Don’t Ask Where I’m From, Ask Where I’m A Local

“All experience is local. All identity is experience.” This quote comes from the TED Talk spoken by Taiye Selasi “Don’t Ask Where I’m From, Ask Where I’m Local.” Selasi speaks heavily upon the idea that there is much more to a person than just the place they were born in. In this talk, Selasi challenges the idea that instead of us saying “where are you from?” we should instead say “where are you local to?” She explains the question “where are you from?” can be misleading and is rooted with stereotypes and intentions people themselves don’t even realize.

I feel so much related to the speech. When someone asks me where I’m from, I often do not know how to answer. I hesitated between the two countries: the U.S. and China, thinking which one I should pick to answer. To me, both places mean home. I ended up telling people my whole life story in order to make me feel I fully answered the question and presented the real me. Now, after listening to the speech made by Taiye Selasi, all my wonders disappeared.

It is not the name of a country that defines people; it is where they grow up, live, and where their families and friends are that define them. People from different parts of the same country are not the same. As a global scholar who also has a pretty diverse background, I recognized that many people may have experienced the same identity crisis I went through years ago, and it is crucial for the public to know the importance of understanding the multicultural/multifaceted nature of people. I also realized that the complexity of the question“where are you from” is often ignored by people. When many people expect a simple and definite answer from the others, a common stereotype/ mentality issue is revealed. While knowing the one who asks the question has no offense, the question itself may confuse or even baffle people with diverse backgrounds. The reason why people feel uncomfortable when answering this question is because a one-country answer “betrays” the sense of belonging.

So, start asking “where are you local?” when meeting a new friend, and ask yourself what are your three Rs (ritual, relationship, and restriction) to re/undefine yourself. Next time, I would introduce myself by saying: “Hi, I am Jocelyn. I am from Shanghai, Michigan, and Colorado.”