“Where are you from” is a YouTube video written by Ken Tanaka and starring Scott Beehner and Stella Choe. The 2013 video was produced for YouTube’s Comedy Week and went viral, amassing over 10 million views. In the video, an Asian American woman is stretching on a trail when she is approached by a white male jogger. He asks her, “where are you from?” while commenting that her English is perfect. When it becomes clear that he is trying to find out her ethnic heritage, she decides to flip the script on him and asks the same questions he asked her.

discussion

What assumptions does the white character make about the woman’s identity and heritage based on her looks? 

How does the woman character challenge her white male counterpart? What kind of impact does this reversal have?

What is the tone of this video and how is it used to make a point about heritage, belonging and American identity?

Has anyone asked you where you are (really) from? If so, how does it make you feel?