I refer to myself as a citizen of the world I don’t know where I’m from
world I don’t know where I’m from
world I don’t know where I’m from because some of the places that are in
because some of the places that are in
because some of the places that are in my blood
my blood
my blood I’ve never been to so I’m even allowed
I’ve never been to so I’m even allowed
I’ve never been to so I’m even allowed to say I’m from there I’ve traveled to
to say I’m from there I’ve traveled to
to say I’m from there I’ve traveled to more than 40 countries and this means I
more than 40 countries and this means I
more than 40 countries and this means I have had to introduce myself to a fair
have had to introduce myself to a fair
have had to introduce myself to a fair number of people and there’s always one
number of people and there’s always one
number of people and there’s always one question there is impossible to avoid
question there is impossible to avoid
question there is impossible to avoid where are you from this question has
where are you from this question has
where are you from this question has raised many different answers and for
raised many different answers and for
raised many different answers and for everyone it has a different meaning for
everyone it has a different meaning for
everyone it has a different meaning for some people it could mean what’s your
some people it could mean what’s your
some people it could mean what’s your ethnicity and for others it could be
ethnicity and for others it could be
ethnicity and for others it could be where do you feel is home however for me
where do you feel is home however for me
where do you feel is home however for me the question is also no long awkward
the question is also no long awkward
the question is also no long awkward poles and me eventually saying that I’m
poles and me eventually saying that I’m
poles and me eventually saying that I’m from everywhere or saying that I’m from
from everywhere or saying that I’m from
from everywhere or saying that I’m from London but that’s not what they want to
London but that’s not what they want to
London but that’s not what they want to hear because I don’t look like a
hear because I don’t look like a
hear because I don’t look like a stereotypical London City girl so if I
stereotypical London City girl so if I
stereotypical London City girl so if I say I’m from London the person perceives
say I’m from London the person perceives
say I’m from London the person perceives to expand on the question and say no
to expand on the question and say no
to expand on the question and say no where are you really from this now turns
where are you really from this now turns
where are you really from this now turns into a whole different answer which
into a whole different answer which
into a whole different answer which requires a different and more
requires a different and more
requires a different and more complicated answer and goes into what is
complicated answer and goes into what is
complicated answer and goes into what is your ethnicity for me this is also long
your ethnicity for me this is also long
your ethnicity for me this is also long and hard to answer
and hard to answer
and hard to answer so I say my mother’s from Pakistan
so I say my mother’s from Pakistan
so I say my mother’s from Pakistan Malaysia Indonesia Denmark we grew up in
Malaysia Indonesia Denmark we grew up in
Malaysia Indonesia Denmark we grew up in Hong Kong and my father is from Taiwan
Hong Kong and my father is from Taiwan
Hong Kong and my father is from Taiwan after I say this I think in a response
after I say this I think in a response
after I say this I think in a response like wow you’re so exotic or it’s one of
like wow you’re so exotic or it’s one of
like wow you’re so exotic or it’s one of my good friends once referred to me as a
my good friends once referred to me as a
my good friends once referred to me as a mutt now I can make things even more
mutt now I can make things even more
mutt now I can make things even more complicated and tell people that I can
complicated and tell people that I can
complicated and tell people that I can speak French and that I took a year off
speak French and that I took a year off
speak French and that I took a year off school to travel around China and I’ve
school to travel around China and I’ve
school to travel around China and I’ve lived in London France Singapore Monaco
lived in London France Singapore Monaco
lived in London France Singapore Monaco and now Hawaii but then that isn’t
and now Hawaii but then that isn’t
and now Hawaii but then that isn’t answering the question where are you
answering the question where are you
answering the question where are you from anymore it becomes time constantly
from anymore it becomes time constantly
from anymore it becomes time constantly having to answer the same question so
having to answer the same question so
having to answer the same question so over the years I’ve decided to have fun
over the years I’ve decided to have fun
over the years I’ve decided to have fun with it I can tell people I’m from the
with it I can tell people I’m from the
with it I can tell people I’m from the Philippines or I’m from Hawaii and they
Philippines or I’m from Hawaii and they
Philippines or I’m from Hawaii and they won’t question anything because I have a
won’t question anything because I have a
won’t question anything because I have a slightly darker skin tone but then they
slightly darker skin tone but then they
slightly darker skin tone but then they detect my accent and it just gets
detect my accent and it just gets
detect my accent and it just gets difficult again sure if you are you
difficult again sure if you are you
difficult again sure if you are you consider yourself a hundred percent from
consider yourself a hundred percent from
consider yourself a hundred percent from a country then the question where you’re
a country then the question where you’re
a country then the question where you’re from is a no-brainer and you can still
from is a no-brainer and you can still
from is a no-brainer and you can still move on to other topics but if you
move on to other topics but if you
move on to other topics but if you aren’t or don’t consider yourself a
aren’t or don’t consider yourself a
aren’t or don’t consider yourself a hundred percent for my country and for
hundred percent for my country and for
hundred percent for my country and for you it can be a struggle to answer I
you it can be a struggle to answer I
you it can be a struggle to answer I conducted a survey on how many people
conducted a survey on how many people
conducted a survey on how many people could truly answer the question where
could truly answer the question where
could truly answer the question where are you from and last as many people as
are you from and last as many people as
are you from and last as many people as I could from my school and my other
I could from my school and my other
I could from my school and my other friends back home based on the answer I
friends back home based on the answer I
friends back home based on the answer I gave the based on the answer that I
gave the based on the answer that I
gave the based on the answer that I received I categorize the individuals
received I categorize the individuals
received I categorize the individuals into one of two groups hesitant and
into one of two groups hesitant and
into one of two groups hesitant and clear answer the people who would ask
clear answer the people who would ask
clear answer the people who would ask what do you mean or do you mean where my
what do you mean or do you mean where my
what do you mean or do you mean where my parents
parents
parents from we’re putting the answer hesitant
from we’re putting the answer hesitant
from we’re putting the answer hesitant putting the category headstone and the
putting the category headstone and the
putting the category headstone and the people who may be answered and didn’t
people who may be answered and didn’t
people who may be answered and didn’t change the answer were put into the
change the answer were put into the
change the answer were put into the clear answer category here are my
clear answer category here are my
clear answer category here are my results as you can see the number of
results as you can see the number of
results as you can see the number of people who were hesitant in answering
people who were hesitant in answering
people who were hesitant in answering the question is far greater than the
the question is far greater than the
the question is far greater than the people who had a direct answer honestly
people who had a direct answer honestly
people who had a direct answer honestly I think the reason the numbers differed
I think the reason the numbers differed
I think the reason the numbers differed so much was because I have grown up in a
so much was because I have grown up in a
so much was because I have grown up in a very diverse community and I am
very diverse community and I am
very diverse community and I am constantly surrounded by third cultured
constantly surrounded by third cultured
constantly surrounded by third cultured people the company Mohan dough did a
people the company Mohan dough did a
people the company Mohan dough did a similar survey
similar survey
similar survey however they lot went a lot further in
however they lot went a lot further in
however they lot went a lot further in detail they got a handful of
detail they got a handful of
detail they got a handful of participants and awesome where they were
participants and awesome where they were
participants and awesome where they were from and a lot of them had a clear
from and a lot of them had a clear
from and a lot of them had a clear answer then they asked him if there were
answer then they asked him if there were
answer then they asked him if there were any countries and nationalities they
any countries and nationalities they
any countries and nationalities they felt like they didn’t get along with
felt like they didn’t get along with
felt like they didn’t get along with after collecting their DNA they brought
after collecting their DNA they brought
after collecting their DNA they brought back to the results to the participants
back to the results to the participants
back to the results to the participants and it was shocking the participants was
and it was shocking the participants was
and it was shocking the participants was so surprised because the surveyors gave
so surprised because the surveyors gave
so surprised because the surveyors gave them answers that they were not
them answers that they were not
them answers that they were not expecting some of the participants were
expecting some of the participants were
expecting some of the participants were from the places that they said they
from the places that they said they
from the places that they said they didn’t get along with and it was an
didn’t get along with and it was an
didn’t get along with and it was an eye-opening experience for them and the
eye-opening experience for them and the
eye-opening experience for them and the audience because it goes to show that
audience because it goes to show that
audience because it goes to show that most of us simply don’t know it doesn’t
most of us simply don’t know it doesn’t
most of us simply don’t know it doesn’t surprise me that most of us don’t know
surprise me that most of us don’t know
surprise me that most of us don’t know what countries line our blood because
what countries line our blood because
what countries line our blood because our world has changed so much and it’s
our world has changed so much and it’s
our world has changed so much and it’s constant developing there are so many
constant developing there are so many
constant developing there are so many people born every day and each of them
people born every day and each of them
people born every day and each of them have a different story and our world
have a different story and our world
have a different story and our world population is expanding where are you
population is expanding where are you
population is expanding where are you from is also linked to your culture if
from is also linked to your culture if
from is also linked to your culture if you grew up learning specific things
you grew up learning specific things
you grew up learning specific things from one culture then you might
from one culture then you might
from one culture then you might recognize yourself as being from there
recognize yourself as being from there
recognize yourself as being from there and you can share that culture with
and you can share that culture with
and you can share that culture with other people leaving them to question
other people leaving them to question
other people leaving them to question where they come from
where they come from
where they come from you all answered a question at the door
you all answered a question at the door
you all answered a question at the door I asked this question because I wanted
I asked this question because I wanted
I asked this question because I wanted to demonstrate that even in this room
to demonstrate that even in this room
to demonstrate that even in this room migration plays a huge part in our lives
migration plays a huge part in our lives
migration plays a huge part in our lives it is often said that America is a
it is often said that America is a
it is often said that America is a country of immigrants and it is this
country of immigrants and it is this
country of immigrants and it is this historical migration that helped
historical migration that helped
historical migration that helped increase cultural racial and ethnic
increase cultural racial and ethnic
increase cultural racial and ethnic diversity within the country when you
diversity within the country when you
diversity within the country when you move from one place to another
move from one place to another
move from one place to another you obviously grow as a person and take
you obviously grow as a person and take
you obviously grow as a person and take in aspects of the local culture
in aspects of the local culture
in aspects of the local culture similarly with globalization increased
similarly with globalization increased
similarly with globalization increased communication between different
communication between different
communication between different countries cultural values are more
countries cultural values are more
countries cultural values are more easily shared across borders personally
easily shared across borders personally
easily shared across borders personally I grew up in England and France where my
I grew up in England and France where my
I grew up in England and France where my friends and I used to watch American TV
friends and I used to watch American TV
friends and I used to watch American TV read American books and listen to
read American books and listen to
read American books and listen to American music this portrays how
American music this portrays how
American music this portrays how globalization plays out in action we
globalization plays out in action we
globalization plays out in action we gather our cultural influences from many
gather our cultural influences from many
gather our cultural influences from many different places and therefore our
different places and therefore our
different places and therefore our personal identities a blurred I know I’m
personal identities a blurred I know I’m
personal identities a blurred I know I’m not the only one who thinks this
not the only one who thinks this
not the only one who thinks this question is daunting I think asking why
question is daunting I think asking why
question is daunting I think asking why are you from is also
are you from is also
are you from is also closely related to your looks like a
closely related to your looks like a
closely related to your looks like a previous said your accent for example if
previous said your accent for example if
previous said your accent for example if you look slightly Asian that people
you look slightly Asian that people
you look slightly Asian that people typically assume that you come from Asia
typically assume that you come from Asia
typically assume that you come from Asia however someone who looks more Asian
however someone who looks more Asian
however someone who looks more Asian might not concern themselves in their I
might not concern themselves in their I
might not concern themselves in their I catch by himself as British or American
catch by himself as British or American
catch by himself as British or American or any other nationality also if you
or any other nationality also if you
or any other nationality also if you have an accent the people will or can
have an accent the people will or can
have an accent the people will or can assume that you come from that specific
assume that you come from that specific
assume that you come from that specific specific area but you are not but you
specific area but you are not but you
specific area but you are not but you might not be and you might have just
might not be and you might have just
might not be and you might have just lived there for a while or your whole
lived there for a while or your whole
lived there for a while or your whole life so I think the question where are
life so I think the question where are
life so I think the question where are you from is asked and answered to clear
you from is asked and answered to clear
you from is asked and answered to clear unwanted or ambiguous assumptions why do
unwanted or ambiguous assumptions why do
unwanted or ambiguous assumptions why do we ask this question at the end of the
we ask this question at the end of the
we ask this question at the end of the day no one should really care what we
day no one should really care what we
day no one should really care what we come from do we ask it because it has
come from do we ask it because it has
come from do we ask it because it has become something to say when you’re
become something to say when you’re
become something to say when you’re meeting someone for the first time may I
meeting someone for the first time may I
meeting someone for the first time may I propose some alternatives next time you
propose some alternatives next time you
propose some alternatives next time you meet someone awesome how their day was
meet someone awesome how their day was
meet someone awesome how their day was ask them about the weather or ask them
ask them about the weather or ask them
ask them about the weather or ask them what their favorite colors are some
what their favorite colors are some
what their favorite colors are some questions they have answered too if
questions they have answered too if
questions they have answered too if you’re still curious about where they
you’re still curious about where they
you’re still curious about where they come from pause and think to yourself
come from pause and think to yourself
come from pause and think to yourself could I answer this question myself
could I answer this question myself
could I answer this question myself maybe the answer to this question is
maybe the answer to this question is
maybe the answer to this question is simply earth we come from Earth thank
simply earth we come from Earth thank
simply earth we come from Earth thank you
you
you [Applause]
”
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