I really wish I could distinguish the differences between them but I can't.


The only reason someone would be offended of that question is if they are ashamed of the answer some reason
exactly! that's why he said "Why would I be offended? I'm proud of where I'm from."
Nah, who cares.
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Before you decide whether to ask or not, 1st discover if the East Asian is 1st-generation immigrant or later.
• If he is, then (in general) asking will be less likely interpreted as rudeness, since we 1st-generation Asians generally still love our country of origin and should (generally) be proud to state our place of origin.
• If already born and raised in your jurisdiction, the question is more likely to be interpreted as rudeness, since they are more likely to see themselves as 1 of the other fellow-locals of the land, and asking the question already assumes their apart-ness from everyone else.
Personally (especially when I 1st arrived to the U. S.), I was surprised that the last-mentioned reaction even existed at all. It was later that I discovered it from a post on another website where the offended (who was 3rd-generation or more) did not consider his family's ancestral origins to be any way significant to him at all, and the offender kept using his family's nation of origin (& things partitioning to it) as the ever-used topic of conversation.
No not at all. I think if anything that's the best way to go around that sort of question without sounding rude. It sound ruder if you asked them "were are you from"? Or "what country were you born in?" If they look ethnically different from you but still speak the same language and have the same accent as you. You'll usually get a sarcastic comment back.
Someone once asked my British mum in the UK where she was from with a name like Nina and she jokingly said China. My mum is a white, blue eyed, blonde lady and speaks fluent English in an English accent were did she think she was from.
The women still believes my mum is Chinese to this day
lmao
Not in your situation, but my siblings and I are part japanese. I myself look very European, so I'm never asked about my ethnicity, but my siblings have been spoken English to a lot of times in stores (which is not the native language).
My three older siblings are doctors, and they get asked all the time where they're from by their patients, even though we've lived in our country our whole life, and we dont have an accent. It makes you feel like you don't belong in your own country, because we certainly wouldn't fit in, in Japan.
But, again, in your case it isn't rude.
You can, its always not what you ask but how you ask it..
Like if you want to be very polite then circle through.
Just tell him you want to know more about him.
Start with asking about his hobbies.
His interests, then ask him about his schooling like were did he complete is primary and secondary education. Ask about the school and its name and you will get the location as well then you can say oh you are from so and so place I like it.
I am interested to know more then slowly ask casually like going deep
Exactly 😀
I just said other cause I dont know, I dont even know what ethnicity means. I thought it was same as race but I recently heard someone insist they are different so I'm just lost.
It shouldn't be rude to ask, well sometimes anyways, you shouldn't ask the random person by you in the checkout line, but I dont see why I couldnt ask a friend or coworker.
All I can say is if it's too offensive for me to ask about it well fine, just dont ever expect me to care from that day on. I tried to learn and you said I was offensive so now it means nothing too me and I dont care.
I literally had a similar question earlier this week and got chewed out about it. I wanna see what people have to say this route. I think it’s rude depending on who’s asking and the intention behind it. I’ve been asked by guys who are sleazy and trying to objectify me. So when people that want to think they want to date me ask, I usually just keep walking because why does it matter? It’s not usually a compliment to me as much as I feel it’s undermining and dictating how much respect someone is gonna give me. I’m proud to be American and my roots but I’m not going to be someone’s goal or social experiment.
In todays world I can only imagine that there's droves of people that say it is, however I believe that as long as you do so politely and with genuine interest, it should be fine. I've always enjoyed learning about other cultures and their customs, so when I meet someone new from a different place, i get excited

People who are mixed heritage have issues with it they might consider it rude it's a Napoleon complex situation they have too much to prove in life and it shows up as a mental deficiency use your best judgement but normally it's not for normal people.
It’s not rude to ask what someone’s ethnicity is, but when in my home country, I hate when people say “where are you from?”. I know not all mean it in a rude way, but I’ve had some people follow up my answer with “No, but where are you REALLY from” as if I wasn’t born in the country I stated.
I enjoy the conversations that follow when people ask me where I'm from or what's my ethnicity. I think a lot of snow flakes and canceling culture is there nowadays. Plus if someone wants to purposely and bluntly be racist usually it shows by the way they say things and body language. Not by asking and showing curiosity.
I think it's ok to ask about their background but I'd bring it up with a little bit of studying first. I'd look up a few different Asian possiblities and bring that up. Are you this or this? I've heard this done before and if it's done right, it can be fun to talk about. I've heard plenty of people ask about someones origin country and even me asking my friend about her irish decent is more flattering than uncomfortable because you are taking an interest in their culture
Soften the start up. By asking the person. Hey I am really curious about this and I dont want to offend you either. What if I ask you what race you are? Or Would you feel offended if I ask you what race you are? I believe it is rude to predict someone's race. I heard Japanese and Chinese people feel offended if identified as opposite.
There you go. All the best. Now you know his race.
Thank you lana for like!
No prob lol
It's not rude, just say tell him your nationality and say what about yours but always make him feel open that your willing to date someone of his ethnicity?
ofc I am, I'm really only attracted to eastern Asian men
@lanadelrey25 That's cool I am open to dating outside my ethnicity
It's rude to Randomly ask a stranger, but if he's someone u know it probably okay
yeah, we're trying to see if we should date so I thought it might be ok
not that whatever he says matters lmao
Its rude if you're having a normal conversation, and then abruptly ask 'whats your ethnicity?'
If you can't focus on a conversation because you're too stuck on their ambiguous ethnicity, then you're the asshole. Its a normal question to ask, but it shouldn't limit their ability to be treated as a human being who still has value even if you 'dont know' or they refuse to tell you.
yeah good think I don't do that
Thats good! :) Im adopted from asia and people get 'stuck' on the whole 'where i come from and what they think my political views are.' its like, bro, my parents are white, i was raised here just like you. Stop asking me leading questions abkut where my parents may or may not have died and Get over your own prejudice that im supposed to have different views as you. lol sensitive topic
You can ask but... I grew up around a lot of Asians and I never asked. It would just naturally come up that they would mention something. If you wait a bit he will probably say something that will give you a clue. But I was never obsessed with knowing either.
I'm not obsessed with knowing
Did you read the update?
Yes it's very rude if you ask if that person is that Ethnicity because they make most people in the neighborhood. Am Brazilian stereotyped a another East Indian based

I tan a lot when am outside 😐
of the Large East Indian Community in my neighborhood. Should know who East Indians are, get to know them. Instead of looking at Skin Color & Race. Am not going to act like someone's Culture because of Skin Color, and because they most people 🙄
It depends on how it fits into the conversation. I'm curious about people, love history, geography and people, and want to know about them. So, I often do ask about ethnicity, but only when the person is comfortable with me. I have no prejudices against ethnicity, but love to know about the people I'm with, and their backgrounds and lives.
No it’s not rude when you’re asking out of curiosity. I really hope you and the guy have a great future together!
Aw thank u!
Don't know; don't care. I've done it before. This huge-breasted "friend of a friend" I know here in Seoul. I found her attractive and she was about 5'8" with 34DDD's or G's. I asked her what her ethnicity was. She said Mexican-American, and put heavy emphasis on the "American." I feel like she was kinda annoyed I asked her outright like that, but that's more of her hang-up than anything else; it's a sensical question considering we live in South Korea. Not too many Mexican-AMERICANS, here.
No, it shouldn’t be. I can say one thing though and this is it. From reading a lot of social media over the years, I’m softer and meaner at the same time. That’s not who I am by the way lol. I’m still able to pull myself back. But yes, I can almost guarantee if you ask this question to an older guy who grew up all his life without social media vs someone who has... you will get 2 different results.
Like I said at the beginning, “It shouldn’t be racist.”
Honestly where I live is pretty diverse so its honestly a conversation starter that leads to polite conversation about our backgrounds and about how wonderfully diverse America is.
In my cases its always been a positive thing just last week I went to the doctors office and a man from South Africa was my physician. and I'm from Paraguay we had a very nice conversation
I think it is fine if you ask which Asian ethnicity they are. I would avoid assuming that they ARE a particular ethnicity, and asking "are you xyz?" They might not like it if you were wrong. But you aren't asking that way anyway... LOL
If you are polite about it, it's not rude.
I live in one of the most multietnic towns in Lombardy and I'm too of mixed heritage, and it's not uncommon to ask people where they are from.
I don't thin it's rude but I'm sure some people would think so. I had a situation where there was this gorgeous receptionist I would see every week and I know she was Asian but not sure where from. I wanted to ask her but was really worried to do so since it could be a trigger for some people. Thinking back on it I'm sure she would have been fine with it as she was very nice and so beautiful. I regret not working up the courage to ask her out, I'll always regret that.
Obviously you're not chatting about anything of importance.
The simplest way is to ask where's he's from. If he's from America then he'll tell you and you can continue along that angle.
Take a conversation I had with a colleague. He'd seem American but in our chattering learnt that he was actually born in another country. Thus I learnt his ethnicity without asking.
If you were my 12th grade Chem 2 teacher, apparently it was very rude. I guess he had a very ambiguous look to him, so people asked him almost every day, literally "what are you." He would never say and one day I guess it was the last straw, and he literally threw a book across the room and demanded that people stop asking him that.
Its only offensive the way one approaches it and the context of it, since you are already talking to this person then there is nothing wrong about asking about their ethnicity.
Depends on the person and the reason for. it I would say.
For example, if the answer was to help you decide if you would date them, then it is racist.
If you were just curious, then personally I see nothing wrong with it, but some people may not like it still. - Certainly not all people though.
I don't think its rude if it comes from a genuine place
By the way, the easiest way is to tell by the way they dress.
He lives in America lol, he's been here since he was 2. But it's ok I found out now
Hell no. If you're going to let a guy bury his dick in you, I'd say it's okay to ask some questions about him. If he's so thin-skinned he can't stand up to some vetting from girls, then he's too mentally weak to deserve sex.
Lmao "for some reason". Honestly though why would it be rude? If he gets offended for you asking something when you're obviously not meaning to be offensive then dump him anyway.
I can't dump him, we aren't dating... yet :)
he's older so I doubt he will
Depends how you ask. I’m one of those people who is Hispanic but I look Asian. And I get abruptly asked what I am. People could be nicer when asking not just flat out, “what are you?”
Not to me, I know what I am and I'm okay with what I am. What I am is not the same as who I am. I never really understood why people took offense to that as long as the question isn't asked in a derogative, hostile or racist manner.
If the dude gets butthurt from a question like that then please do not spread your legs for him. Snowflakes do not deserve pussy... never have never will.
He didn't did u read the update?
Yeah, he's too much of a man to get upset by that
Thanks
If you could tell somebody was Asian and so assumed they were chinese or something then that's rude but saying like "So, where are you from?" really isn't
No, I don't think so. I'm 100% white (75% Northern European, 25% Eastern European), and people ask me if I'm part Asian all the time since I have very high cheek bones and almond shaped eyes. I've never been offended
only a white liberal leftist would get offended if you asked him that. he wouldn't give a shit but a leftist 1000 miles away would, they would even riot and burn down a church from so much anger and TDS
Ask this to him- Which of these cities do you love, Beijing, Seoul or Tokyo? :P
I found out now lol
Totally not rude if you’re already talking. Rude if from a complete stranger (a cashier once asked me)!
Rude to ask in the first conversation.
Not rude to ask if you're dating the person or thinking about a serious relationship.
It depends on how you ask him. But I saw your update and it's good to see that he doesn't find that question offensive.
Good luck! :)
I think if you can’t distinguish one ethnicity from another, it can feel annoying to person being asked. They’ll feel like you consider all Asians types to look the same...
Well, for an outside American, we can't easily differentiate, it's not rude that's kind of a fact.
This is a pretty useless point. It's not like every human has the ability to distinguish all ethnicities from another. It's got nothing to do with the person being Asian, you wouldn't really be able to determine what country a European person is from just by looking at them. It doesn't mean you think they all look the same.
The question is pertaining to the fact to man is East Asian, or didn’t you read that?
I for one, CAN distinguish many different nationalities because they are so many where I live and where I work. That wasn’t the question. Nor were we asked to discuss how this is a regular thing with lots of people with different ethnicities or nationalities.
I was replying to your comment specificallyi, not the OP, and you talked abou "[distinguishing] one ethnicity from another". You can't just retract that statement.
no, why would it be rude? you wonder and ask. it is that simple.
where is your lover from? i just wondered.
Korea, I told him I spent about 20 minutes looking at monolid eyes form different countries to try and find out without asking lmao
I don't think it is as long as you ask in a nice way.
Sounds like a normal response.
I didn't think he'd get offended really, but I wasn't sure
Cool.
You can ask where are they from or where were they born.
Its not rude at all to be curious and to ask about someone's ethnicity/race
it's not rude. If you are being genuine it is not rude.
Depends.
But general question, what your ethnicity should be fine...
Just return the favor and tell them yours.
I personally don't mind, as someone who is mixed race its better to ask than to assume.
Just ask as long as it doesn't come off as condescending or racist
It isn't rude but some people take it as rude. I would say its better to ask then assume (that can really piss people off.).
I don't think it's rude. But it can be if you ask in a bad way.
It’ll be weird if it’s offensive. As long as it doesn’t come out in a fetish or rude way then people would ofc be comfortable to share. You learn about their culture too it’s rlly nice.
I don't think so, but some people are sensitive about it and for somewhat reason feel it's too intrusive.
Its not. there's a big difference between being curious and being an asshole
Kinda. Like when someones mixed, i want to ask but i just try to wait for them to tell me
Why is it rude?
Just seems inappropriate like if someone asks an older woman how old she is
I get it, but what if we're trying to see if we should date? Does that make it any more or less appropriate? Not that his reply is going to change my mind either way
Yea it shouldn't matter. But too some, his religion would. Like if he was muslim and so on
No, As long as you do it in a very respect way. It's much better than assuming lol
As long as you clarify you don't mean anything by it, regardless of the answer, it's completely fine.
If anything, you're being respectful in asking rather than assuming, like I've seen some people do.
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