I'm Jewish-American, about a quarter each originating from Ukraine, Lithuania, Germany, and Poland.

I used to care, but now I've realised it doesn't matter one damn bit who your ancestors were.  What are they doing for you here in this life?  Nothing, they're dead.  Its not like they're here fixing you an ice cream sundae.

I'm an Alex, thats what I am. :)

I'm a whole lot of Scandinavia and Western Europe.

I'm Irish, British, German and Portugese(from South America).

I'm a whole lot of Scandinavia and Western Europe.



I'm Irish, British, German and Portugese(from South America).


You mean your ancestors were?  Its weird how people have a tendency to say "I'm German" or "I'm Welsh" as if they really are.  Your ancestors were.. but its not like you came out knowing how to speak German just because your great grandparents or whoever did.  Culture isn't genetic, its a conditional thing.

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I know how you guys meant it.  I was just making a point.

I'm a mutt.  LOL!!

Polish, Irish, Swedish, English, and a little bit of Black Foot Indian.

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I always found it funny when people say they're "Southern", like it's an ethnicity (basically meaning British mutt.)

I can trace my family back to the 1500s in Switzerland on one end, actually.

My blood runs in two very oddly-fused and ironic directions... on my father's side, I have Russian-German combined.. they used to be Tailors in Germany, before that they were among the tribes that overthrew Rome. On my mothers side, I have Polish Jews.. they had a long line of being.. well, a lot of them were murderers. I don't know what they did other then kill, really.

For me it's a mix of English, Scottish and Iraqi  :D

I'm partial to Alex's school of thought, it makes no big difference to me but I do know a fair bit about it.

My Father's family moved to the south west of England from County Cork in Southern Ireland about 200 or so years ago, nobody is quite sure why but one would assume it made sense logistically.
The family Carrick/Rourke was moderately well off and records can be traced back as far as the Viking invasions, which would suggest that they originally came from somewhere around Denmark/Norway etc.

My mother's family is a bit harder to place but some genealogical work has been done.

They originally came from Germany, that much is know, now, what they did in Germany and before then is unknown. There were three prominent Sioux members of the family, and the physiological evidence of this is hard to ignore. Teeth, Facial Structure, Hair etc.

To simplify matters, if one were to go back far enough I hail from a Scandinavian/Germanic stock.

I would say Aryan but there are those who get somewhat pissy about that.

1/4 Mexican, 1/4 El Salvadoranean, 1/4 German... and Jewish!, 1/8 English, 1/8 Scottish.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c235/badfingermike/coneheads.jpg
We're from France, yes. That is correct. from France

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Well, I still say I'm Norwegian (50% -- all of mom's side), Swedish & Irish (dad's mom's side) and German (dad's dad's side).  I think it gets silly when you have to debate the issue.  We all know what we mean.  And besides, especially if your family has only been in the U.S. for a couple of generations, those cultural ties are likely to be strong.  If you looked at me, you'd know I was Scandinavian.  And that's not cultural -- that's genetic.  To be honest, we really don't know if certain behavioral characteristics have roots in genetics.  They might.  But either way, whatever.  I'm American by culture, the other things by ancestry.


Connie the Valkyrie.

Well, I still say I'm Norwegian (50% -- all of mom's side), Swedish & Irish (dad's mom's side) and German (dad's dad's side).  I think it gets silly when you have to debate the issue.  We all know what we mean.  And besides, especially if your family has only been in the U.S. for a couple of generations, those cultural ties are likely to be strong.  If you looked at me, you'd know I was Scandinavian.  And that's not cultural -- that's genetic.  To be honest, we really don't know if certain behavioral characteristics have roots in genetics.  They might.  But either way, whatever.  I'm American by culture, the other things by ancestry.


^I'm the same as her, of course, but with slightly more alien DNA

My blood runs in two very oddly-fused and ironic directions... on my father's side, I have Russian-German combined.. they used to be Tailors in Germany, before that they were among the tribes that overthrew Rome. On my mothers side, I have Polish Jews.. they had a long line of being.. well, a lot of them were murderers. I don't know what they did other then kill, really.


Polish Jewish murderers! Oy! My Polish/Lithuanian side were candy shop/puschart owners, tinsmiths, and capmakers. And then doctors and lawyers. My Ukrainian side is candy shop owners and plumbers. My German side is realtors and businessmen, and cow dealers.

Polish Jewish murderers! Oy! My Polish/Lithuanian side were candy shop/puschart owners, tinsmiths, and capmakers. And then doctors and lawyers. My Ukrainian side is candy shop owners and plumbers. My German side is realtors and businessmen, and cow dealers.


Wow, your family sold candy to the innocent, my family slaughtered said innocents.

Wow, your family sold candy to the innocent, my family slaughtered said innocents.


Yeah, all of my mom's family were wholesale candy store owners when they came to this country, and then all became doctors. Her uncle was the chief of medicine at Columbia Presbyterian. Ironically, I don't really like candy...both my grandparents don't have sweet tooths because they could always have candy whenever they wanted.

75% Cuban, 25% Isle

A mixture of Scandinavian, European, Irish, English and maybe some other ethnicities I don't know about.

Yeah, all of my mom's family were wholesale candy store owners when they came to this country, and then all became doctors. Her uncle was the chief of medicine at Columbia Presbyterian. Ironically, I don't really like candy...both my grandparents don't have sweet tooths because they could always have candy whenever they wanted.


My dad is a contractor, but he is a salesman for his jobs.  Same with my uncle.  My grandfather(their dad) was a salesman(aluminum siding), and his father was a salesman too(your old-fashioned traveling salesman).  My great grandfather was a short, bald, fat guy who had been in World War I over in France, and it turned out he had several families- not just one.  His name was Emmit. He had other illegitimate kids too.  But apparently he paid for the lot of them.  He was basically the richest man out of Marshall County, Alabama.  Even during the Depression he always did well.  Anyway, when World War II came up he had to sign papers for over a hundred boys. 

He didn't drink or smoke.  His vices were essentially money, food, and women.  And he always wore the same outfit, oddly enough.  A black suit with a white shirt, a black string tie, and a derby hat.  He was somewhat anti-alcohol, actually.  He always nagged his father that his drinking would kill him someday, and it did.  His dad was killed when he got drunk, was walking down a country road, around a sharp curve, and the mailman came around a bit too fast and he was a little too far on the side of the road and before he saw him and could stop or swerve, he hit the old man.

My grandfather found out about his dad's other families when he was 15.  His name was the same as mine(Wallace Alexander), but his family usually called him Hoss and his friends and acquaintences called him Red, for his red hair.  It bothered him about his dad, and so that summer he went to North Carolina I believe and got a job working at a carnival for the summer.  Summers were longer then too.  School got out at the beginning of May and didn't start back until the beginning of October.  It was 1939, the summer before World War II began in Europe.  Two years later, he entered Basic Training in the Marine Corps in July of 1941, at 17 years old.  By the time he was done with all of his initial training, in December of '41(theres another 3 months of training after Basic but I can't remember what its called at the moment), Japan bombed Pearl Habor and World War II began.  Before he turned 18(his birthday was March 12), he was in the South Pacific.

After the war and getting out of the Marines, in 1946, he came back home to Alabama, and started working with his dad- selling.  In 1947, he met my grandmother and they married only the third time they saw eachother.  It seems weird, but I guess that sort of thing was more common back then.  My grandmother came from a family of farmers, and they were a lot worse off than my grandfather's family.  My grandmother was the youngest of 10 kids.  Her dad was quite old, 50 years older than her.  They hated my grandfather too.  They were all essentially a bunch of ignorant chickensh!ts, and saw my grandfather as wild, dangerous, and unpredictable.  And in many ways, they were right. 

These people were so primitive that until the 1960s, they didn't get in-door plumbing.  Not only that, but they were too lazy to build an outhouse.  Thats right, as my grandfather put it they "sh!t behind their shoes".  There were 4 boys there, none of them could build one?  Not only were they farmers, but they were lazy farmers.  There was one particular incident my uncle remembers that he related to me.  One time they were visiting his grandparents(mother's parents), and it was dinner time.  At their house, the men ate first and all the women had to stand around and freaking serve them.  Of course, my grandfather said "bullsh!t, my wife is gonna sit down at the table and eat with me" and you bet they didn't say anything to that red-headed son of a b!tch, they just gave him the evil eye.  ;D

Wow this is detailed.  Ah well, these are some of my "family stories".  This kinda stuff I don't mind.  I identify with what my family actually were, what kind of people they were, what kind of events they lived through... but ethnic origin isn't something I identify with.

And besides, especially if your family has only been in the U.S. for a couple of generations, those cultural ties are likely to be strong.  If you looked at me, you'd know I was Scandinavian.  And that's not cultural -- that's genetic.  To be honest, we really don't know if certain behavioral characteristics have roots in genetics.  They might.  But either way, whatever.  I'm American by culture, the other things by ancestry.


I have no real cultural identity.  My family on both sides has been in the country since before it even became independent from the British crown(colonial times).  I identify as a southerner in certain ways, but I've grown up in Texas so I've been around Southwestern and Hispanic culture a lot too.  I speak Spanish, I'm learning Italian..  I like different things from different cultures, but ultimately none of them have anything to do with the core fabric of who I am.  In my case its not based on anything "ethnic".

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I'm about 50% English, a bit less than half Irish, and a little Welsh and Scottish.

Canadian, Polish, and Ukrainian.

Canadian, Irish and English

To simplify it in American P.C. terms - Mostly European American with a bit of Native American

My Father's family is Kashubian (a little ethnic land shared between Germany and Poland), with Dutch, English, and most likely Jewish in roads. Not only can I trace my ancestory to the original immigrants from that land, but have a family photo showing my great grandfather as well as my grandfather as a baby. 

My Mother's family has what I like to call "false ancestory". Although they're Irish and Native American, The founder of my mother's family  is one of the first French King named Childric of the Meroviegn dynasty. 

Well, you don't identify with it, but it's fine if other people do  :).



Just to play a long, I'll tell you what my ancestors were.  Welsh, English, Scots-Irish, Cherokee, and Jewish.  I'm not sure what kinda Jewish though.. the surname I know is Kane.  Is that German Jew?

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I'm "purely" white (Caucasian).

Is there anyone on here of non-European ancestry?

Is there anyone on here of non-European ancestry?

My grandmother is Iraqi.

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Why not? The people from all countries originally came from other countries. I.e. the Celts, Anglo-Saxons and Normans to Britain (minus pre-historic Britons), Aryans to Northern India (where they pushed the native Dravids south).


Because Canada is a nation of immigrants like the United States.  Its like trying to say there is an American ethnicity.

Father's side: Russian-Jew, Polish-Jew (and probably more).

Mother's side: Canuck, English (and probably more).


In other words, I'm a mutt.  ;D



Cat

English mainly - with a bit of Welsh on my mum's side.

Why not? The people from all countries originally came from other countries. I.e. the Celts, Anglo-Saxons and Normans to Britain (minus pre-historic Britons), Aryans to Northern India (where they pushed the native Dravids south).
We had this exact argument earlier this year during our census. IE: Is New Zealander an Ethnicity? I say no, only because most of us are immigrants, mostly recent (ie: past 200 years) I think if your ancestory goes back more than, say, 300 years, you could say your ethnicity is, whatever country you were born in.

We had this exact argument earlier this year during our census. IE: Is New Zealander an Ethnicity? I say no, only because most of us are immigrants, mostly recent (ie: past 200 years) I think if your ancestory goes back more than, say, 300 years, you could say your ethnicity is, whatever country you were born in.


In the Australian applicants are given the option of selecting their 'ancestry', and are at disgression to choose either, 'Australian', or 'Englsh, Scottish.etc' or both, which might seem a bit odd. But yeah, I guess in many ways 'Canadian' is not an ancestry, but it sort of simplifies things as some people will be of multiple ancestries.

I represented my people by carrying a flag in the norwegian constitution day parade in brooklyn.
a thousand people that look just like me...hee hee

We had this exact argument earlier this year during our census. IE: Is New Zealander an Ethnicity? I say no, only because most of us are immigrants, mostly recent (ie: past 200 years) I think if your ancestory goes back more than, say, 300 years, you could say your ethnicity is, whatever country you were born in.


In that case, I'm an American.  My family on both sides came here in the 1600s.  :)

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You're a whitey  ;). My family at the earliest has been here for about 120 years and at the latest 60 years, I'd say the average is about 95 years.


Meh, I'm part Cherokee and Jewish.  People always tell me I look Italian.  I don't really care though.

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I am mostly Italian...but also: Slovak, Dutch, Indian, Russian, Polish.

You do look sort of Italian, actually. If you told me you were I wouldn't think you weren't.


Beth actually thought I was and seemed surprised when I told her I wasn't.


I am mostly Italian...but also: Slovak, Dutch, Indian, Russian, Polish.


East Indian?

I am mostly Italian...but also: Slovak, Dutch, Indian, Russian, Polish.


You look Italian...I once speculated as to what you were from your picture, and you being from Pittsburgh, I guessed.

I think we've done a similiar thread. But, here goes

Mother's Side - My mothers' mother is 100% German. Her mother's mother was born in the states but just a few years after they arrived. They were part of the few but proud Black Sea Germans, who originated near Yalta and the Ukraine. Catherine the Great requested Germans immigrate to those areas to teach Russians some farming techniques. In exchange, she would not make the young men join the Russian Army. Over time the Germans got fed up with the poor soil and living conditions and packed back up to Bremen, Germany and left on a ship to Ellis Island. There they landed. On my grandmothers' father's side, his father lived in Germany (on the border of the Netherlands) all his life. He later came to American in the 1890's. My great grandfather was born soon after their arrival. My great grandfather met my great grandmother in the same town when she worked for her father at his Merchantile store.

So, my grandmother met my grandfather here in California. He was Irish, Scottish and English. He was from El Cerrito. My Grandmother was from Richmond.

My Father's Side - On my fathers' mother's side, they originated directly from the Mayflower. They were of English descent, of course. On my fathers' father's side, my great, great, great grandfather was from Ireland. He married an Cherokee Indian Queen (that's what the family records say, lol). Then their offspring, married another of mixed Indian/Irish descent, so it carried the same blood (that's where the Osage Indian comes in), then my great grandmother married a man of English descent. And out came my grandpa. It's very surprising of how dark my father came out. My dad really looks American Indian.

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I have a question for those people who are Jewish (and I hope I don't offend anyone with my question).  Wouldn't Jewish be classified as a religion rather than an ethnicity?

I have a question for those people who are Jewish (and I hope I don't offend anyone with my question).  Wouldn't Jewish be classified as a religion rather than an ethnicity?


Its both.  The Jews are both a nation and a religion. 

I have a question for those people who are Jewish (and I hope I don't offend anyone with my question).  Wouldn't Jewish be classified as a religion rather than an ethnicity?


Depends if you accept Israel's right to exist.

Israel is the Jewish state.

Depends if you accept Israel's right to exist.

Israel is the Jewish state.


No, its not just tied to Israel.  Theres such a thing as being ethnically Jewish.  You don't have to hold an Israeli passport or something.

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Having done the ancestry thing I can say that I am pretty much an equal mix of African, English, Native American, Norwegian, and French all these influences are visible, and some of the traditions of each are
woven into traditions of my family.  Odd, but this is the story of America.

Yeah, I'm totally ethnically Jewish but I'm not Israeli. I could be if I wanted to, my mother being Jewish, but I'm not. And there are converts to Judaism...but I've always felt that it's more of a "tribe" thing, so if you do convert and marry Jewish blood, you basically become Jewish ethnically.


That's the thing I've always found alot odd about the 'Jewish' ethnic group: they don't seem to belong to one biologically specific race, but include members from widely 'racial' groups such as blue-eyed Aryans, or dark-skinned, more 'Semitic' looking peoples. I guess it's because the majority of the world's Jewish population first migrated to Europe, and hence the original Hebrew/Israeli blood was diluted to such a point there was little genetic cohesiveness within Jews as a whole.

I have a question for those people who are Jewish (and I hope I don't offend anyone with my question).  Wouldn't Jewish be classified as a religion rather than an ethnicity?



As I stated, I am Russian-Jew and Polish-Jew-meaning that sometime in the very distant past, my ancestors moved north from the Middle-East region. The funny thing is, many people have thought that I was Italian (until I went to Greece and even the Greeks thought I was Greek until I opened my mouth and they could hear my "New Yowk" accent) which I don't have a drop of either in me-as far as I know. I do have that Mediterranean look which had to come from somewhere.




Cat

As I stated, I am Russian-Jew and Polish-Jew-meaning that sometime in the very distant past, my ancestors moved north from the Middle-East region. The funny thing is, many people have thought that I was Italian (until I went to Greece and even the Greeks thought I was Greek until I opened my mouth and they could hear my "New Yowk" accent) which I don't have a drop of either in me-as far as I know. I do have that Mediterranean look which had to come from somewhere.




Cat


Yeah, some Jewish people look Mediterranean...for example, my aunt was mistaken for being Puerto Rican in Puerto Rico. But I'm hellishly white.

Thank you all for helping me to understand more about the Jewish people. 

Norwegian/Ukrainian/German