The Question of Heritage

Regarding the April 10 Multicultural Manners column “The Risk of Judging on Looks,” Norine Dresser remarks upon Americans’ assumption that one is foreign-born if that person appears, essentially, non-Aryan. The problem, I suggest, is not one of callousness; rather, one of linguistic ignorance. When I meet someone who appears to have come from a different country, my query is, “What is your heritage?” Not everyone is aware of how to state such a question.

HILARY A. CEJKA

Lomita