Where Are You Really From?

Where are you from?

Well, I’m from Birmingham, so think what you want really.

No, I mean – where are you really from?

Oh sorry, I’m from a small suburb in…

You know what I mean – your parents.

Again, not very exciting…. but Wolves and Brum.

I know exactly what you mean, but I am not going to entertain the idea of your ethnicity- bingo. I wanted to write about my experiences of people asking me this question as I have noticed it happening to me more recently, mainly in the Bodega smoking area so I should not be too surprised. 

‘Can I guess where you’re from? Your eye-makeup makes you look Latina’

I will never understand how people have the audacity to ask such questions or make such racist remarks. 

I love talking about my Indian heritage and culture; it is something I am proud of and is part of my identity. However, when people say ‘Where are you really from?’, it seems to echo archaic perceptions of immigration and otherness.

I would much prefer it if the topic of what my heritage is was asked in a more conversational way or came more up more naturally.

Unfortunately, a common POC or BAME experience is being told ‘Go back to where you came from.’ This is both xenophobic and racist as it makes us feel as if we don’t really belong or aren’t meant to be here.

I was heartbroken to see a recent reported example of a racist incident  in my hometown, Birmingham. In January, a mother experienced vandalism of her home with racist graffiti stating ‘get out’ and other racist slurs. The mother reported her children’s devastating anxiety, induced by the racial hate crimes. Since then, Birmingham City Council have removed the graffiti and there is an on-going investigation into the incident. My friends and I were horrified at this and ashamed that this was happening in my own city.

Racially targeted hate crimes such as this incident show that we cannot pretend that this is not happening. Whether it is a micro aggression I experience on the tram or a horrific display of racial vandalism, we must acknowledge that racism is still very much present in our day to day lives. Don’t be a bystander to racism – if it is safe to do so, speak out and correct your friends if you hear them say  something racist and support victims in reporting these hate crimes. Ultimately, racism will not ‘go away’ unless we do something about it.

• Ethnicity
• Experiences
• identity