What are your ethnic backgrounds, and where are you from?

[deckard24]

This topic sort of came up in another thread, and it got me wondering. This site is great because it gives us a chance to speak to one another about a particular favorite topic, the Indiana Jones franchise. But in my opinion what is really cool about this site, is that we come from all over the world and are drawn here due to a common shared interest! The members of this site all have vastly different backgrounds and cultural differences. So I'm curious, what are some of your ethnic backgrounds and where do you live? Do your ethnic roots play a significant role in your life culturally, or are they just a line to your ancestors.


Try to be more specific as well, not just I'm American, Italian, or Chinese!

I for one am American, but was born in London, England. My family for the most part has very strong Irish roots with a hint of German thrown in. I've looked into it a bit and there's the possibility of Scottish roots as well, prior to my ancestors arriving in Ireland. As for where I live, it's in a suburb on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan. And as for my ethnic background playing a significant role in my life, it absolutley does. My parents being 3rd generation Irish passed down a love for my culture, and family roots are very important to all of us!

So what about you guys?

[Michael24]

I was born and raised in California. On my mom's side I've got some Irish in me (her maiden name was O'Dell). On my dad's side I've got some Swedish (my grandfather) and some American Indian (my grandmother). Cherokee, to be exact. My grandmother is half-blooded Indian.

[herr gruber]

My heritage is a mystery for the most part. However, one of my grandfather's was Scottish, my Gran's Irish. My father's side I have no Idea about...My surname indicates a French heritage, but who knows? I like to think of myself as ScIrish.:)

I'm also, as Finn is pointing out below, Caucasian. Or should that be Cauceuropean?

[Finn]

My ethnic background? 100% Caucasian male, I think.

My cultural roots? Finnish as far back as I can trace.

Let's not mix the two things up, people. Your ethnic backround is your racial make, your cultural background is where your family's origins lie.

[NileQT87]

i was born and raised in san diego, california.

paternal - danish vikings invaded england circa 950 AD--possibly the last name "vinge", name changed to old english spelling of "wynge", reverend john wynge/winge/wing preached sermons that were even attended by royalty--the "queen of hearts" (elizabeth of bohemia), one of the maternal names that got lost in the mix was a deborah bachiler (old french for "page" or "squire"), the wings came to massachusetts in 1634 to avoid religious persecution, became quakers, the wing family fort house in sandwich, massachusetts is the oldest house in america still owned by the same family. my dad was born in worcester, massachusetts and grew up in allentown, pennsylvania. my dad flew cargo during vietnam, then became a commercial pilot for PSA and USAir (USAirways).

maternal - english, scottish and german. part of the graham ("gray house") family, but the last name of grame comes from the fact that two cousins in the 1800s changed their last name, got married and came to the u.s. they became farmers in missouri/kansas, but some of them moved to san diego, california (where my mom was born). as for representatives of the german side, my grandfather has polka as his cellphone ringtone. my mom's little grandma used to make her watch laurence welk. my mom's mother's maiden name was avery, so, english. my grandfather's family had 10 children--9 of them boys (one died in infancy). robert grame died at the battle of the bulge during wwII. jesse grame married well-known grocery chain owner, henry boney of boney's/henry's marketplace. my grandfather, bill, owns a horse ranch out in jamul. my mom was a flight attendant for PSA.

it's hilarious when you can boast your family was both viking invaders AND quakers. add in a touch of incest and auntie em/uncle henry.

and racially... i'm as white as snow. all european as far as i'm aware (who knows what slipped in while in the new world, though) and i suntan like a lobster. i was light blonde when i was little, but it turned dishwater blonde to brown as i got older.

[salussolia]

mostly:
Northern Italy Alice Costello :Salussolia,Lavagno,Salvo,Emirico ect. way mori forget sorry !!
Ivanberg,Yugoslavia:Schermaul,Nuo
Castlebar Ireland/Slygo Ireland : Mc`Mamara,Stenson,Sweeney,O`Donnel,Needham,Gandner
Hungary:Vuralic



American

[deckard24]

Ethnicity: a population of human beings whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry

Culture: generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance

This was what I found from Wikipedia. It does get kind of confusing and even more extensive. I always thought of ethnicity as where your bloodline could be traced to, and culture as the specific rituals identified with that bloodline. An example being I'm Irish not by nationality but by blood, traced back many generations to different counties throughout the country of Ireland. As far as culturally, my Irish heritage plays a large part in my life today through different foods/drinks, religious activities, musical preferences, articles of clothing, storytelling, decor, art, etc..

I appreciate all the input so far, and it's great to hear about all of your own personal identities!

NileQT87, yeah I'm as white as snow too! LOL

I burn like a lobster as well, and my hair did the exact same thing over the years! It still gets a little lighter in the summer though.

[xfkirsten]

Born in and raised in the US, but my family's heritage is almost entirely Scandinavian. My dad's side is almost all Swedish, and my mom's side is mostly Norwegian with some Swedish mixed in. There's little bits of mutt in me here and there: some Scottish, Cherokee, etc. But the vast majority of my ancestors hail from either Sweden or Norway.

[Finn]

Ethnicity: a population of human beings whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry

Culture: generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance Pretty much all the Europeans mellow in more or less the same gene pool, which really doesn't make that much of a difference do your ancestors come from e.g. Germany or Italy or Scandinavia (yeah, there are subtle differences, I know), even less if people start distinguishing are they of Scottish or Irish origin.

Culturally, however, there're major differences. So I figure tracing your "ethnic background" especially if there're numerous sources a bit of a stretch in that department.

Anyway, I dunno if it's that I personally can trace my roots right where I'm standing as far into the past as I like, but I feel that the case of your identity is lot a better way to define an answer to question "where are you from?" than starting to list the possible identities of your ancestors.

I have an uncle who adopted infant twins from Philippines. They know nothing about their biological parents, and the way they were dumped into the hands of local charity back there without questions presented or even less answered, seems like they never will. So what are they going to answer when asked the question about ancestry?

Yeah, tracing your bloodline and cultural backgrounds can be fun, interesting and worthwhile, but trying to define who you are by that intel... Well, just feels like a case of lost identity to me. Especially since your genealogy may play no part at all in it.

[deckard24]

Pretty much all the Europeans mellow in more or less the same gene pool, which really doesn't make that much of a difference do your ancestors come from e.g. Germany or Italy or Scandinavia (yeah, there are subtle differences, I know), even less if people start distinguishing are they of Scottish or Irish origin.

Culturally, however, there're major differences. So I figure tracing your "ethnic background" especially if there're numerous sources a bit of a stretch in that department.

Anyway, I dunno if it's that I personally can trace my roots right where I'm standing as far into the past as I like, but I feel that the case of your identity is lot a better way to define an answer to question "where are you from?" than starting to list the possible identities of your ancestors.

I have an uncle who adopted infant twins from Philippines. They know nothing about their biological parents, and the way they were dumped into the hands of local charity back there without questions presented or even less answered, seems like they never will. So what are they going to answer when asked the question about ancestry?

Yeah, tracing your bloodline and cultural backgrounds can be fun, interesting and worthwhile, but trying to define who you are by that intel... Well, just feels like a case of lost identity to me. Especially since your genealogy may play no part at all in it.

I understand where you're coming from Finn, tracing your ancestry is tricky business and can in many cases lead to dead ends.

If you take for example the early Celtic people(who many of Irish descent claim a shared lineage), you'll see upon closer examination how many different groups of people were assimilated into the Celts and vice versa. If you are Irish by ancestry than you most likely have Germanic blood as well, since the Germanic tribes are the reason the Celts were pushed all the way up into Ireland. The chances of Germanic speaking people mixing with Celtic speaking people is very great. Not to mention you have the Vikings who came to Ireland in the late 700's, and mixed in with the people, in fact founding many prominent towns, such as Dublin and Waterford.

So to claim a pure bloodline is ludicrous! Especially if you consider we may have all originated in Africa and spread out from there. I remember reading a Time magazine article on the subject of genealogy, and there are apparent DNA tests you can take to investigate your ancestry. Many people apparently are shocked to find out what's in their bloodlines, an example being the author himself, who thought he was of European descent only to find out he had roots to South America and Africa.

As for defining your identity through your ancestry, I agree there is way more to a person than specific cultural practices, customs, and shared lineage. But, it can play a very large part in shaping you into the person you become.