How do you know where you are from?

Question

Ok, we are having a debate... I think where you are from is where you were born... My friend thinks it is where your perents were from....

But what is it?

And my friend is wondering where she is from: her dad is English, Her mum is Scottish, She was born in England on holiday and has lived in Scotland the rest of her life.

And if it is what your parents were then how far do you go back? Because my mum's parents were scottish, my dad's dad was scottish but my dad's mum's mum was irish.

Don't worry if you get confused, just answer as much as you can.

Thanks. :)

Answer 1

Well, I can kind of see where your friend is coming from.  My dad was in the Marine Corps and moved around every 2 to 4 years when I was growing up, so even though I was born in California, I never felt a real connection there.  My parents on the other hand were  born and raised in West Michigan.  We went to Michigan every year for vacation and my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins were all there. When people have asked me where I was from, I have simply said that I have moved around a lot, but my relatives are all in Michigan.  If people ask about my ancestry, I usually tell them that most of my lines are from the Netherlands.

Answer 2

Generally, in most instances, where you come from means where you were born or sometimes where you grew up and perhaps finished school.  Your friend could take her pick since she was born in England, but she grew up in Scotland.

If you go back too many generations, your answer could end up sounding really ridiculous. For example, all four sets of my great grandparents lived in Texas most of their adult lives, even though one of my maternal great grandfathers was the son of Irish immigrants to Canada.  

Americans will often say that they are Americans of such and such descent or else hyphenate their identity, for instance, Irish-American.  Accordingly, you could say you are a Scot of Scottish and Irish descent.

P. S. -- Telling where you live now sometimes doesn't work simply because of an accent.  For example, my pastor when I was a teenager was from Lowland Scotland.  He gave the eulogy at a funeral I attended six-months-ago, and he still trills his r's, so if he said he was from Texas, he'd get some pretty incredulous looks.

Answer 3

Quite simple, actually.  When someone asks "where are you from", the answer is, simply, where you live now.

Telling someone "I'm from Russia", when you live in Tulsa, OK isn't very helpful.  They probably wouldn't send the package to Tulsa if you told them you were from Russia....

The question isn't very clear, is it?

Answer 4

Put simply, you are "from" wherever you were born,

your nationality is that of the country you were born in,

or the country you now live in by adoption.

With your friend, she is of English birth, even if both of her parents were Scottish, her father is of English birth and her mother is of Scottish birth, so she is of mixed nationality, or you can say they are all three, British !

If you take into account previous generations, you are then of mixed heritage or ancestry and it becomes impossible to classify, and getting into percentages is quite ridiculous, our ancestors were all originally from other parts of Europe or Asia, and even earlier than that, from Africa !! We are all a mixture of many many peoples.

Edit : I would add that the majority of people born in England consider themselves as English, I do, nevertheless I was born in the British Isles, or Britain, which makes me and everyone else born in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, like it or not, British !!

Answer 5

Of course Scotts & Welsh are more likely to say they are Scotts (Scotch) & Welsh than UK, British, English, because they are a different ethnic group and because the Brits conquered them by brutal force!

I have never heard that argument. I was born in one state, went to 10 different schools before being graduated from high school (5 different states) so when people ask where I am from, some mean where was I born, some mean where did I graduate at, etc.

Where YOU are from has nothing at all to do with your parents! If you refer to ancestry the answer would probably be "all over the globe" as my DNA (and paper trail) indicates.

Answer 6

its where you are born. and your friend was born in England so she is from england

AHHHHHHH SO CONFUSING !!!!!

Answer 7

i believe where u r from is where u r born

Answer 8

Well it depends on your context.

My parents and grandparents have all been Australian born.  One great grandparent was born in Scotland.  Then great and great grandparents were born in Scotland, Ireland and England and further back in Greece, France (both French and English working in France) and India (English working in India).  I am "from" them and there, but I'm not English or Irish or Scottish or French or Greek, I'm Australian.

It could also be where you've lived all your life.  For example I was born on the other side of the country but moved here when I was just three months old.  Whilst I am from my my birth city I haven't lived there (visited only) for years and years.  I have no memories of there, no connection, nothing...  I would say I'm from where I grew up.

I think it is context...

Answer 9

I say it's where you are born ie. I was born in Australia, my Dad was born in Australia but my Mother was born in Poland.  I have English and Norwegian great grand parents as well. I consider myself an Australian with these other countries as my heritage.  Also I have a daugther who's father was born in Australia but her grandparents on his side were born in Finland.  I consider her an Australian.  Dosn't the UK take in England and Scotland anyway?

Answer 10

I have always believed that "where someone's from" is the place or culture he/she identifies with the most.

Usually, that place is their hometown, or where they grew up because we come in contact with the language and culture of a place we've lived in for a long time.

Sometimes it just so happens that you grow up the same place you were born.  But someone who was born in the US and grew up in Asia all their life wouldn't say, "I'm from the US... but I've never lived there and I have never come in contact with the culture."  That would sound weird, wouldn't it?

Answer 11

"Where are you from?" can have many answers. There isn't a single right one.

If you were bornin Tahiti while your parents were on vacation but raised in Scotland, you'd say that. If, in addition, your parents were Chinese or Swedish or Nigerian, you'd add that, too. If you went to McGill University in Canada, liked Montreal so much you stayed there and were now 60, you'd probably call yourself a Canadian most of the time. If you were on vacation in Tahiti at age 60 and the fellow on the next blanket over from you at the beach said "Where are you from, eh?" You'd tell him "Canada" or, if he seemed interested and interesting, "I was born here in Tahiti, actually, of [Chinese / Nigerian / Swedish] parents, raised in Scotland and have been a Canadian since my University days."

Most people in the USA say they are of "mixed" ancestry.