New students, same questions

This year, like last year, all the students want to know where I come from. Again, as last year, they always guess China first. After China, they move on to other Southeast Asian/Australasian countries, like New Zealand, Thailand and Japan. 

I like to stretch this game out for as long as possible, but I can see when they're running out of ideas. After a few Southeast Asian guesses, I let them know they're way on the wrong track, and that the country starts with 'A'.   The next guess is always an emphatic, "AUSTRALIA!!" Alas, no.

After a few minutes of thinking, someone will guess, 'America?" and she wins the lucky (theoretical) golden star. [Side note; I dislike being from "America" because everyone in Canada, Mexico, and Latin America is also from "America", but this is the lingo they use around here, I have no control over it.] 

Anyway, this recent group, after learning I was from America, said something unusual.  They told me I don't look American, so I asked them what Americans look like. Here was their answer:

"Blonde."

"Blue eyes."

"Short hair."

Now, I'm not sure exactly which mainstream American media they've been consuming which led to the short hair idea, but they were very, very interested in what I had to say next.

"You know, most people in American don't have blonde hair."

The look of shock was sumptuous. Wide eyed, as though their entire concept of the Universe had been shaken, they asked me to explain further. What on earth did I mean "most don't have blonde hair?"

You see folks, in any school classroom in America, you will most likely find 7 or 8 little children with blonde hair, and 20 or more with not-blonde hair.  Blue eyes are quite the exception. Most American children have brown hair and brown eyes, some have white skin, some have medium skin like yours, some have black skin. Some Americans look like they are from Africa, some look like they are from China, some look like they are from Norway. 

Ooooohs and aaaaahs all around.

Do you know, ladies, that people in America come from every part of the world? They call it "the great melting pot". It's like a soup with 100 different ingredients.

"Wow, Miss." They say. "Thank you for sharing with us. We didn't know."

I recommended that they visit America sometime. "You would never know just by looking at someone, whether or not they are an American. You could very well be an American if you were to go there; no one would know the difference." 

I am really starting to refine my "Where-are-you-from" guessing-game into a solid social-studies lecture.