A few years back someone came up to me to make small talk and eventually the conversation arrived at "Where are you from?" I told them I was from Texas. They then changed their phrasing to "Where are you REALLY from? Like where were you born?" I answered California. They didn't seem to like my response because they looked at me both confused and uncomfortable.
After some awkward silence, they tried again and asked "Where are your parents from?" It finally clicked for me what this person was trying to get at. I told them Vietnam and they lit up and said "Cool!"
I shared with someone close to me about this situation and they laughed and said "Don't give them such a hard time, you know what they were trying to ask!" But I honestly didn't. And also why aren't my feelings considered? Because asking me "Where are you REALLY from" feels like I don't belong here. I might not be white but I'm still an American. There's nothing wrong with being curious about someone else's culture. I don't think we should be 'color-blind'. But we should be open to understanding how to have better conversations about race and culture.