People who don’t fit the dominant demographic of where they live can often be asked, “Where are you really from?” In 2017, CNN surveyed about 2,000 people who shared their stories on social media with the hashtag #whereiamreallyfrom.

The participants included first- and second-generation immigrants, naturalized individuals and others who were native-born citizens. As a classical studies scholar with a focus on linguistic and cultural diversity in Imperial Greek and Latin literature, I am aware that this question is not a new one.