Originally Posted by
Dualblade
Migrating to Eorzea doesn't neccesarily mean that the races don't exist outside it. For one Garlemald is NOT part of Eorzea itself, and yet most likely its citizens are Hyur, or atleast related to them (I'm not sure if the whole "unable to use magic" thing makes them a different race from Hyur, or possible a different "clan" like Mid and Highlanders are.)
As well, you are givin the option to say whether you have been to the city-state you are going to before, and I always thought of taking that as giving players reign to say yes, they may have lived/been born there before, or in one of the other city-states. Ultimately though, your past before the start of the game doesn't matter outside of Legacy for 2.0, but when it comes down to it personal headcannons for your own characters will be supersceded by the story. You have to essentially work around it, even if some things you are sure your character would never do.