still seems to guide me.

Some will argue, "Ya, but those are European names and Europeans aren't considered outsiders." Well, my goal isn't to make ANYONE feel like an outsider. The goal is to learn.

Over the years, I have met, if even only briefly, people who came to Canada from Turkey, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Kenya, South Africa, Iraq, Greece, Afghanistan, Israel, El Salvador and a host of other places. It is interesting to see where in the world people immigrate from. And, heck, even if someone is white and they have an accent, yes, why not ask them as well?

How are we supposed to learn about our neighbors, shop keepers, cashiers, servers and waiters, drivers, delivery people, business people, students, and other members of our community if we say, "Hey, you can't ask those questions."

Well, I argue that we SHOULD ask those questions, but we can do so in a way that doesn't strip another person of their Canadian identity. I've met people with accents that have been Canadian citizens for 20 or 30 years, but their accent sticks around. Heck, my Ukrainian grandmother had somewhat of a Ukrainian accent all of her life, and she wasn't even born in Ukraine. It was just from being in a Ukrainian family with people who spoke Ukrainian.

For some reason, some people say that I have an accent of some sort. I don't know exactly why, but apparently it is so. And, because of this, I have been asked where I am from. I have never taken it in a negative way. That doesn't mean that everyone should feel the same way as I do. If a person does take offence to the question, well, that's definitely unfortunate. But, for the most part, people do want to talk. Most people, where ever they may have originated from, are proud of their roots and their culture. And this includes people whose lineage in Canada goes back many generations.

My goal is not to offend. My intention is to learn, understand, chat, make a connection. The world is a big, interesting place. The only way to understand the people and the cultures that make up the planet is to not be scared to ask questions. And, hopefully, those being asked questions will feel like they are contributing to this understanding and not feel as though I don't see them as Canadian. Anyone who is a Canadian is a Canadian. And every Canadian has a story worth discovering.