I’m adopted from an East Asian country, to a non-Asian country. I was 16 months at the time. Months.
Something I really dislike is being asked “Where do you come from?” – usually totally out of context, as in “no smalltalk – this is the first question asked”, and especially when it’s not even preceded by an initial “Hi!” (yes, this has happened to me – more than once).
(If the person asking is adopted as well, or seems to origin from a non-western country themselves, the question is less (but only less) out of context.)
I can understand when people that actually are raised in that part of the world tries to speak with me in their language, as it is quite common with immigrant parents passing their language on to their children, but when non-east asian people mangles words (e.g. compare the English phrase “How are you?” with mangled-together English words “How? Err you!”) … and, as above, usually without asking whether I possibly may understand them or not. (I have studied some east asian languages (as an adult), and usually can make out what they’re trying to say, but it’s still rude.)
I also tend to smile a lot, and my (non-biological) parents taught me to be nice to people.
“People from asia are always so nice!”
Uhm, because that’s a genetical trait?
(If you don’t understand that last part: look up exoticism, and reverse racism.)
… and then I couldn’t stop my brain from trying to do the following …
(please note: this doesn’t start with a “Hey”)
I just met you, and this is crazy
but “where do you come from?”, so tell me, tell me!
and all the folks from, y’know, your country
are always sooo nice, so tell me, tell me!
On reddit, someone asked What is a question you hate being asked?.