Where I'm From

I don't know if it's happened to you but it has to me. Not so much now though.

When I was younger (bear in mind, I'm still only in my 20's) - school, high school and university, people always asked me where I'm from. New people, not those who'd known me for years. Those who had known me for years asking this usually meant that they were questioning my life form!

But you know, it happens right. When you're first introduced to people - the question comes up. My answer? "I'm English". Because I am. The confused look on their face leads me to elaborate because I don't look like a typical English(wo)man (though what a typical English(wo)man looks like is in the eye of the beholder!). So then I tell them that my parents are from Sri Lanka.
"So you're Sri Lankan?"
"Well, my parents are Sri Lankan. I'm English - born and brought up in London."

Am I wrong? I'm not saying I'm not Sri Lankan. I'm of Sri Lankan origin. It's my ethnicity and most things about me screams Sri Lankan but I am English. Maybe people should be more specific in their questioning?

It doesn't seem to happen so much nowadays. I've noticed that as I've got older - I tend to meet more Sri Lankans. Maybe it's because nearly all (yes, all 10 of) my friends are Sri Lankan. Do people of the same culture/ethnicity flock together as they get older?