Asking someone about their ethnic heritage appears to just be a way to get to know someone.
But for Latinos, Asians, and "people who fall in between the black-white racial binary in the United States," the question gets tiresome, wrote journalist Tanzina Vega in CNN.
"The next time you want to inquire about someone's race, ethnicity or national origin, ask yourself: Why do I want to know?" Vega wrote. "Or better yet, rather than asking anyone 'where are you really from?' try listening — or letting that person ask you a question — instead."
Receiving that question again and again can imply that a person isn't really American or doesn't truly belong in their country, just because of their appearance.
"The wrong here is that the question presupposes that being a person of color is inconsistent with being American," Dr. Ashley Lauren Pennington told Business Insider.
What to say instead: Nothing. If the person in question wants to discuss their identity, they can bring it up at their own discretion.