#1 and #2 are less unnatural than #2; what is your teacher's ethnic origin? is possibly less unnatural than all of them.1) What race is your teacher?
2) What is the race of your teacher?
3) Your teacher is of what race?
[STRIKE]1) Your teacher is of what descend?[/STRIKE]
1) What race is your teacher?
2) What is the race of your teacher?
3) Your teacher is of what race?
1) Your teacher is of what descend?
It is not so much the word as the question itself that could be offensive. If one asks questions about someone's ethnic origin, one may give the impression that one is racist, Why else would one be interested?Thanks for enlightening me teachers. I didn't know the word is offensive, so i will take your advice and use the word background instead.
Thanks for enlightening me teachers. I didn't know the word is offensive, so i will take your advice and use the word background instead.
It is not so much the word as the question itself that could be offensive. If one asks questions about someone's ethnic origin, one may give the impression that one is racist, Why else would one be interested?
If my offspring tell me that their teacher has told them, "Men are inherently superior to women", then it is legitimate for me to ask about that teacher's gender. If they tell me that their teacher uses classroom time to lecture about the sin of extra-marital sex, then I have no qualms about asking about that teacher's age and/or religion. These are just examples of times when I do not consider it inappropriate to ask such questions.Why else?! Out of curiousity. Because race is one of the characteristics of a person. According to your argument if I ask somebody:"Is your teacher a man or a woman?" then I am sexist. If I ask him/her:"How old is your teacher?" then I would be someone who is ... (what's the word for it?). I disagree, but I consider it a cultural doxa in America and some other countries and if I were to live there I would obey the rule.
Why else?! Out of curiousity. Because race is one of the characteristics of a person. According to your argument if I ask somebody:"Is your teacher a man or a woman?" then I am sexist. If I ask him/her:"How old is your teacher?" then I would be someone who is ... (what's the word for it?). I disagree, but I consider it a cultural doxa in America and some other countries and if I were to live there I would obey the rule.
I am also aware that in some situations any of the above questions could be offensive in any country.