“Where are you from?” – after living in Canada as an international student for seven years and as a permanent resident / citizen for 5 years, I’ve always had trouble answering that question. If you’re an international student, you may raise (well-meant) fascination among your peers and get asked a few questions over and over. In most cases, people who ask these questions usually just want to get to know you better, but some questions may make you feel uncomfortable. Here’s my take on 5 questions international students get asked, what they mean, and how you can answer.
1. “Where are you really from?”
If you’re an international student like myself who has spent a significant amount of time living in Canada already, this scenario may be familiar to you:
“Where are you from?”
“I’m from New Brunswick.”
“What? No no, I mean where are you really from? Like your ‘people’?”
“… I was born in South Korea”
Another version is: “I can’t place your accent… where are you from?” Many people will try to guess where you’re from based on your accent. If your accent can’t be easily traced back to a specific country, this may be one of the first things you’re asked.
I have sometimes been offended by scenarios like this because I felt essentialized as ‘the Other.’ After thinking about it, I understood that the questioner may not necessarily mean to label me as a ‘foreigner,’ but instead is purely interested in my roots and getting to know me better. Also, keep in mind that our increasingly mobile world makes this question difficult for many people to answer – including ‘locals.’
How to answer: Feel free to answer a complex question with a complex answer – e.g. “So far I’ve lived in five different cities in three different countries, but Vancouver feels like home right now.” If you feel uncomfortable or offended, consider asking a question back, such as “Can you clarify what you mean?” or “Interesting question. How would you answer?” or “Why do you ask?
2. “Why did you come here?”
As a student, the obvious answer is “to study.” But the person asking probably meant, “Why did you choose Canada to study among all places?” They might be curious about what factors contributed to your decision and why Canada is enticing to the outside world. (Beautiful nature? Multicultural society? Poutine?)
How to answer: Rather than taking it as an obvious or a hostile question, consider it as a chance to share the specific aspects of the local culture, your school program, or other factors that played a role in your choice – “I thought [specific custom or academic program] was interesting, and I wanted to find out more…” could be a start.
… to be continued in Part 2 of 2!