On the "uncomfortable" question.
I think it's perfectly fine for people to ask me "where are you (originally) from".
Some of those people are genuinely curious about my culture and background. Some of them are eager to share their travel/work experience in places that I may know. Almost none of them are asking the question because they want to racially profile me or discriminate against me.
Instead of teaching people how to avoid, we should teach people how to forgive. If you prescribe people with questions they can't ask and words they can't say, you will only increase the distance between "us" vs "them". On the other hand, a curious question leads to a dialogue, which leads to an exchange of experiences and feelings, which leads to mutual understanding and empathy.
That's why I'm grateful to everyone who have allowed me to build empathy with them, all started with that "uncomfortable" question.
And by the way, where are you from?