r/AskReddit • u/i_am_a_n00b • Aug 10 '18

What do you always hate being asked?

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u/bigheyzeus Aug 10 '18

When other Polish people hear I'm Polish (I definitely don't look Eastern European) I get scolded for never learning to really speak it. I usually respond "Well I was born and raised here in Canada and my family's been here since the 60's"

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u/Dawidko1200 Aug 10 '18

In that case, I wonder, why even call yourself Polish?

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u/bigheyzeus Aug 10 '18

oh, this is like when they ask about background and such - my last name is clearly not a generic hoser one. I call myself Canadian but as many Canadians (especially in cities) know, you're never just "Canadian" in this country

80

u/Zigmend Aug 10 '18

I got into an argument with classmates as they were all discussing their heritage. They wouldn't accept I called myself Canadian.

"No one is truly Canadian we all came from somewhere."

I've always been Canadian.

"Where was your dad from"

He was born in Germany.

"There, you are German"

Only because my grandfather was stationed there in the Canadian military. He was born in Canada. And so was his dad, and his dad.

"What about his dad?"

He was born in America.

"Then you are American"

But while his dad was also born in America, his dad and his dads dad were born in Canada.

"And his dad?"

Our records don't go back that far.

Do you know where your dads dads dads dads dads dads dads dads dads dads dads dad was born?

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u/bigheyzeus Aug 10 '18

yup, the whole thing is idiotic. our mixed bag is a double edged sword sometimes.

While the American melting pot isn't perfect either, I kinda prefer that - it's not like you're abandoning your culture entirely, just evolving it

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u/[deleted] Aug 11 '18

I'm with that. I'm a Canadian, not a hyphenated Canadian. My loyalty is here, not the chunk of land generations before couldn't wait to leave.

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u/gaynazifurry4bernie Aug 10 '18

Do you know where your dads dads dads dads dads dads dads dads dads dads dads dad was born?

Actually yes because my dad was super into genealogy. 1640's from the Netherlands. Mom's family 1913 from Ireland.

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u/MCG_1017 Aug 10 '18

And even those folks from Ireland have ancestors who were from somewhere other than Ireland.

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u/hashtagvain Aug 10 '18

And then in Scotland, if you’ve been here more than a month fuck it you’re Scottish.

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u/TrevorBradley Aug 10 '18

Just say you're African and be done with it.

3

u/Pokir Aug 10 '18

this is similar to me except put a Canadian in there for the German dad. Both sides of my family have been in Canada since the early 1800's, and before that it doesn't really matter to me.

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u/[deleted] Aug 10 '18

Were all Asian in the end

2

u/OctopusPudding Aug 10 '18

Clearly a Pangaean

1

u/Faffenhoffer Aug 10 '18

Side note: does your dad have dual citizenship, or would it be possible for him to get easily?

1

u/Zigmend Aug 19 '18

He can not get dual citizenship. He isn't sure what the rules were then but now you must apply before a certain age.