Stranger: Where are you from? [Translation: You look a bit brown. Why are you brown?]
Me: Rome.
Stranger: No, where are you really from? [Translation: You are clearly telling me untruths. Brown people do not come from Rome.]
Me: Rome.
Stranger (exasperated): No, where are your parents from? [Translation: Now you’re just being obtuse.]
Me: Africa and Italy.
Stranger (confused): Erm … so where are your family from, like, back in the day? [Translation: People who come from Africa and Italy do not look like you.]
the original text from Ariane Sherine here:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/mar/03/racist-question-brown-answer-curious