Scenario 1:
Both parents are from the US, but you were born in Senegale and now you live in Brazil, holding a Brazilian Passport.
Are you from the US, Senegale or Brazil?
Scenario 2:
Your Mom is from Holland, your dad is from Iceland, you were born in France but lived you’re whole life in Germany, holding a German passport.
So, where are you from?
Scenario 3:
Any variation of the above.
Some people argue the answer is what your passport says, some will say, it is where you are born that determines where you are from and some (like me) would say is your blood that determines where you’re from.
[quote=“igorveni”]Scenario 1:
Both parents are from the US, but you were born in Senegale and now you live in Brazil, holding a Brazilian Passport.
Are you from the US, Senegale or Brazil?[/quote]
“I’m a Senegale-born Brazilian-American.”
[quote]Scenario 2:
Your Mom is from Holland, your dad is from Iceland, you were born in France but lived you’re whole life in Germany, holding a German passport.
So, where are you from?[/quote]
“I’m a French-born German of Dutch-Icelandic parentage.”
[quote]Scenario 3:
Any variation of the above.[/quote]
[quote=“Dragonbones”][quote=“igorveni”]Scenario 1:
Both parents are from the US, but you were born in Senegale and now you live in Brazil, holding a Brazilian Passport.
Are you from the US, Senegale or Brazil?[/quote]
“I’m a Senegale-born Brazilian-American.”
[quote]Scenario 2:
Your Mom is from Holland, your dad is from Iceland, you were born in France but lived you’re whole life in Germany, holding a German passport.
So, where are you from?[/quote]
“I’m a French-born German of Dutch-Icelandic parentage.”
[quote]Scenario 3:
Any variation of the above.[/quote]
“I’m any variation of the above.”[/quote]
Yeah, but you wouldn’t answer that IRL now, would you? “I’m a French-born German of Dutch-Icelandic parentage.”
BTW, My father is Mexican; Mom’s American. I was born in Illinois, and have only a US passport. I’ve lived in Taipei longer than anywhere else. When asked, I answer that I’m
from Illinois, but half Mexican, or
Mexican-American, or
a citizen of the world.
That’s a good point. Igor…?[/quote]
Well, that’s the reason of my thread.
My mom is Bosnian Serb But actually comes from a Tzigan mom and dad.
My dad is Bosnian Muslim.
I was born (by accident) in Paris France.
I lived the majority of my childhood in Sarajevo and some in Pancevo (Serbia)
Then about 7 years in Paris. @19 YO, I took French citizenship and in 1991 gave up my Yugoslavian citizenship (for obvious reasons)
However I lived in Taiwan the majority of my life.
So, when asked where am I from I usually say Bosnia, but recently had a conversation with someone arguing that I should answer “I am French” because of my passport.
I told the builder to bury a turd under your bedroom floorboards.
Igorveni,
When I ask a Brit where they are from I expect a town or city name. I’m asking cos I wanna show off what a top geezer I am, and how many places I have been.
When I ask another person where they are from it could be for many reasons. When I asked Tash where she was from it was to make a mental note of places to avoid in Europe.
When someone tells me they are from Canada I then ask if they are from Edmonton. It may have the world’s largest mall, but something is up when half its native population now live in Taipei.
The people who bug me the most are Brits who grew up ‘in the forces.’ “Where are you from?” “All over, my dad was in the army.” Hate that, really hate that answer.
To me though, that sounds too long winded and doesn’t seem right. I’m not sure (so put me right please Igorveni) Are there a lot of Bosnians in Paris? I always thought you could only call yourself something in the way DB writes if there was a substantial population of immigrant groups in a host city.
To me though, that sounds too long winded and doesn’t seem right. I’m not sure (so put me right please Igorveni) Are there a lot of Bosnians in Paris? I always thought you could only call yourself something in the way DB writes if there was a substantial population of immigrant groups in a host city.
Chinese American etc[/quote]
There is a large community of Bosnians in Paris. So calling myself Bosnian French would have me shot by the Bosnians and get weird looks by the French.
I think I’ll stick to the simple “I am from Bosnia”.
A careful weighing of your citizenship, where you spent your formative years, and where you lived the bulk of your life…depending on many factors.
Anyway, in my opinion, you can’t be “from” somewhere you’ve never been, even if your parents were exiled. The American-born child of a Vietnamese couple who fled Vietnam could be considered “American”, “Vietnamese-American”, or even “Vietnamese”, but could not be considered to be “from Vietnam”.
[quote]Scenario 1:
Both parents are from the US, but you were born in Senegale and now you live in Brazil, holding a Brazilian Passport.
Are you from the US, Senegale or Brazil?
[/quote]
If you moved to Brazil only recently, then Senegal. If you moved to Brazil in your childhood, then Brazil. Between these extremes, either answer is OK. You’re not “from” the US because you’ve never been there.
[quote]Scenario 2:
Your Mom is from Holland, your dad is from Iceland, you were born in France but lived you’re whole life in Germany, holding a German passport.
So, where are you from?[/quote]
Germany.
I was born in the UK to American parents, became a US citizen shortly thereafter due to my parents being US citizens, then then moved to the US when I was 6 months old. Though I was born in the UK, I’m “from” the US.
