How to deal with this type of comments

SciTech Outline

SciTech Outline

I've Got It
Comments like "where are you from?" should I respond to questions like that and how should I reply. I am not racist at all, I treat humans depending on their personality and I don't want to make my channel a place for racist people. I don't even know my race :D Could you guys till me? Thanks!
 
Im with Mark on this, I would ignore it if you dont want to or feel uncomfortable answering. If they persist in asking over and over I would probably delete it.
 
It's a Harmless question to me? A interested Subscriber is taking interest in you I find that flattering a total random wanting to know about you!
 
I've been asked this question several times and I've always replied to them because I didn't even thought that it could be a problem. Could you please share with me why do you think it could be 'harmful'?
 
Little Recordings said:
How is "where you are from" and "racism" are connected? I mean, I notice this word used more and more, did the definition of it got changed at some point and I am not aware of it?
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If you're White, "where are you from" means "where are you from". However, if you're not White (namely, if you're Asian or have a vague ethnicity) it's the way that people who are ignorant about the correct way to talk about race ask about your ethnicity.

The standard example conversation:
"Where are you from?"
"Oregon, born and raised."
"No, I mean, where are you really from?"
"... Oregon? Oh. You mean... Ah. My mother is from Taiwan, my father is White."
"What's your first language?"
"..."

The other common but incorrect way to ask about race is "What's your nationality", as that's just not what the word means.

Anyway, @SciTech Outline, I'd say just respond with an approximation of your actual geographic location. In the very least, it might subtly show people that the question doesn't actually ask what they're trying to ask. If people are directly asking about your ethnicity, do what you feel comfortable with, but keep in mind that it probably is just curiosity about you and not inherently offensive. There's a difference between "racial" and "racist", and it's fine to say "I actually am unsure about my ethnic background!" People being curious about you ain't a bad thing, it's only a problem if they're trying to be like "omg of course the tech guy is indian lol outsourcing lol".
 
Goreness said:
If you're White, "where are you from" means "where are you from". However, if you're not White (namely, if you're Asian or have a vague ethnicity) it's the way that people who are ignorant about the correct way to talk about race ask about your ethnicity.

The standard example conversation:
"Where are you from?"
"Oregon, born and raised."
"No, I mean, where are you really from?"
"... Oregon? Oh. You mean... Ah. My mother is from Taiwan, my father is White."
"What's your first language?"
"..."

The other common but incorrect way to ask about race is "What's your nationality", as that's just not what the word means.

Anyway, @SciTech Outline, I'd say just respond with an approximation of your actual geographic location. In the very least, it might subtly show people that the question doesn't actually ask what they're trying to ask. If people are directly asking about your ethnicity, do what you feel comfortable with, but keep in mind that it probably is just curiosity about you and not inherently offensive. There's a difference between "racial" and "racist", and it's fine to say "I actually am unsure about my ethnic background!" People being curious about you ain't a bad thing, it's only a problem if they're trying to be like "omg of course the tech guy is indian lol outsourcing lol".
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The sad thing I understand what you...what a wonderful society of subliminal b******t, prejudice as well predisposition to pounce on any trigger without having full context we live in. 21 century, where a simple question can somehow either offend a party or to be used as an offense as well ie catch-22.
 
Little Recordings said:
The sad thing I understand what you...what a wonderful society of subliminal b******t, prejudice as well predisposition to pounce on any trigger without having full context we live in. 21 century, where a simple question can somehow either offend a party or to be used as an offense as well ie catch-22.
Click to expand...

It's not so much "offensive" as much as it shows off the mindset of the asker in a negative light. It's off-putting. I'm not sure if you're implying that people are jumping to conclusions in order to get offended... for me personally, I generally give people the benefit of the doubt, and most of the time I don't actually consider that they are actually inquiring on my ethnicity. My example is really how these conversations go... they ask where I'm from, I tell them where I'm from, and they clarify that they actually meant what my ancestry is.

However, in the context of YouTube commenters... it isn't a leap at all to assume that "where are you from" means "what race are you". 'Course, OP says "comments like 'where are you from'", so he probably gets the race question in more ways than just that. Really, my contribution to this thread is just that "where are you from" is never the correct way to ask about someone's race unless they're a foreigner.
 
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