{"id":911,"date":"2025-08-16T09:12:32","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T09:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/?p=911"},"modified":"2025-08-16T09:13:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T09:13:51","slug":"where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As I approach my 70th birthday, I reflect on a question I have been asked countless times in my life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>\u201cWhere are you from?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the surface, it might seem like small talk. But for someone like me \u2013 a dark-skinned British woman who has lived in the UK for 64 of my 70 years &#8211; it carries an entirely different weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I\u2019m with my husband, who is white and Jewish, no one ever asks him this. He is assumed to belong. I, on the other hand, am always asked to explain myself. And when I say <em>\u201cStretford, Bury, Manchester\u201d<\/em>, the response is often, <em>\u201cYes, but where are you really from?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That \u201creally\u201d is the sting. It suggests I cannot simply be from here. It denies my belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This <strong>\u201cothers\u201d<\/strong> me. And that is not curiosity, that is bias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Why Do People Ask?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Confirmation bias<\/strong> \u2013 People see my skin colour and assume I cannot be British, so they search for an \u201celsewhere\u201d to confirm their preconceptions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A form of othering<\/strong> \u2013 The question separates me from those who are assumed to \u201cnaturally\u201d belong.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ignorance disguised as interest<\/strong> \u2013 What feels like innocent curiosity is, in fact, an unequal standard applied to some and not others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The real issue is <strong>who is asked and who is not.<\/strong> If it were just about curiosity, my husband would be asked the same. But he isn\u2019t.<strong><br><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>A Poem: <em>Where I\u2019m From<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am from red brick streets,<br>rain-soaked skies and Northern grit,<br>from Manchester markets and the smell of bread,<br>from laughter that fills terraced houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am from classrooms and corridors,<br>from work done twice as hard for half the credit,<br>from Sunday roasts and neighbours who nod hello,<br>from a life lived fully, right here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet still you ask me,<br>again and again,<br>\u201cWhere are you from?\u201d<br>And when I answer,<br>you tilt your head,<br>waiting for another truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But there is no other truth.<br>I am not a question mark,<br>I am not an echo of elsewhere,<br>I am not a puzzle for your curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am from here.<br>My roots stretch deeper<br>than the doubt in your voice.<br>I do not need to travel backwards<br>to prove my belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am from today,<br>from seventy years of living,<br>from love, from family,<br>from Manchester<br>from home.<strong><br><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Why This Is a Problem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This question may feel harmless to the person asking, but it is harmful in its impact. It is a microaggression a form of everyday racism that communicates: <strong><em>\u201cYou don\u2019t really belong here.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:16px\"><strong>I am far from alone in this.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Riz Ahmed<\/strong>, the British actor and rapper, has spoken openly about being constantly asked \u201cWhere are you really from?\u201d even after winning awards and representing Britain on the world stage. He called it \u201ca reminder that no matter what you achieve, some people will never see you as fully British.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lady Phyll (Phyll Opoku-Gyimah)<\/strong>, co-founder of UK Black Pride, has shared how the question is used as a tool of exclusion. As she puts it, \u201cIt\u2019s never just curiosity. It\u2019s a way of telling you that you are not from here, that you do not belong here.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Ngozi Fulani case at Buckingham Palace<\/strong> made global headlines in 2022 when she was repeatedly asked the same question: <em>\u201cWhere are you really from?\u201d<\/em> despite introducing herself clearly as a British woman and charity leader. The world saw how quickly this \u201csmall question\u201d revealed deep-rooted bias.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These stories show what I have lived all my life: it\u2019s not an isolated experience, it\u2019s systemic.<strong><br><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Ten Reasons Not to Ask \u201cWhere Are You Really From\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>It assumes non-belonging.<\/strong> You are implying someone is not truly part of the UK.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It creates \u201cus\u201d and \u201cthem.\u201d<\/strong> A line is drawn between \u201creal\u201d Britons and \u201cothers.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It ignores lived reality.<\/strong> Where I live and contribute matters more than where I was born.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It is unevenly applied.<\/strong> White people are rarely asked, exposing racial bias.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It forces disclosure.<\/strong> Not everyone wants to share their personal history with strangers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It reduces identity.<\/strong> People are more than their skin colour, birthplace, or ancestry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It carries a history.<\/strong> For many, it echoes colonial assumptions about who belongs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It undermines inclusion.<\/strong> Instead of connecting, it distances and alienates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It can be painful.<\/strong> For some, their family history involves trauma, displacement, or loss.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It is unnecessary.<\/strong> There are many respectful ways to connect that don\u2019t rely on stereotypes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Key Messages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cWhere are you from?\u201d is not a neutral question when it\u2019s only directed at ethnically diverse people.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This is a form of racism, treating some people less favourably because of race or ethnicity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Belonging is not determined by skin colour or birthplace, but by lived experience and community.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Curiosity is not an excuse for bias. Questions must be asked with equity, not prejudice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>True inclusion means letting people define themselves on their own terms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:16px\"><strong>A Better Way Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you genuinely want to know about someone, try asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>\u201cTell me about yourself.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cWhat do you enjoy doing?\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cWhat\u2019s important to you?\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These open-ended questions allow people to share what <em>they<\/em> want you to know, not what stereotypes dictate you should hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Because belonging is not up for debate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am from here.<br>I am enough.<br>And I should not have to prove it to anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Myth Busters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cI ask everyone that.\u201d <\/strong>No, you don\u2019t. White friends are rarely asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cIt\u2019s only a friendly question.\u201d <\/strong>A question isn\u2019t friendly if it excludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cI just want to know about culture.\u201d <\/strong>Ask respectfully: <em>\u201cWould you like to share about your heritage?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cI didn\u2019t mean anything by it.\u201d <\/strong>Intent doesn\u2019t erase impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cPeople should be proud of where they\u2019re from.\u201d <\/strong>Pride doesn\u2019t mean forced disclosure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cIt helps me understand people better.\u201d <\/strong>Listening to lived experience builds understanding, not assumptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Better Way Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask: <em>\u201cTell me about yourself\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask: <em>\u201cWhat do you enjoy doing?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask: <em>\u201cWhat\u2019s important to you?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As I approach my 70th birthday, I reflect on a question I have been asked countless times in my life: \u201cWhere are you from?\u201d On the surface, it might seem like small talk. But for someone like me \u2013 a dark-skinned British woman who has lived in the UK for 64 of my 70 years [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fostering-inclusivity-insights-and-tips","category-race-ethnicity-and-culture"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds - Equality and Diversity UK Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds - Equality and Diversity UK Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As I approach my 70th birthday, I reflect on a question I have been asked countless times in my life: \u201cWhere are you from?\u201d On the surface, it might seem like small talk. But for someone like me \u2013 a dark-skinned British woman who has lived in the UK for 64 of my 70 years [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Equality and Diversity UK Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-16T09:12:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-16T09:13:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alyson Malach\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alyson Malach\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/16\\\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/16\\\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Alyson Malach\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1b4d93e7bb7b9d019c28bbaad71703b1\"},\"headline\":\"\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-16T09:12:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-16T09:13:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/16\\\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1007,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Fostering Inclusivity\",\"Race, Ethnicity, and Culture\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/16\\\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/16\\\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/16\\\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\\\/\",\"name\":\"\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds - Equality and Diversity UK Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-16T09:12:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-16T09:13:51+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/16\\\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/16\\\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/16\\\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/\",\"name\":\"Equality and Diversity UK Blog\",\"description\":\"Blog by Equality and Diversity UK\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Equality and Diversity UK Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/cropped-eduk-logo-300.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/cropped-eduk-logo-300.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"Equality and Diversity UK Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1b4d93e7bb7b9d019c28bbaad71703b1\",\"name\":\"Alyson Malach\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/878648ac954b51119effc1b58c8e283abd18c3408cfdf7a4c829129cda1a1503?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/878648ac954b51119effc1b58c8e283abd18c3408cfdf7a4c829129cda1a1503?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/878648ac954b51119effc1b58c8e283abd18c3408cfdf7a4c829129cda1a1503?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Alyson Malach\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/author\\\/jojoblog\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds - Equality and Diversity UK Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds - Equality and Diversity UK Blog","og_description":"As I approach my 70th birthday, I reflect on a question I have been asked countless times in my life: \u201cWhere are you from?\u201d On the surface, it might seem like small talk. But for someone like me \u2013 a dark-skinned British woman who has lived in the UK for 64 of my 70 years [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/","og_site_name":"Equality and Diversity UK Blog","article_published_time":"2025-08-16T09:12:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-16T09:13:51+00:00","author":"Alyson Malach","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Alyson Malach","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/"},"author":{"name":"Alyson Malach","@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/1b4d93e7bb7b9d019c28bbaad71703b1"},"headline":"\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds","datePublished":"2025-08-16T09:12:32+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-16T09:13:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/"},"wordCount":1007,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Fostering Inclusivity","Race, Ethnicity, and Culture"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/","url":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/","name":"\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds - Equality and Diversity UK Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-08-16T09:12:32+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-16T09:13:51+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/16\/where-are-you-from-why-this-question-isnt-as-innocent-as-it-sounds\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u201cWhere Are You From?\u201d \u2013 Why this question isn\u2019t as innocent as it sounds"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/","name":"Equality and Diversity UK Blog","description":"Blog by Equality and Diversity UK","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/#organization","name":"Equality and Diversity UK Blog","url":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cropped-eduk-logo-300.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cropped-eduk-logo-300.png","width":300,"height":300,"caption":"Equality and Diversity UK Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/1b4d93e7bb7b9d019c28bbaad71703b1","name":"Alyson Malach","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/878648ac954b51119effc1b58c8e283abd18c3408cfdf7a4c829129cda1a1503?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/878648ac954b51119effc1b58c8e283abd18c3408cfdf7a4c829129cda1a1503?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/878648ac954b51119effc1b58c8e283abd18c3408cfdf7a4c829129cda1a1503?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Alyson Malach"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk"],"url":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/author\/jojoblog\/"}]}},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Alyson Malach","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/author\/jojoblog\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"As I approach my 70th birthday, I reflect on a question I have been asked countless times in my life: \u201cWhere are you from?\u201d On the surface, it might seem like small talk. But for someone like me \u2013 a dark-skinned British woman who has lived in the UK for 64 of my 70 years&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=911"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":913,"href":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911\/revisions\/913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}