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Beyond a couple of generations does it really matter that much?
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That's what I was thinking... though I wouldn't have included the "Beyond a couple of generations" bit ;-)

I'm a bit of a European mishmash, myself: Polish, Russian, German and English (in no particular order)

Phil

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Not wishing to offend but I have noticed this seems to be an American obsession with noting your racial heritage.  Beyond a couple of generations does it really matter that much?
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I am sure that wouldnt come across as offensive Karen.  In Aus and NZ its pretty similar to the US where no matter how small the indigeanous percentage is in the family tree its still a factor when explaining your heritage.  
Percentage wise its also very important with regards to social security and land claims.  
I remember enrolling in a school once and politely being advised by the headmaster that if I was "anything more than 8% aboriginal I was welcome to apply for the free uniform and stationery".  Took me all day to work out how many great grand parents that equalled !!

The different with the UK is you guys have been there "forever" !!  You actually ARE the native indigeanous folk.  I guess you have some Brits that stake claim to Norse/Viking backgrounds - I remember reading about a guy in the paper trying to prove he was the ancestor of the first person ever to set foot on the land via DNA.


Me - I am a white australian whose family on both sides dates back to their arrival in the 1790's as free settlers (so I dont even get the privilidge of claiming a convict in the family !!).  Dads side came over from Scotland and Ireland.  Mums from Scotland and England.

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1/2 Scot, 1/4 English and 1/4 Acadian (French Canadian but NOT Quebec it can be touchy with some Acadians).  All in all I burn easily in the sun.
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Conker is part Cajun?  Cool.  8)

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I really have no idea beyond my grandparents, who all came from various parts of England.

Not wishing to offend but I have noticed this seems to be an American obsession with noting your racial heritage.  Beyond a couple of generations does it really matter that much?
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Yeah it is a common topic in America because the country's population is such a mix.  For example, there are more people of Polish descent living in Chicago USA than there are in Warsaw, Poland!  In the mid-20th-century (and in some areas even to this day), many towns were segregated (some by force, some by habit) with Italian, German, Irish, Black, Hispanic, Croatian, Greek, Chinese, etc.. neighborhoods.  But as the generations have had more and more mixed-marriages, the degree of "white segregation" has greatly diminished.  

Segregation between whites and blacks (illegal as a matter of force, but completely legal as a matter of habit and housing choice) is still huge here in the USA.  I'm not sure about Chinese since not very many here where I live.

My opinion is that a certain degree of interest, and family pride, in one's origins is great.  But when it becomes an overt thing with you, when you feel that you have to jam it down everybody's throat because you have some sort of axe to grind, it is annoying and you alienate people.

So typically when I am asked my nationality, I respond that I am 2nd generation Native American, 'cause this is where I was born and so were my parents.  :D

If we followed this whole "roots" thing to its logical extreme, we would all be of African origin 'cause that is where it all apparently started.

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Where to begin
Father's side: Russian-Jew, Polish-Jew, German (?)
Mother's side:  English, French-Canuck, Scottish (?), Irish (?)

The funny thing is, people think I am Italian but I don't have a speck of Italian in me. But, when I went to Greece, they thought I was Greek, again, not a drop.-it is the Jewish ancentry that gives me that Mediterranean look.

I am pretty much your average mutt.  ;D


Cat
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Actually, I've been told that I could pass off for Greek, Italian, or Jewish- even though I don't have any of that in me.  It's probably just my olive skin and my pretty-good-sized nose.

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Where to begin
Father's side: Russian-Jew, Polish-Jew, German (?)
Mother's side:  English, French-Canuck, Scottish (?), Irish (?)

The funny thing is, people think I am Italian but I don't have a speck of Italian in me. But, when I went to Greece, they thought I was Greek, again, not a drop.-it is the Jewish ancentry that gives me that Mediterranean look.

I am pretty much your average mutt.  ;D


Cat
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You know I often get mistaken for a Dominican. there have been times that I've been approached by people and they start speaking spanish to me and I feel so bad because I can't have a conversation with them.

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White English as far back as I dare (or can) trace...presumably before that my ancestry could have origins from any other nation who were looting and pillaging us on a weekly basis...!
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Tsk tsk! Shouldn't have paid that Danegeld! ;D

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...and with that, I think I made 1000 posts!
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Way to go, Maddog!  :D ;)

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Conker is part Cajun?  Cool.  8)
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Not creole Cajun though, the real, live in the bush, cut wood, eat potatoes and tortiere Cajun.  Too cold here for craw dads and bagnes.

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I'm all jewish. :D


Howard
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But from where? Russia? Poland? Isreal? Jews were all over Europe before coming here.

Cat

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But from where? Russia? Poland? Isreal? Jews were all over Europe before coming here.

Cat
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I don't know.From America,USA I guess ???

Howard

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I'm African American, Creek Indian, Italian, and French! :) and that's just on my poppa's side!
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Could you be thinking Cree Indian? Cuz I'm Cree/Russian/Croatian. All packed together in a white body.

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Lets see, I have been working on this Geneology thing, but try it when you have a common Hispanic last name. My fathers side come from Mexico, (Aztec) and from France. My moms side comes from Spain. The older generation had the red hair or blonde hair with bluw eyes. I was the shallow end of the gene pool and have the brown hair and light brown eyes. That's as far as I know.

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:o :oI know what you mean about common last names1Do you have ANY idea how many Eric Andersons were born in Stockholm?????Other common names in my family are Morgan,Cushing(in GB,anyway),and Nicholson.