Eh, I visited Europe and the first question everyone asked me:
"Where are you from?"
It was unanimous.
In the US, I usually hear "Where do you work?" or lesser: "What are your Hobbies?"
The US judges people on how much money they make, primarily. I've heard in Europe you are judged based on your position. In Japan, based on where you are on the ladder.
When I went to Mexico, I stuck out like a sore thumb. There was no hiding I was an outsider. In the US, you could not figure out if someone has lived next to you for 10 years based on their ability to speak english, let alone skin color.
I wouldn't confuse people with good intentions with racism. I think in the future, we will have something like this, but more income oriented.