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Comment by joefourier | Hacker News Reader

I think you're overthinking the "where are you from" question. While I do agree that moving at 18 isn't as clear-cut as say, 30+, in your case most people would safely say you're from India, having been born there and lived the majority of your years there. However, your home would now be Toronto, and you if you have Canadian citizenship no-one should bat any eyebrows at you calling yourself Canadian.

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I don't think OP is overthinking it at all. Home is not just a question of place of living but a question of identity and belonging. I'm guessing integrating into society in Toronto is difficult for OP so there's weak feeling of belonging in Toronto.

You're right in that home is also a question of identity and belonging. It's just that while I would say that I am fairly well adjusted to Toronto (heck I started playing hockey on a frozen pond this past winter), there's always going to be this "vacuum" of sorts (just from the virtue of not having had any roots here whatsoever) that keeps me from feeling like I can say I am from here. Its a question of making peace with it, is all :)

If the issue is not having roots you can always buy some real estate :)

That's mixing things up. There was no question of home, belonging or feelings.

The simple simple answer to the simple question of where he's from may depend on the context asked in. Say he's in Toronto and someone asks where he is from. Simple answer: India.

Let's say he's in Ottawa, say for a training course or something. Same question asked. Simple answer: I'm from India but I've been living in Toronto for 5 years.

If he's doing a PR or citizenship, add that: I'm from India but live in Toronto and I'm doing my citizenship process right now.

It's really not that hard and yes the guy is overthinking it if you ask me. I've been in that situation. It's really easy to answer. He may get asked more often because he's a 'visible minority' but otherwise it's the same.

The question was not: where do you feel at home? or something in that direction.

If he was born and raised in Toronto (say his parents came to Canada from India) then because he's a visible minority people might expect him to answer "from India" while answering "from Canada" would make it clear what his situation is. One might answer "from Canada, born and raised in Toronto but my parents came over from India in the 70s" (or some such).

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