How would you have handled this?

[Bamboozled]

I found myself in the midst of a pretty awkward situation last week and I'm wondering how other people would have handled it. Here's the scenario.... I was talked into hanging out with a group of co-workers after work. They were going to a restaurant pretty close to my house, so I would have looked like I just didn't want to be a part of the "team" if I didn't go. So, we get there and the conversation turns to the origins of our last names and nationality. Now, I was the only black face at the table, so I immediately became uncomfortable. Everyone kind of went around the table saying, "yeah, my mother is dutch, my dad is german.... my last name comes from (fill in the blank). Do y'all know, one of them turned to me and said, "Bamboozled, where is your family from?" Now, this might be an easy question for some of you because your parents, or perhaps even you, moved to this country on their own free will. Not me and mine. My ancestors were brought here as slaves and srtipped of their identities. How the hell should I know where my last name originates? I was caught so off guard that I said the first thing that came to my mind. My hometown. Isn't that ridiculous??? I've been kicking myself ever since. I wish I would have honestly said, "I don't know", or at least, "somewhere in Africa". And to the question, "where does your last name originate?", I wish I had said, "Probably your great-great grandfather."

And slavery has had no lasting affects in this country, huh?

So, what would you have done? Do you think I'm overreacting? Has this ever happened to you?