Usually when we meet someone we say "Hey, how you doing?"
Usually when we meet someone we say "Hey, how you doing?"

"Hey, how you doing today?"
"Hey, how you doing today?"

"Howdy."
"Howdy."

I live in Hays, Kansas,
I live in Hays, Kansas,

which is in the northwest part of Kansas.
which is in the northwest part of Kansas.

One common way we greet each other after we find
One common way we greet each other after we find

out what our names are is to ask,
out what our names are is to ask,

"Who do you belong to?" And that means,
"Who do you belong to?" And that means,

"What family are you from? Who are you parents?"
"What family are you from? Who are you parents?"

"Who are your grandparents?"
"Who are your grandparents?"

When you meet somebody in New Orleans for the first
When you meet somebody in New Orleans for the first

time you might say, "Hey, How's your mama and them?"
time you might say, "Hey, How's your mama and them?"

Or, if we don't know their mom and them we'll ask,
Or, if we don't know their mom and them we'll ask,

"Who's your mama?"
"Who's your mama?"

When I was younger what I remember is that when you
When I was younger what I remember is that when you

first met someone like at school or something like that,
first met someone like at school or something like that,

what I would say to them is, "What are you?"
what I would say to them is, "What are you?"

Like, "Are you Italian, or Irish?"
Like, "Are you Italian, or Irish?"

It was kind of like a tribal thing.
It was kind of like a tribal thing.

"What are you?"
"What are you?"

You always wanted to have a little insight into
You always wanted to have a little insight into

what a person's personality is
what a person's personality is

as you go forward and meet them.
as you go forward and meet them.

In Hawaii, we would ask, "Where did you go to school?"
In Hawaii, we would ask, "Where did you go to school?"

Or, "Where did you graduate from?"
Or, "Where did you graduate from?"

That's one of the common questions.
That's one of the common questions.

"What high school did you go to?"
"What high school did you go to?"

Each school has it's own stigma, some good some bad.
Each school has it's own stigma, some good some bad.

"Where did you go to high school?"
"Where did you go to high school?"

It's bringing back a memory, it's going back to a time
It's bringing back a memory, it's going back to a time

when, perhaps, for some it was a happier time.
when, perhaps, for some it was a happier time.

If you go to a party, it's
If you go to a party, it's

"Where do you work and what is your job?"
"Where do you work and what is your job?"

"What do you do?"
"What do you do?"

Which is almost, "Are you
Which is almost, "Are you

anybody, is there something you can do for me?"
anybody, is there something you can do for me?"

In New York City we always start conversations with
In New York City we always start conversations with

strangers with, "What neighborhood do you live in?"
strangers with, "What neighborhood do you live in?"

"Where do you live?"
"Where do you live?"

It's usually a way of getting at your socioeconomic
It's usually a way of getting at your socioeconomic

standing or really how wealthy you are.
standing or really how wealthy you are.

In my experience,
In my experience,

it's been common to ask somebody where they're from
it's been common to ask somebody where they're from

because so few people in Alaska are actually from here.
because so few people in Alaska are actually from here.

Well in Indian country when somebody asks you the
Well in Indian country when somebody asks you the

question where are you from, what they're really asking
question where are you from, what they're really asking

you is, "What's your tribal affiliation?"
you is, "What's your tribal affiliation?"

"What reservation did you grow up on?"
"What reservation did you grow up on?"

"Are you an Indian or are you a white guy?"
"Are you an Indian or are you a white guy?"

In Chicago, a good way to find out about someone
In Chicago, a good way to find out about someone

is to ask, "What parish are you from?"
is to ask, "What parish are you from?"

You know what parishes were Polish, what parishes
You know what parishes were Polish, what parishes

were Irish, what parishes were African American.
were Irish, what parishes were African American.

You really get to know what kind of people they are.
You really get to know what kind of people they are.

In Greenville the first question is usually,
In Greenville the first question is usually,

"Where do you go to church?"
"Where do you go to church?"

If you ask someone where they go to church you're
If you ask someone where they go to church you're

really trying to find out what they think,
really trying to find out what they think,

who they are, what they believe.
who they are, what they believe.

What they're political views are.
What they're political views are.

You cut right through the crap.
You cut right through the crap.

You find out where someone's from
You find out where someone's from

and what they're all about.
and what they're all about.

It just makes it easier to deal with people
It just makes it easier to deal with people

and it helps us understand where they came from
and it helps us understand where they came from

and where they're going.
and where they're going.

I've never really liked any of those kind of questions.
I've never really liked any of those kind of questions.

When I meet somebody for the first time
When I meet somebody for the first time

my opening question is often, "What's your story?",
my opening question is often, "What's your story?",

which allows them to say whatever it is that they
which allows them to say whatever it is that they

want to share about themselves.
want to share about themselves.

Some people don't like talking about what they do,
Some people don't like talking about what they do,

some people don't like talking about where they're from,
some people don't like talking about where they're from,

some people have different idiosyncrasies.
some people have different idiosyncrasies.

Saying, "What's your story?" let's somebody just answer
Saying, "What's your story?" let's somebody just answer

the question that they want to answer as opposed to
the question that they want to answer as opposed to

answering a question that you explicitly ask.
answering a question that you explicitly ask.

"So, what's your story?"
"So, what's your story?"

That would be like a really good question to be able to
That would be like a really good question to be able to

ask somebody because that way you just really want
ask somebody because that way you just really want

to find out about them.
to find out about them.

I'd like to try that sometime.
I'd like to try that sometime.