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Dr Rolade Berthier enjoys listening, reading, and storytelling. She lives in France and is a freelance English language trainer in Luxembourg. She has worked in Asia, Australia and Europe for universities, research institutions, government departments, and non-profit organisations. In 2023, she was a guest speaker at the European Parliament DG Per’s anti-racism event, “Why Words Matter”. In 2025, she delivered a presentation at the International Language Coaching seminar in Malaga, Spain. In 2026, she led a workshop at the ICC-Languages Annual Conference in Zurich, Switzerland. She gives pro-bono lectures at Lycée et Collège Hélène Boucher in Thionville, France.
Rolade has a Master of Social Planning & Development and a Doctor of Philosophy (Sociology) degrees from The University of Queensland, as a Rockefeller and Australian Government scholar, respectively. She has a French Language Certificate from Sorbonne University in Paris and is currently learning Spanish.
She was a high school valedictorian in Pulupandan, Philippines and cum laude at the Visayas State University, Leyte.
She runs www.roladesocietalblog.com, which discusses cultural, political and social issues and is active on Facebook and LinkedIn. She is also present on www.youtube.com/@roladeberthier, and if you wander deep enough into the Internet, basically everywhere online searches dare to go.
This book was born from a conversation with an American at the book fair in Luxembourg in 2025, who triumphantly declared that I was Filipino. It was not in a curious and respectful tone, so I decided to write instead of harbouring the offence.
Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Where You Are Really From by Dr. Rolade Berthier leans into how a seemingly simple question about where someone is “really” from is problematic in many ways. Berthier talks about how that question has followed her through routine life in places like Thionville, on public transport into Luxembourg, and in her teaching work, frequently reappearing in places of formal authority, like police checks and airport security. In these examples and others, Berthier separates curiosity from genuinely wanting to know a person, from an overt attempt at racial classification. She returns to moments when her first answer is treated as insufficient and is met with follow-up questions related to what others think they see or hear. Through research, Berthier frames the question as an act that can quietly deny belonging, disguised as ordinary conversation.
As someone who was born and raised in Asia and who moved to England as a very young adult, I was immediately drawn to Where You Are Really From by Dr. Rolade Berthier. I thought I was well-versed on microaggression, but Berthier revealed so much more. I appreciate that Berthier does not posture or sermonize, and instead chooses a route that simply documents and explains, and then steps back, allowing the stories and research to speak for themselves. The writing style is largely conversational and feels like sitting across the table with a wise friend. The standout section for me is on accent, something that I am repeatedly questioned about. My speech and cadence are fully British without a hint of the subcontinent, and I am frequently complimented on it, as if it is some sort of achievement. Strangely, my American wife is complimented on the exact opposite—that she has retained her American accent in England, proving Berthier's examples of a double standard. Overall, this is an insightful and important book that is also a pleasure to read. Very highly recommended.
