回还是去?

[Pravit]

I was talking with someone in China the other day, when I was asked

回过中国吗？I found this kind of odd. How can I have "gone back" if I've never been there? It's true I'm of Chinese descent but I had already made it clear I was born in the US. Is it normal usage to express motion towards the speaker with 回, regardless if the person being addressed has ever been there? For example, would it have been correct for this person to say "去过中国来吗?" Or could I have asked "回过美国吗"?

[Quest]

It has to do with "where you/your family originally came from", in other words, your ancestral root. It does not matter where you were born, if your ancesters were from China, people would use 回。

[Quest]

For example, would it have been correct for this person to say "去过中国来吗?" Or could I have asked "回过美国吗"?

去过中国来吗？ -- 去 and 来 should not be used at the same time.

(go to)去过中国吗？-- if the conversation takes place outside of China.

(come to)来过中国吗？ -- if you are in China.

(back/return to) 回过美国吗 -- if the person was originally from America but has decided to take residence outside of America.

[Pravit]

I see, Quest, thanks! It's what I was suspecting. About 去and 来 I was trying to use those directional endings but I guess I screwed up

[劍帥文佩然]

I suddenly remembered an anecdote about Su Dongpo (a Chinese poet, essayist, artist, and public official. AD. 1036-1101)

有一天，一個和尚問蘇東坡從哪裡來，蘇東坡回答：「我從來處來。」

　和尚又問他要去哪裡，蘇東坡回答：「將往去處去。」

One day, a monk asked Su Dongpo "where did you come from?"

"I came from where I have came from."

"Where will you go?" asked the monk.

"I go where I will go."