That place where they burned all those witches?
I grew up in the big city, but I like to say I am from the small town I was born in, which we left when I was 4. Because, how cool is it to be from (not “The”) Enterprise?
When not in Oregon, I say Oregon. The responses are along these lines:
[ul][li]::joke about pumping gas::[/li][li]::joke about smoking weed::[/li][li]“Is it just like Portlandia?” (Some sketches, yes)[/li][li]Something about being so crazy Liberal, which is hilarious to me, living just outside of Portland, which may as well be the Deep South politically, like most of Oregon[/li][li]“Did you know Portland has more strip clubs per capita than any city in the US?” (Yes, we know)[/li][li]“You guys have great craft beer!”[/li][/ul]
I’m from Napa, California.
“Oh, the wine country! You must love to drink!”
No, actually, I don’t. I was raised by wine connoisseurs, so I really only enjoy the top-of-the-line classy stuff. Everything else tastes just horrible to me.
Its like when you finally get to eat a pineapple in Hawaii, from a pineapple plantation, picked 30 seconds ago. From that moment on, all other pineapples taste like bitter, acidic swill.
Yeah, some people do still talk like that, and yes I do laugh. I’ve been told a good Yankee is one that comes to the south and spends money and goes home. A damn Yankee comes to the south and stays. I told one guy that was trying to bust my balls that if it wasn’t for the Yankees coming south and staying there wouldn’t be anyone smart enough to run any of the industries.
I even run into that type of thing occasionally even now that I’m retired. After this many years I talk with a slight southern accent and unless I tell them most people can’t tell where I am from.
If I say Holland, it’s “Hookers! Drugs! Wooden shoes, finger in the dike, tulips. “
If Pittsburgh, invariably they know someone from here.
My ex-wife was from Coleraine. 
Oh, I’ve kind of had that.
In my case it’s mainly been “you can’t be from Spain, you don’t look Mexican!” Well, sorry I’m not blonde enough for you dear (extra points: her lastname happens to mean blonde). Other times it’s been my accent. One time I was trying to get my passport stamped for entry coming back from Mexico overland, and the Customs officer took one look at me and said “but you’re American, just go ahead” and motioned for the next person; she processed three people in the time it took me to convince her to look at my passport and see it’s maroon and has the words Reino de España embossed on the cover.
I mean, I wouldn’t have minded if I could’a used that assessment to obtain a blue passport straightaway, but for some reason her superiors insist that looking Southern European isn’t enough to call yourself American. Weird people, huh?
My Dominican coworkers got “you can’t be Hispanic, you’re black!” all the time (never from other Hispanics).
I used to get alot of “Do you know Paula Deen?”
But not any more.
Thank Goodness.
I’ve had it more than once from people who are genuinely surprised at encountering a white New Zealander - mostly overseas, but I’ve had it once or twice in Australia, of all places; possibly because “New Zealand community” is, in some areas, a euphemism for “Maori or Pacific Island community.”
When I tell people I live in Tracy, California they say, “Why??”
“Because it’s better than Modesto.”
Yeah, well, that one city just north of Stockton: oh lord, you do not want to get stuck there.
“Yeah! College World Series!”
I guess that is the event that defines us.
Again.
Seriously. This happens everywhere I go.
I don’t doubt it. I’m originally from Alaska and I used to get a lot of “Oh, do you know Bill Smith? He lives in Alaska!” I’m actually very familiar with da Range, or at least used to be back when we visited her family at least once a year.
Another Michigander transplant checking in -
I’ve lived in Los Angeles for my entire adult life, but I am from Michigan. It seems Michigan is place that people is (are?) from.
When someone in L.A. asks where I am from originally, I will reply, “A small farming community just south of Ann Arbor.” Over the years, on two occasions, the person I was speaking to has replied, “Oh my God! That is exactly how I describe where I am from!” Turns out they are from the same small town and we know each others family, etc. So, that’s kinda cool.
I live in Chicago now so it’s an easier answer but I grew up in a suburb that was a good distance from Chicago – an hour or more drive. I tried to be clear about where I was from but then I’d get confused looks if I said “an hour Northwest of Chicago.” Some people seemed surprised that there could be something an hour northwest of Chicago (There’s no giant cliff or black hole if you drive past O’Hare, yaknow). If people were familiar with the area then I could say “Near Barrington, but I’m not rich enough to be from Barrington” which is another pointless clarification if you don’t know the area.
I used to get a lot of “Al Capone” and “Michael Jordan” as well. Interesting how the two retained cultural cachet for so long.
I’m reminded of a story from the early 1980s, that the tourism folks in Kansas City were trying to figure out how to broaden their appeal to tourists. So they conducted some focus groups in New York to see what people’s perceptions were about KC.
The answer was “none.” The average New Yorker - as the famous magazine cover pointed out - had literally no perception Kansas City, and no interest in learning about it, much less visiting it.
If I’m out of the area, I’ll say that I’m from DC just because it’s easier*. But I would *never *say “me too” to someone who told me they were from DC! How bizarre!
*I’ve found the usual reaction to be “oh.” I think most people are just happy I named a place they’ve heard of/can picture on a map.