“I get asked that all the time”: Confronting Polite, White Canadians and the Politics of Belonging in Obligatory Interrogations

Authors

Karen E. Pennesi, University of Western OntarioFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2024

Journal

Journal of Belonging, Identity, Language and Diversity

Volume

8

Issue

1

First Page

35

Last Page

55

URL with Digital Object Identifier

https://bild-lida.ca/journal/volume-81-2024/pennesi/

Abstract

Obligatory interrogations are opportunities to reinforce and challenge ideologies of Canadians as polite and white. Obligatory interrogations are microaggressions involving politics of belonging, arising from a white interrogator's perception that the target’s identity is ambiguous or marked. Interrogations begin with a request for self-disclosure like “Where are you from?” or “What’s your real name?” I analyze metadiscourse surrounding obligatory interrogations from 57 interviews with residents of two cities in Canada: Montreal and London, in addition to first-person narratives published by people of colour in North America. Bridging scholarship on politeness, belonging and critical race theory, I examine conflicting evaluations of politeness in obligatory interrogations. The analysis considers unequal power distribution, agentive moves in metadiscourse, and the effects on identities and relationships of repeated microaggressive encounters. White interrogators believe their questions to be polite. Some targets answer politely, finding the questions annoying but normal. Others interpret the interrogation as rude or racist, refusing to respond or imagining alternative questions and answers. Challenging hegemonic white politeness, they stake their claim to belonging as Canadians and point toward a more genuine politeness. This research demonstrates how racialization and marginalization work through mundane linguistic practices and suggests that understanding politeness requires a critical approach.

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