Good question. How about Scenario 3: Born in Mexico, mother is of Russian descent, father Native American, raised in US (multiple states), holds Taiwan passport, lived entire adult life in Taiwan.
I always answer “henDuoDiFang” (many places)
I was born in Mexico, grew up in Texas and Louisiana, went to boarding school in Utah, have lived pretty much all over the US, and my parents are both immigrants (from different countries).
As far as I see, the math adds up to “Typical American”.
You se now, that’s a good example. Having a taiwanese passport, would you say, “I am Taiwanese”? That would surely create some weird staring.
How do you answer the question then?
I think you need to consider why you are being asked the question. In this case, it sounds like you are not talking about testifying in court or some similar situation where you need to search for a single, “technically most correct” answer. It sounds like you are talking about situations where you meet a new person and they are asking a friendly question to learn more about you.
If that’s the case, then I think that giving a brief explanation of your relatively unusual background is very appropriate. I think most people would find it interesting, and it would tell them more about you than just saying ‘I’m from Bosnia’. If you get tired of telling the whole story every time, then you can just pick one place and say it. In other words, if the goal is just to avoid the hassle of explaining then I don’t suppose which quick response you give matters very much.
Finally, if you are going to go with one of TomHill’s suggestions for your quick response (and let’s face it, you could do worse), I’d pick “Bonch”.
You se now, that’s a good example. Having a Taiwanese passport, would you say, “I am Taiwanese”? That would surely create some weird staring.
How do you answer the question then?[/quote]
Usually with some weird staring. But mostly it depends on whether I have the time or inclination to go into details. So my answers vary wildly. Sometimes I just make stuff up (all of you who thought I was from Senegal, sorry). I wrote a post on this in my blog recently; I find it an interesting subject. If I really don’t want to go into it, I just say “Florida.” Anyone can be from Florida, no questions asked.
[quote=“Hobbes”]I think you need to consider why you are being asked the question. In this case, it sounds like you are not talking about testifying in court or some similar situation where you need to search for a single, “technically most correct” answer. It sounds like you are talking about situations where you meet a new person and they are asking a friendly question to learn more about you.
If that’s the case, then I think that giving a brief explanation of your relatively unusual background is very appropriate. I think most people would find it interesting, and it would tell them more about you than just saying ‘I’m from Bosnia’. If you get tired of telling the whole story every time, then you can just pick one place and say it. In other words, if the goal is just to avoid the hassle of explaining then I don’t suppose which quick response you give matters very much.
Finally, if you are going to go with one of TomHill’s suggestions for your quick response (and let’s face it, you could do worse), I’d pick “Bonch”.[/quote]
Yeah, I kind of like Bonch too. 
But yes, it is mostly when I meet people and they ask me where you are from. problem is, when in a party with god knows how many people, I really don’t want to waste my time explaining my life history. hence, I go with Bosnian.
[quote=“Hobbes”]I think you need to consider why you are being asked the question. In this case, it sounds like you are not talking about testifying in court or some similar situation where you need to search for a single, “technically most correct” answer. It sounds like you are talking about situations where you meet a new person and they are asking a friendly question to learn more about you.
[/quote]
You have a much nicer attitude than I do. You say “friendly question” and “someone you just met” I say “nosy question” and “annoying person on the MRT who can’t seem to see that I am trying to read”.
How I answer depends on who is asking, on the situation, on my whims. I withhold my right to entertain myself. When visiting friends of my neighbors ask, I politely answer, no matter how nosey it may be, because they are guests of my neighbors.
However, I’m not above doing a full Borat treatment (laying on the American accent) on somebody who butts in where they aren’t wanted. I say joke 'em if they can’t take a fuck.
Usually I just tell them where I live in Taiwan: “Zhao Ming”
Where?
“Zhao Ming, you know the little village up the road. That’s where my house is, that’s where I live, that’s where I got up this morning, that’s where my wife and kid live with me, that’s where I came from today, that’s where I’m from.”
“No, no what country, ni shi nali ren?”
“Wai Xing ren, of course. Why else would you be this interested?”
I have the same problem. Born in Canada but moved to Boston at 7… then back to canada (diff. city) until I was 14… then back to the states( sfo)… then back to Canada to finish school (different city)… then back to the states and then here. I hold a passport from both countries. Been here almost 6 years.
My question is: what do you tell people when you go home? I haven’t lived in Canada in 8 years and haven’t lived in the states in almost 6. Do I say Taiwan and then go into the long ramble of all the different canadian and american cities I’ve lived in? Haven’t lived in my “hometown” since I was 7.
Sometimes I just say I was born in canada but spent most of my life in the states. Guess when I move to Canada I can say the same except that the last 6 years were in Taiwan. People will be sorry they asked.
When a random stranger asks me where I am from I just make up any old crap.
Who shall I be today?
Hello. I’m Tom, and I’m from Nicaragua.
‘Hyphenated’ people are too pretentious for me.
I was born outside of the USA but thats where I was raised.
When someone here asks me where I am from I say…“California.” I was not raised there but I lived there for 13 years prior to coming to the island. They immediately know where I’m from. Never been the slightest doubt.
I was born in Calgary to a British/Canadian mother and a British/Canadian father. When people ask me what country I am from I will say “the UK and Canada.” However, if they just ask me where I am from, I will say I am a native Calgarian and Albertan (13 years of my life). I’ve spent considerable time in BC and overseas, but my formative years in Southwest Calgary (Lake Sundance) are still the largest chunk of time I’ve spent in one place.
Alberta has shaped me more than any other place.
A friend of mine was born in Nepal, to a French father and German mother. She lived in Nepal until she was 10 years old, then her and her mother moved to Austria while her dad went to a Parisian prison cell.
She tells people in Europe that she’s from Nepal and will quite happily show them her passports where it says place of birth “Kathmandu”. When she’s in Nepal, she tells French and English speakers that she’s from Austria, and tells German speakers that she’s French. I don’t know what she tells Nepali’s, because she’s telling them in Nepalese so I could never understand her. She’s also fluent in Tibetan - I’ve no idea what she tells Tibetans when they ask.
“None of you’re bloody business. Where are you from?”
Depends on the situation, but generally with a condescending smirk. Not much of an opening gambit is it?
What about people who just lie ? Liverpool is not in Cheshire.
For people with a rather complicated life history, the best answer seems to be where you spent the most time while growing up. This is the culture that most influences you - it is your ‘native culture’, just like the language you learned as a kid is your native language. Moving to another country as an adult, you will never be really ‘from’ that place - in most cases, you will always seem to be a foreigner no matter what your nationality. Where you are born is just chance - if born in Senegal, but left it as a baby, it will not have any influence on your personality.
So for igorveni, I would say “Bosnian”. You can give more detail if the person you’re talking to seems interested.
Under a rock.
Pretentious? Ok, I can imagine that if someone is stretching to include their roots because it’s the trendy thing to do, that might sound pretentious, but what’s wrong with saying “Mexican-American” if you’re 50/50? Hardly ‘pretentious’. 
Pretentious? Ok, I can imagine that if someone is stretching to include their roots because it’s the trendy thing to do, that might sound pretentious, but what’s wrong with saying “Mexican-American” if you’re 50/50? Hardly ‘pretentious’. :p[/quote]DB -
You’re from Illinois.
The OT is “How do you answer: Where are you from?”
There ain’t no hyphen in 'Illinois."
And I know its PC to be “hyphenated.” Giving props to the roots and all that. But you were born in the USA. You’re an American.