“Where are you from?”
This is a question that we often ask people when we first meet them. It’s a very normal inclination that we have to want to know where people are from. It provides us with a shorthand that allows us to make assumptions about them.
For instance, if someone says, “I am from Boston,” we are are able to identiyf things we know about Boston and it gives us a frame of reference for this new person. We will likely assume that they like the Red Sox or perhaps clam chowder. Or, if someone tells us they are from Canada we will make assumptions about them and their love of poutine and hockey. Of course, these are surface things. Knowing where someone is from also provides us with a frame of reference for how they might act. Different places have different cultures. Knowing where someone is from helps us have a context about them.
