Have you ever asked "Where are you from?" - and wondered if you were asking it right?

In this episode of Boosted, I sit down with Hilda Gan, a third-generation Canadian Chinese whose family has been in this country since the railroad era of the late 1800s. Hilda grew up in a mostly non-Chinese neighbourhood, culturally in-between in a way she didn't have language for until she was a teenager. And yet, she is still asked where she's from as if she just arrived.

We go deep on one of the most common - and most complicated - questions in professional life, the history behind it, and how to ask it with grace.

We cover:

• What it actually feels like to be asked "Where are you from?" when your family has been here for three generations
• The hidden history of Chinese Canadians in Toronto - the head tax, Canada’s Chinese Exclusion Act, and the original Chinatown most people don't know about
• The woman who sat beside Diefenbaker and helped change Canadian law - Jean Lum

• The GRACE Framework: a tool for knowing whether to ask, how to ask, and how to receive this question gracefully
• Why genuine curiosity connects us - and why asking to categorize someone does the opposite

This episode is essential for anyone working in a diverse workplace, leading a team, or navigating professional relationships across cultures. If you've ever asked this question without thinking - or avoided it entirely out of fear - this one is for you.

Part of the Boosted Season 2 guest series on the question we avoid, and how to ask it anyway.

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Boosted is brought to you by Boost Academy of Excellence. boostacademyofexcellence.com

Link to the keynote I reference in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5bndHmWza7ZW6J2yodejoo?si=bpI7GM41RwKzX5QtUo72BA

The GRACE Framework: https://boostacademyofexcellence.com/cibc/#grace-download

Music by: In the City