This question comes up every time we meet someone new, a conversation starter it supposes to be but as we are, checking boxes is something ingrained in us, most of us don’t even realize it, how can we?
It’s subconscious.
This article is based solely on my own opinion and inspired by this from @djcharles.
The question “Where are you from?” has become more of profiling trick masked with genuine interest (in most cases), our answers help the person asking to form a generalized idea of his/her new friend.
He's from ABC so he must be XYZ.
From mainstream media to cultural experiences either ours or other peoples’ it’s easy to form an opinion but then we forget that while generalised ideas are true to some degree humans are way complex than those little boxes, our upbringing, principles, ancestral traits, personal experiences, and other things that had left imprints on us make us who we are not where we are from per se.
One of my guests thought I was from Trinidad and Tobago, nothing against him, he’s very nice guy, what he did was relate his experience with that part of world to me, as far as I know, my ancestry had nothing to do with the place nor have I ever been in the Caribbean to say the least. He used his experience to form an opinion. The confusion on the face was a sight to behold.
Most people I’ve met while traveling thinks I’m American while in my own country they find it hard to believe I’m from there.
A funny story - I was on a cross-country trip one time and one of the bus company's rep. on the ride with us could have bet on the fact I wasn't from where I told him I was from until I handed him my passport :)).
In my opinion, to be totally open minded we should pay more attention to what makes a person, culture is just one of the pieces.
Personally, I don’t ask where people are from deliberately anymore, I let it come naturally in the conversation because I need a clear head free from filters.
Source This is me (left) when people ask the question with zero build up to it.
Feel free to share your point of view on this one, hope you find value in it and have fun next time you meet someone new.
With 
from Earth.
