I’m sure some people are asking to be rude but for me, I would be asking simply because I’m curious. Curious to know where you grew up, what it was like, etc. I’ve done very little travel and enjoy learning about other places. Not sure if it’s fair to assume everyone has ill intentions

My partner, who is Korean but grew up in California, is asked that question all the time as well, and she, too, really dislikes it. To her, it's actually almost always because the person asking is being subconsciously (or flat out consciously) racist, an opinion that probably a lot of white people would be offended by, but I think she's right, personally. These conversations usually go like:

Them: where are you from?
Her: California.
Them: no, where are you really from?
Her: ... California?
Them: where are your parents from, though?

Literally every single time, with only the last question varying. It's like we Americans can think of nothing more than skin-deep to ask a person to get to know them. And I'm sorry you're going through this so often - I understand you completely.

I get asked that often. "What are you?"
I just look confused and answer back with some witty remark.
I've been Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban.... When people have guessed.
Even a doctor tried to correct my race information in my medical chart.
Nope, just your typical American mixture, born in the midwest.
I really don't know why people need to define others. Seems like a waste of energy.

As an immigrant who came as a teen, I used to feel like this. But with age and political consciousness, I outgrew this defensiveness. I began to own what I am - an immigrant! And I use the questions to educate. When someone asks me why I left my native land of Guyana (in South America), I say, "CIA Regime Change - as a small country, it was the cheapest destruction of a democratic government by the US Government." So, don't worry if your brownness stands out. You're not white and it is natural for people to notice the difference. Many people are simply genuinely interested without being racist!

I like asking where people are from because I love meeting people from other places. I've also traveled a lot so maybe I've been to that person's country. I use it as a way to start a conversation. I'm disappointed when people get defensive about it. Makes me sad for them. Not everyone has ill intent.

I often get asked what country I am from. I am from Wisconsin!

Having grown up in Europe, I am always interested in where people are from. Over the years spent in schools there, I met kids from all around the world and have interest in meeting people from other cultures, mostly because I find them more interesting to talk to than Americans who have never gone outside a 100 mile circle of town they were born in. And I am always looking for opportunities to practice my French which I have managed to maintain for almost 60 years. And while I can usually detect a French accent, I have met quite a few who’s accent was so subtle that I would have guessed wrong. So don’t be so quick to condem when the question comes up. They may just be looking for a conversation starter and a new friend.

There is a huge difference between a friendly ice breaker type enquiry and this type of thing, it's contextual I guess:

Personally, I see that question as being racist and ignorant. I don't see it as "innocent" and someone "just trying to start a conversation". Maybe it's because
I see too many white people, who are trying to disguise their innate racism, using
that as an excuse.
I know a lot of white people who are scared shitless about becoming a minority in this country. They are deliberately ignorant of the FACT that white people stole this country from the people of color who were here first.

For me the only reason I would ask that question would be out of curiosity.
I also remember Newton Crosby asking Ben where he was from he said Bakersfield, in an Indian accent, Newton then asked no before that, Bens response was Pittsburgh.

Curiosity. What's wrong with that? Being Portuguese I'm proud of where I come from. I live in Dublin, Ireland. Plenty of people from different countries. Different attitudes. All good.

And I would say that it is more irritating when I get asked that here in London. After I reply 'I'm a Londoner, born and raised' or 'I'm British' the next question is usually 'Yeah, but where are your family from?'. But, again, whether I get irritated or not kinda depends on what I detect the intent is behind the questions.

I think you’re a twit!

Anyway, where are you/your family from? My response in below?

I've never found "where are you from?" to be anything other than a curious and friendly ice-breaker. I'm sorry you have such difficulty with it.

Where are you from?

It is a very common conversation starter. Doesn't "What brings you to Boston" serve the same purpose?

Everyone. And I mean EVERYONE. Gets that in the south.

They've (mostly) stopped asking "Where do you go to church."

That was the default second question.

Now it is generally about favorite sports teams.

What is your definition of Idiot "foreigner stranger"? About your question... it is not religion... sorry to tell you. but ameriKKKa was populated by the scorn of Europe, not the noble. The "marginals" were the ones that escaped Europe for the "riches" for the taking found here. Often enough the choice was prison or the "new world". You could roll the dice here or rot in jail there. So lead me back to my question to you... what is your definition of Idiot "foreigner stranger"?

Apparently, I have an unusual accent and from time to time people here in the UK ask me where I was born. Even when I answer the question they stare at me in disbelief because even though I have answered their question it does not seem to fit in or gel with their preconceptions.

If I told them that I was born on the same big rock (earth) as they were and that we are spinning at approximately 1000 MPH in an outer spiral arm of the Milky Way Galaxy and that the galaxies are apart at 270 miles per second in no discernible direction they might find that more interesting or credible.

if I hear a (non-local) accent, I will ask people where they are from, as a way to connect and get to know them, and find out what interesting things they can share with me.

As a northern-US-born Australian (by choice) who has lived in 6 states in the last decade, I get asked all the time where I from. Unfortunately, that is not an easy question to answer (born in Pittsburgh, raised in Brisbane Australia, and consider Portland Oregon to be "home" )

I also get asked this question and guess what, I’m American. See the thing is about this country is that people are curious about other people’s background. Sometimes it’s because they just want to learn about a different place, sometimes it’s because they are a jackass who wants to kick out every foreigner they meet: though I’ve seen that the majority of cases are the former. They are reacting that way because you are being rather impolite in that situation. A piece of advice: don’t attribute to malice what can be attributed to ignorance. Everyone is ignorant about something including you and I.

Euros are so close together. They are the sizes & variations as are our United States. Most speak more than one language. Here in this large country we borders states not countries with different languages thusly we are less familiar with language differences. I dislike that Americans are thus so often some citizens bordering on language chauvinism. Forgive us our isolation from the world in this regard. Montreal Quebec Canada & Mexico,Puerto Rico, Jamaica are our closest non English languages other than our indigenous one. The latter being isolated on their own country within a country. We ask each other the same question about what state one is from in order to begin a conversation.

think its just a conversation starter in edinburgh the tourists are everywhere so its an easy way to get a friendly chat going.I would deff agree americans can be less well informed and very inward gazing but the ones that seem to leave to go travelling always seem very open and intelligent and most seem to be at the least religious but lapsed kinda people never really met any zealots.