“Where are you from?”

It’s such a simple question, but it has so much meaning behind it. We usually ask this question when we meet a person for the first time, and it appears in other forms on various organizations’ applications.

Even if done subconsciously, the asker immediately makes judgments based on where the responder is from. These judgments can be harmless, such as, “she is from New York, so she is a United States citizen,” but they can also lead our minds to draw conclusions that may not be accurate about a person. Further, judgments can stem from stereotypes about the person’s place of origin.

I have experienced judgment based on my birthplace. This Fall Quarter, I asked a male acquaintance of mine, who thought he knew everything about sororities, which sorority he believed was the best fit for me.

He responded with a question: “Where do you come from?”

Long Island, New York, was my answer, and he laughed and immediately said I’d fit in one of the houses “where all the Long Island JAPs go.”

A JAP is defined on Urban Dictionary as “Jewish American Princess; a … spoiled, … Jewish female raised in a wealthy household, selfish.” This was certainly not the first time I heard the acronym, but hearing it directed toward me was hurtful.

He assumed that just because I come from a certain part of the country, I automatically encompass a specific personality. And he went even further to assume that I would belong in a specific sorority because of this presumed personality of mine.

Yes, I am Jewish, and yes, I come from Long Island. But why should that have to mean that I am spoiled or selfish? Why did he stereotype me, place me into a box, so I could not possibly be anyone else but what my place of origin seemed to make me? There is not just one single word to describe someone’s personality. We are all multidimensional beings with various thoughts, feelings and emotions.

I still hear certain stereotypes like people from the South are racist, people from the West are laidback and people from the greater New York area are rude.

Although certainly less pernicious than racial, religious or ethnic stereotyping, geographical stereotyping is still a significant issue. It can negatively impact students’ confidence and cause real discomfort.

I believe that one of the main purposes of college is to get out of your small, hometown bubble and experience different types of people from all over the world. You may think you know what people are like from a certain place, but truthfully, you do not really know a person until you truly get to know him or her. Give people a chance.

We should all strive to put our judgments aside until we really experience a person — his or her strengths, accomplishments, talents and weaknesses. It is easier to act like we know people based on stereotypes, but it is much more rewarding to truly, deeply get to know someone.

Alana Farkas is a Weinberg freshman. She can be contacted [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.