s/o Where are you from? Non-Americans asking Americans

[HS Mom in NC]

The thread Where Are You From? It reminded me of something I've always wondered about. When visiting abroad, Americans are often asked where they're from.  How much information are the non-Americans asking for? 

 

Are you asking if we're from the US as opposed to another part of the English speaking world because you're trying to place our accents by country?

 

Are you asking which state we're from?  I wouldn't expect someone outside the US to have a working knowledge of the 50 states and our territories so it might not occur to me to just name a state.

 

Are you asking what region of the US we're from? I'm guessing non-Americans have seen enough movies and have enough general knowledge to know we have different accents by region just like most other counties do.  In a related question, how exactly do non-Americans break up the US by region? 

 

I've not traveled abroad so I've never had a foreigner ask me.  I've had Americans from other parts of the US ask and they want to know at least the state and if I'm from a major city they've heard of.  If an American asked me where I'm from, I'd say, "Phoenix" (even though I live in a smaller city right outside PHX.) Most Americans have heard of PHX.

[lmrich]

I live in a major city so people know where Atlanta is or at least that is in the south and is hot.

[Rosie_0801]

State, or city if it is a major city. Aussies have heard of Miami, but not Tallahassee. 

 

I'd say few Australians would divide by region. East coast, west coast, up near Canada, somewhere in the middle, if you talk too slowly you're probably from the South and we are likely to base our ideas of that on what we can remember from having watched Gone with the Wind as kids, which we only did because it was an excuse to stay up past our bedtimes...

 

We already know you're American, that's why we've decided to be vaguely hospitable and speak to you. :)

[Eagle]

I'm from Canada and would be asking which state/city you live in. I am familiar with all of the states and many larger cities. I actually find regions to be more confusing and would prefer to know the specific state (or in your case, "Phoenix" would be a good response.)

[MEmama]

Great question! I never know how to answer, either.

[go_go_gadget]

I live near San Francisco, so I can say that and everyone knows what that means. If I didn't live near a such a recognizable city and I was speaking to another English speaker, I'd give the name of my state since they'd almost certainly know I was American. If I were in a context in which my nationality wasn't obvious, I'd say that I was American.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I'm sure it varies, but possibly they cannot tell where you are from just because you speak English.  I say that because once I was watching a news program with my BIL (he's in Germany) and the person talking very clearly was British based on accent and he asked me if that person was American.  It never occurred to me that the difference would not be obvious, but no apparently to a non native ear it is not always obvious. 

 

 

[Arcadia]

In my home country many would also be curious which major city you are near to if you say American. For example are you near to NYC, SF, Chicago, Washington DC, Las Vegas.

[Xahm]

I'm sure it varies, but possibly they cannot tell where you are from just because you speak English.  I say that because once I was watching a news program with my BIL (he's in Germany) and the person talking very clearly was British based on accent and he asked me if that person was American.  It never occurred to me that the difference would not be obvious, but no apparently to a non native ear it is not always obvious. 

Yeah, I taught English as a Foreign Language to teens and adults for a couple of years in a place with a definite bias towards the British. After I heard a few students complain in thick Eastern European accents what horrible American accents they were picking up from their teachers, I began to not announce myself as an American.  Instead, on the first day class, I'd talk with the students a bit about expectations, schedule, etc, and then I'd poll the class on where they thought I was from. I urged them to pay attention to my accent and see if they could place it.  Even my higher level students couldn't do it. They guessed England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and very occasionally America.  Once I started doing this, I never had a single student blame my American accent when they flubbed a dictation!

[mellifera33]

I'm sure it varies, but possibly they cannot tell where you are from just because you speak English.  I say that because once I was watching a news program with my BIL (he's in Germany) and the person talking very clearly was British based on accent and he asked me if that person was American.  It never occurred to me that the difference would not be obvious, but no apparently to a non native ear it is not always obvious. 

 

I've been asked if I'm Italian while in China, and asked if I'm French by the owner of a local Indian restaurant. I think that unless the non-native English speaker is intimately familiar with different English accents, they guess nationality based on how loudly the tourist is speaking, their manners in general, how they're dressed, and....weight. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I've been asked if I'm Italian while in China, and asked if I'm French by the owner of a local Indian restaurant. I think that unless the non-native English speaker is intimately familiar with different English accents, they guess nationality based on how loudly the tourist is speaking, their manners in general, how they're dressed, and....weight. 

 

Which wouldn't get anyone closer to guessing where I'm from. 

 

In high school I had an exchange student friend from Japan.  She was thoroughly horrified that I couldn't tell the difference between someone from China vs. Japan.  Hehe...

[mellifera33]

Which wouldn't get anyone closer to guessing where I'm from. 

 

In high school I had an exchange student friend from Japan.  She was thoroughly horrified that I couldn't tell the difference between someone from China vs. Japan.  Hehe...

 

Ha! When I was living in China, one of the teachers from Japan told me that nobody could tell that she wasn't Chinese until she started to speak. 

[Cammie]

Here in India they would be asking what country are you from!

 

 

[regentrude]

 

Are you asking if we're from the US as opposed to another part of the English speaking world because you're trying to place our accents by country?

 

Are you asking which state we're from?  I wouldn't expect someone outside the US to have a working knowledge of the 50 states and our territories so it might not occur to me to just name a state.

 

In Europe, many people (but not all) would be able to tell US Americans from British by their accent.

 

If a German asks an American visitor where they are from, they'd want to know which state, or possibly major city.

People do definitely know the states; they may not know the details of each or be able to recite all fifty of them, but yes, Germans would know roughly where the state is located. Also, many people will actually have been to the US, or know Americans - so state and city names mean something to them.

[Butter]

When we were in Ireland we'd tell them we were from Washington DC (we were from southern MD, but we figured close enough... actually even here in TX if people ask where we moved from we say near Washington DC!) and were getting ready to move to Texas.  A couple people asked where in Texas and did seem to know where San Antonio is (one asked if he was remembering correctly that that's where the Alamo is).  The rest seemed satisfied with just Texas.  One asked if Washington DC and Washington state were the same thing and thought it was really funny when we said they are on opposite sides of the country.

[wintermom]

In Europe, many people (but not all) would be able to tell US Americans from British by their accent.

 

If a German asks an American visitor where they are from, they'd want to know which state, or possibly major city.

People do definitely know the states; they may not know the details of each or be able to recite all fifty of them, but yes, Germans would know roughly where the state is located. Also, many people will actually have been to the US, or know Americans - so state and city names mean something to them.

 

This is the same for the people I lived and worked with when I lived in Norway. 

 

I'm from Canada, and would be asking an American which city and/or state they lived in - though some are totally obvious (NYC) as all my in-laws are from there. Then I'd ask for more specifics of the area.

[Mimm]

I'm surprised at the knowledge of our states that people outside the US have.

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/robinedds/its-thanksgiving-so-we-asked-some-brits-to-label-the-us-stat#.eoBw3QwB7

 

That's amusing, obviously, but even some of badly labeled maps is a lot more geographical knowledge than I have of any other country outside my own.

[Audrey]

I'm from Canada and would be asking which state/city you live in. I am familiar with all of the states and many larger cities. I actually find regions to be more confusing and would prefer to know the specific state (or in your case, "Phoenix" would be a good response.)

 

 

Agree.  Most Canadians are good with U.S. geography, and want to know which state or city because it might be in or near somewhere they've visited and that gives them a topic about which to have a friendly chat with you.

[8circles]

I think what kind of answer people want really can vary, depending on where you are.  I always start with US, then get more specific.

[purpleowl]

State, or city if it is a major city. Aussies have heard of Miami, but not Tallahassee. 

 

I'd say few Australians would divide by region. East coast, west coast, up near Canada, somewhere in the middle, if you talk too slowly you're probably from the South and we are likely to base our ideas of that on what we can remember from having watched Gone with the Wind as kids, which we only did because it was an excuse to stay up past our bedtimes...

 

We already know you're American, that's why we've decided to be vaguely hospitable and speak to you. :)

 

As someone who lives in Tallahassee, this made me laugh.  My husband has had this conversation with people (Americans!):

 

"So you're from Tallahassee, huh?  Is that close to Miami?  Orlando?  Jacksonville?"

"No, you're confused.  Tallahassee is the capital.  It's nowhere near any major city in Florida." 

 

:lol:

 

Anyway, I'd probably just answer with my state, or possibly something like, "I'm from the US, from Florida."

[harm]

I'm an immigrant to NZ from Canada. I never know how to answer the "where are you from" question. I usually start by giving my current local city. Then they get flustered and ask, "no, your accent. Where are you originally from?" At which point I say, Canada. If they inquire further, I'll give the province followed by the closest big city.

My MIL, who emigrated from holland, got asked a few months ago how long she was visiting for. She responded, "35 years and counting!" :)

 

 

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[harm]

I'm an immigrant to NZ from Canada. I never know how to answer the "where are you from" question. I usually start by giving my current local city. Then they get flustered and ask, "no, your accent. Where are you originally from?" At which point I say, Canada. If they inquire further, I'll give the province followed by the closest big city.

My MIL, who emigrated from holland, got asked a few months ago how long she was visiting for. She responded, "35 years and counting!" :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jean in Newcastle]

If I say Washington, everyone asks me if I've seen the president.  I have to explain that I am from Washington State, and not Washington DC.  If I say Seattle, then everyone asks me how I like living in Alaska!  (Even Americans in other states have asked me this. . . )

[Laura Corin]

I think that saying something like, 'I'm from America, near (major city).' would probably be good in Britain.  If you got a puzzled look, then saying something like, 'It's on the East/West coast/up by Canada/in the south/in the middle,' would probably be more useful than giving state names.

 

I never know what to say when I'm in America, because there's quite a lot of confusion among some people about Britain, England, Scotland..

[8circles]

"Near Chicago" usually satisfies.  Then I get a lot of comments about Al Capone LOL.

[lailasmum]

I think it would depend on the individual. I have pretty good knowledge of US geography so I'd probably ask further than just your state and I'm also interested in learning about different places and what people's lives are like where they live, but I reckon state or major city and country would be fine for most purposes. Brits do tend to have a reasonable knowledge of the US because we have so much American TV also people are often good with the different accents for the same reason.

 

I tend to find that Americans don't know much about the UK outside of London and Edinburgh so I doubt many Americans would have much of a clue about where I live. 

 

 

 

 

[IsabelC]

Most of the time I'm just interested in which State you're from, unless your home is in a major city or near some famous landmark. Obviously people vary in what specific things they are interested in (for example if you're from Nevada or California, I'd be asking whether you're anywhere near the Calico Mountains, because we read a seemingly neverending series of kids' books set there), but people will ask for more information if they are interested.

[Carrie12345]

 

 

I've not traveled abroad so I've never had a foreigner ask me.  I've had Americans from other parts of the US ask and they want to know at least the state and if I'm from a major city they've heard of.  If an American asked me where I'm from, I'd say, "Phoenix" (even though I live in a smaller city right outside PHX.) Most Americans have heard of PHX.

 

I stumble over answering southerners.  I was surprised to learn not everyone knows what "The Poconos" means, and I haven't come up with an alternate answer I'm happy with.  Two hours north of Philadelphia?  Okay, but I identify more with NJ, which is closer and where I'm originally from.  But part of NJ is closer to Philadelphia than it is to me.  And I'm also 2 hours from NYC.

 

I'd rather just say I'm from NJ, but it's starting to feel like a lie after a decade in PA, lol.

[MEmama]

I stumble over answering southerners. I was surprised to learn not everyone knows what "The Poconos" means, and I haven't come up with an alternate answer I'm happy with. Two hours north of Philadelphia? Okay, but I identify more with NJ, which is closer and where I'm originally from. But part of NJ is closer to Philadelphia than it is to me. And I'm also 2 hours from NYC.

 

I'd rather just say I'm from NJ, but it's starting to feel like a lie after a decade in PA, lol.

I've had to answer "A couple hours north of Boston", even though we live in a different state than Boston, aren't in a city of any kind, and it's actually more east than north. But it gets the job done for someone unfamiliar with the nuances of American geography. I recently saw a band who announced they from "halfway between London and Scotland". Okay, good enough! :)

[Cinder]

The only time I remember being asked where I was from by a non-American was when dh and I were late to catch a train in Austria. We were about to run into the station when I remembered we had to stop and get our passports checked before we went inside. I said this out loud and the man checking the passports, who could tell we were running late, then asked if we were Canadian. We answered, "American" and he just waved us in. I suppose he would have waved us through if we really had been Canadian. He seemed to care just about nationality; we didn't have time for small talk. This was 1996. I'm betting things aren't so relaxed these days in our post-9/11 world.

 

Then there was the time I was invited to be part of the International group (Sunday school class? can't remember) at church in small town, deep south. The man who invited me and his wife--not sure which country she was from--had started the group, I think. I guess I was invited because I'm part Asian; I had never talked to this couple before this. I just gave him a funny look and said I was American. I think he was a bit flustered and covered by saying the group wasn't just for people who were from another country, blah blah blah.

[go_go_gadget]

Most of the time I'm just interested in which State you're from, unless your home is in a major city or near some famous landmark. Obviously people vary in what specific things they are interested in (for example if you're from Nevada or California, I'd be asking whether you're anywhere near the Calico Mountains, because we read a seemingly neverending series of kids' books set there), but people will ask for more information if they are interested.

31 year-old native (Northern) Californian here, never heard of the Calico Mountains. *Googles* Oh, they're part of the Mojave (over 400 miles from me). I'm familiar with lots of features and mountain ranges of the Mojave, but not that particular range. I'm curious now to know many Californians are.

[Wildcat]

I don't think I have just been asked "Where are you from?"  It has either been "Are you American? Where are you from?" or "You're American! Which state?" That sort of thing. 

 

I give my state's name with a short "it's close to/north of/south of" a state that most folks know.

[Wheres Toto]

I'm surprised at the knowledge of our states that people outside the US have.

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/robinedds/its-thanksgiving-so-we-asked-some-brits-to-label-the-us-stat#.eoBw3QwB7

 

That's amusing, obviously, but even some of badly labeled maps is a lot more geographical knowledge than I have of any other country outside my own.

 

Unfortunately I think a lot of Americans wouldn't do much better.  :glare:  

[MEmama]

31 year-old native (Northern) Californian here, never heard of the Calico Mountains. *Googles* Oh, they're part of the Mojave (over 400 miles from me). I'm familiar with lots of features and mountain ranges of the Mojave, but not that particular range. I'm curious now to know many Californians are.

Another native northern Californian here. I was wondering the same thing--I've never heard of them either.

[J-rap]

I tell them the "Upper Midwest" in the U.S.A.  Most people abroad have not heard of my state.  (Not counting Canadians, of course!  But then again, I don't consider them "abroad."  They are simply our next-door neighbors!)

 

 

 

 

[luuknam]

That would really depend on where you are and who is asking. I'm from NL, and naming your state (or a MAJOR city) would probably be your best option. People may not know *where* e.g. North Carolina is, but they probably know it's *somewhere* in the US. If I were to go to NL I'd probably say I live in Western NY *State*, near the Niagara Falls (never mind that I live much closer to Buffalo, but that waterfall is much more famous). Plus, I've never been to NYC, which is what people would assume if I just said New York.

 

As shown in the link of a PP, pretty much everybody knows where California and Texas are. Not everyone realizes how big they are though irl. My late grandmother was worried every time there was a hurricane in TX, even though we lived an hour north of Dallas, where they don't really do hurricanes.

 

Before I moved to the US I thought Michigan was a city. Didn't have a clue what state it was in, but I did think it was close to Chicago. :)

 

Now, as far as telling people in the US where I'm from, it usually goes like "The Netherlands". [confused look]. "Holland?" [confused look] "Europe?". The latter usually does the trick, though I'm not sure how many people just give up caring at that point, lol. On the other end of the spectrum there are the people who ask "Where in The Netherlands", when they only know Amsterdam. Em, no. Born near Rotterdam, then moved to the center of the country when I was 6yo.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I get people asking me where in Japan I grew up.  Just saying the name of the city (Sendai) does nothing.  So I've come up with "250 miles north of Tokyo, in the place they had the big earthquake and tsunami."  Then I get "Oooooooh."  It helps if something has  been in the news worldwide.  

[luuknam]

It helps if something has  been in the news worldwide.  

 

A PP mentioned Atlanta. I knew Atlanta is in the US because of the Olympics. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have heard of it before moving to the US.

[Eagle]

I tell them the "Upper Midwest" in the U.S.A. Most people abroad have not heard of my state. (Not counting Canadians, of course! But then again, I don't consider them "abroad." They are simply our next-door neighbors!)

I would have no idea to which states "Upper Midwest" refers. Idaho? Maybe Montana? That's all I've got.

[Cottonwood]

As someone who lives in Tallahassee, this made me laugh. My husband has had this conversation with people (Americans!):

 

"So you're from Tallahassee, huh? Is that close to Miami? Orlando? Jacksonville?"

"No, you're confused. Tallahassee is the capital. It's nowhere near any major city in Florida."

 

:lol:

 

Anyway, I'd probably just answer with my state, or possibly something like, "I'm from the US, from Florida."

Funny story about recognizable cities in Florida. Dh and I lived in Panama City and his family was in California. Every blasted time a hurricane threatened Florida... ANY part, they called with great concern asking us if we planned to evacuate. Lol.

[HS Mom in NC]

I'm guessing "Upper Midwest" is confusing to most non-Americans because it's based on what was considered "west" before westward expansion in the 1800s.  Some of us in the current west think it's an odd geographic development that some of the "midwest" is part of the eastern half of the US. Even American movies, like Raising Arizona, confuse regions.  We're in the Southwest or West, depending on how you divide it, but in the movie everyone in AZ had southern accents that you never hear west of TX.  We would never say we're from the southern US because that's a cultural region ending in TX, not a geographic one. We would say we're on the southern border of the US, but I've never heard anyone from here refer to it as The Southern US  or The South. We would most likely say we're from the SW, the Desert SW or maybe even The West. Most non-Americans would be unlikely to understand everything that goes into those terms.

 

It's also strange for some Americans to hear Brits call us "Yanks" because "Yankees" are what southerners call people from New England, most notably Granny from The Beverly Hillbillies and Mark Twain in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. My dad is from rural Maine and often jokes about being a "Swamp Yankee" but other than that, no one around here uses the term "Yankee" unless it's in reference to a baseball team and no one uses the term "Yank" at all. He's also deeply offended if you refer to Maine as part of New England or to him as being from New England.  Again, there's a cultural distinction not a geographic one.

 

Here you might be corrected by someone with Mexican ancestry if you say "I'm an American."  Many times I've heard them respond in an irritated tone with, "There are lots of different people groups in The Americas."  I can't imagine any of the Canadians I've ever met saying anything like that. So, if there are people who might be Hispanic around, some people here won't use the term "American" and will simply say, "I'm from the US." I don't know if people in other parts of the US hear Mexican-Americans or other people from other parts of The Americas saying the same thing.

 

I can only imagine how much we confuse people not from the US with our regional talk.

[Butter]

As shown in the link of a PP, pretty much everybody knows where California and Texas are. Not everyone realizes how big they are though irl. My late grandmother was worried every time there was a hurricane in TX, even though we lived an hour north of Dallas, where they don't really do hurricanes.

 

My husband has cousins in Australia.  I just recently got an e-mail asking if we were okay because they heard about the flooding (which was about an hour from us) and then the tropical storm (we got rain, but not much).  They know we're in Texas, but the specific geography of it they do not know.

 

If someone told me they were from the upper midwest, I'd be clueless as to what they mean.  And I'm born and raised in the US.

 

One of my MIL's neighbors in Ireland is referred to as Mary the Yank.  She is Irish.  She has never left Ireland.  But she married an American who has since died.  Therefore she is a yank by marriage lol

[Spy Car]

Los Angeles. Kind of an easy one.

 

Bill

[DawnM]

I always say I am from the States.  IF they want more info, they will ask.  Usually they just want country.

[Guest]

I haven't been asked much...maybe once when I was in Canada? Not sure. Anyway, saying I live near Washington DC gets much better results than saying I live in Maryland. I think Maryland is one of those forgotten states that most Californians can't place, much less people living in other countries. ;)

 

Actually, I get more tongue-tied saying where I live in my own state, because the "city" I live in is small and not noteworthy, yet it covers an area where three counties abutt. So sometimes, I start babbling that I live in the southern portion of this county, and then reference my distance to the nearest bigger city people have heard of.

[yucabird]

The thread Where Are You From? It reminded me of something I've always wondered about. When visiting abroad, Americans are often asked where they're from.  How much information are the non-Americans asking for? 

 

Are you asking if we're from the US as opposed to another part of the English speaking world because you're trying to place our accents by country?

 

Are you asking which state we're from?  I wouldn't expect someone outside the US to have a working knowledge of the 50 states and our territories so it might not occur to me to just name a state.

 

Are you asking what region of the US we're from? I'm guessing non-Americans have seen enough movies and have enough general knowledge to know we have different accents by region just like most other counties do.  In a related question, how exactly do non-Americans break up the US by region? 

 

I've not traveled abroad so I've never had a foreigner ask me.  I've had Americans from other parts of the US ask and they want to know at least the state and if I'm from a major city they've heard of.  If an American asked me where I'm from, I'd say, "Phoenix" (even though I live in a smaller city right outside PHX.) Most Americans have heard of PHX.

 

I live in Mexico; people ask me all the time.  If it is a question they are asking and they aren't obviously interested (e.g., a waiter treading water at a job), then I'll say the US.  If the person seems sincerely interested, then I either reply with the state of my birth or the US.  If I say, "the US," and if that person is interested, then they will always follow up with, "What state?"

[KungFuPanda]

I've always answered with a more state-specific response only to have people go "Oh, you're an American?" (They always say "oh." What's with the "oh?"). I always assume I stick out as an American, but I don't have a big voice that carries and I'm small/thin, so apparently those are the big tells. I've always enjoyed the getting-to-know-you conversations and people are generally pleasant. Well, Korea wasn't the best experience, but Europe seemed friendly. In Seoul people touched my hair without asking. That's a little too invasive and I'm a hugger!