The question “Where do you come from?” it can be perceived as inappropriate. Why?

If you want to start a nice conversation, I recommend talking about what people are interested in.

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“Where are you from?” This question caused great irritation to the character of Fariba (Nasrin Khusrawi) in the series NRK Norsk-ish. This is a simple question that for many of us serves as an introduction to a pleasant conversation.

But for many youth and young adults in Norway, it can be experienced somewhat differently. This applies in particular to young people referred to on a daily basis as second-generation immigrants, descendants, Norwegian-born, young immigrants, young people of immigrant origin, non-ethnic Norwegian youth, non-Western youth and minority youth, to name. Some. Like Fariba.

For many of these young people, the question seems more like a majority observation that they are not entirely Norwegian. But why?

How to understand Norwegian?

According to the Norwegian sociologist Anders Vassenden (2012), there are at least four ways of understanding Norway among the majority population of Norway. He calls them civic Norwegians, Norwegians like whiteness, ethnic Norwegians, and cultural Norwegians.

These understandings overlap and can be used in opposition to each other in some cases. When speaking of “Norwegian”, in most cases all these understandings are present.

Citizen = Norwegian?

Citizenship is a formal form of Norwegian. In a political and legal sense, this Norwegian can be understood as a status obtained by the State of Norway through citizenship. This is understood as a purely legal nationality. It is a legally recognized form of Norwegian, but it does not have as much social and cultural legitimacy.

Many point out to minorities that even if you are Norwegian on paper, you are not Norwegian if you do not follow Norwegian customs and customs. Or simply because you are Muslim, with all that that can entail in some settings.

Tacos and brown cheese

Cultural Norwegian is linked to specific practices such as food, ways of thinking, ways of speaking, manners, traditions, and the Norwegian language. I am Norwegian because I have Norwegian as my mother tongue, I participate in voluntary work, such as brown cheese or I am interested in gender equality. For many, the Norwegian is related to religion and opinions about life. Being a Protestant Christian, or not having a religious affiliation, is often related to Norwegian.

Cultural Norway depends on class affiliation and context. For some, Norwegian culture is to drink beer and eat sausages, as Sylvi Listhaug had said. But for others of the middle class, it is about more sophisticated dishes. For the new generations, tacos and pizzas prevail.

Based on the cultural understanding of Norwegian, one is apparently able to “become Norwegian” by performing specific cultural activities. Yes, you can become Norwegian! I found that mentality among young Christians and Muslims with minority backgrounds in Oslo. The cultural competence gave them the opportunity to call themselves Norwegians.

The problem is that even though they dominate the whole ‘Norwegian cultural toolkit’, there are many that are not accepted. This is especially true in the case of Muslim youth. It can also be exhausting and demanding having to act to be able to call yourself Norwegian. If you play for Liverpool or have a PhD and your name is Mohammed, you are known as Norwegian. But if you have the same name and do something stupid and criminal, then it is the ethnicity of your family that applies.

White and blue eyes

Whiteness and everything to do with “race” has been controversial in Norway and many other European countries. But there is no doubt that there are still those who believe that being white and blue-eyed is a characteristic of Norwegian. The way of understanding exists more or less automatically also among many who do not think it seriously when they think about it.

For example, a Norwegian police leader told me during a meeting that “it is not unnatural in a country where most of the people are white to detain those who are not.” However, whiteness is rarely discussed, because ideas about race are not legitimate in public.

In some cases, people speak directly about color, but in most cases, subtler terminologies, such as “ethnic Norwegian”, non-Western, and various other terms are used to cover up the clear reference to appearance. Even some new neo-Nazi groups choose to wrap the term “white race” and instead use the word “ethnic Norwegian”.

What is Ethnic Norwegian?

Ethnic Norwegian refers to a group identity that is linked to a notion of common cultural heritage and kinship. Ideas about genes, common ties and origins, shared history, traditions and cultural customs dominate here.

This is seen as ethnic boundaries because much of what one claims to have in common, external cultural characteristics, can be important as markers. But in many cases they do not completely agree with the identity. An example is when the upper secondary school teacher insists that seven-year-old Zasha has her origins in Eritrea, despite the fact that Zasha was born and raised in Norway and has never visited her father’s country.

Ethnic Norwegian comes in various forms. For example, many, like Lars Thorsen in Sian, believe that ethnic Norwegian is about “how far back down the line of inheritance you have your genes.” This is a form of lineage ideology that is closely linked to biology.

Inappropriate and racist

Then let’s go back to the question: “Where do you come from?” The question itself is not problematic. Most Norwegian youth and young adults with minority backgrounds have a positive relationship with their parents’ country of origin. It is the backdrop, and the subtlest exclusion mechanism that many experience, that makes the question seem inappropriate and racist.

If you want to start a nice conversation, I recommend talking about what interests people. Background information will likely come during the conversation.

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