Is it OK to ask, 'Where are you from?" Readers respond

I’ve learned three key things from the flood of responses to the question posed in Saturday’s column, Is it OK to ask “Where are you from?”
First thing: About four of five people who responded, regardless of their ethnic background, are comfortable asking the question or being asked it. The rest found it slightly annoying, or in rare cases, extremely distressing.
Second lesson: While those who ask “Where are you from” need to avoid stereotyping the respondent