Being an expat I am asked this question all the time. I am ethnically Asian but I was born and raised in Brazil and I have nothing in common with Japan, except for my looks, so it is always a little complicated of a chat. Then the next question is normally how did I end up here.

Since I’m a Brazilian of Japanese descent and I’m often speaking Spanish or Portuguese I think I become the target of such question more often. One time I was on the phone talking with my Kentucky-born husband. I normally mix English and Portuguese so he can practice a second language. When I hang up a Brazilian man looked at me and exclaimed: “Oooo-hhhh, m—-y—- G—–o—–d! I would say you were from anywhere but Brazil!” The Latinos reacts the same way.

In the beginning, it was an interesting question and I was happy to answer and explain. However I have to confess that lately I got tired of this question. For the most part of my stay in the United States I lived in two places where many people is from somewhere else, New York and Miami, so I feel this question has become common-place.

Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s interesting hearing stories about people and places and the reasons (or lack of reason) one ends up somewhere. I’m just tired of re-telling my little journey over and over again.

However, think twice before saying how ugly or how pretty I am. I look Asian but I’m not a tourist or a foreign student. I am a Miami resident and I speak Portuguese and Spanish. Maybe you should ask me where I am from.