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Does everyone know their nationality, or are some of you unsure?

I was adopted from Vietnam. I never knew my real parents. I was left on the doorstep of the orphanage at birth. I have really light brown skin. I wonder if I'm half something else along with Vietnamese? Do you know your nationality?

Sarahroo29 8 Feb 2
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2

Technically, your nationality is your citizenship. You can be any genetic background and still be a U.K. or American citizen.

But all people are a mix of every race, if they go far enough back. Still, I know I have part Cherokee, part Aztec, Spanish, English, and Italian relatives in the past five generations.

I agree to a point with what you are saying. But there is a case to be made that knowing your heritage is a good thing. For me, it would give me pride, wonder and a sense of belonging that I would otherwise not have. I don't really know much about my heritage, but I would love to find out.

@stomato Yeah, I would spring for a DNA analysis, except for some news story I heard last month that certain DNA labs were selling the information to third parties, but I've not followed the story. They could have stopped it already.

12

I'm most definitely an American, and have the pedigree to prove it.
Father's side were Dutch and Cherokee.
Mother's side were Italian and French Canadian.
I'm a mutt. The heartiest and most resilient of dogs! 😀

most people in a lot of countries are mutts

Only "in a lot of countrues? How about everybody under the sun?

9

My nationality is a mystery as I am adopted and have never investigated my birth parents.

[ancestry.com]

I wouldn't worry about it unless you are trying to find your natural parents.

Well, for all intent and purposes you are your adoptive parents' nationality.

8

I'm, Irish, Mexican and Italian. I was born with red hair and black eyes. I was a strange looking kid. I am a mutt.

Well, that's a mutt I'd adopt. Just sayin...

7

I mean to push like on all of your comments, but it keeps disappearing when I do push like. I apologize. I alerted the admin.

7

I know I'm 3/4 Polish (3 out of my 4 grandparents were from Poland), and my dad's mother was born in the US and only FSM knows her ancestry for sure. I did the 23 and Me genetic test, and got the surprise that I'm a small percentage Native American, the rest was various European ancestry).

How much does that test cost?

@Sarahroo29 It cost me 99 US dollars.

They're doing a special right now. $79 for the typical ancestry test and $159 for the health/ancestry test. I did the health/ancestry test last October because I wanted to know what genetic illnesses I needed to look out for besides Polycystic Kidney Disease.

@kiramea They initially only did the ancestry test, but they added the health stuff on later. I think the FDA had to approve their methods or something, which they did after I sent my DNA.

6

I grew up believing I was part Irish, part German and part Cajun. After having my DNA tested, I find out the majority of my DNA is Scandinavian.

Still trying to figure that out considering my sister shows the majority of her's being French. They were so different that I had a sibling test done and we are full sisters.

If you have a brother his testing might shed some light. Apparently what registers from males and females is different and do not get the entire picture. (I have a sister who now wants our brother to have his done). The results are also biased based on the company. (According to my geneticist). So take it with a grain of salt.

Unfortunately my brother has no desire to have his DNA tested.

6

Read like a pirate
Irish from me mother's side, Welsch and German from me father's side. 😉

5

Irish, English, German and Cherokee.

Duke Level 8 Feb 2, 2018
5

I traced my family lineage back to the Carolinas before the Revolutionary war. However, given I have worked in medical informatics for many many years and am have been around teaching hospitals forever I’ve often been asked where I am from. I generally answer with “Nebraska”. If they are really curious (mostly folks from India and the Middle East ask again ) they will ask me again - and I’ll say “oh! I’m from Louisiana “. Sometime I would get a third question - “no - where are your people from ?” I just tell them I am not really sure. I’ve been asked if I am Turkish, etc. The answers given by 23 and me might be fun to know !

Ohub Level 7 Feb 2, 2018
5

I did the DNA spit test on ancestry .com...after reading the James Michener book Poland. In the book he talked about the Tartars raping and impregnating the polish women quite often throughout many centuries. I wanted to find out if I had any Tartar in me...the results showed that I wasn't...just Scot-Irish and Polish...with a mess of northern European tossed in. But basically I feel that everyone on Earth is my cousin...some quite distant. heh heh

5

As far as I know I am of Italian ancestry .Both sets of grand parents and great grand parents are from Italy .I am not aware of any ancestors more than 3 generations back so who knows.

4

dad was filipino. my last name is spanish. spain had control of the philippines, so some spanish. my mom's immigrated from austria after wold war 1. she married an irishman. quite a few races

i meant my mom's mom was from austria

4

My great grandparents were all from French Canada, all of my Grandparents were born in the US.

4

Well, reading these comments makes me realize that I'm not the only one who doesn't know much about their background. Hah... Bit of a relief.

All I know is that there is a heavy German influence on my father's side. My mother's side...
It was believed she was 50% Native American.

4

I know bits, mostly European but my mother was adopted and we could only trace her mother, not father.

4

I am an American; my physical makeup is English, Irish, Scottish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, and Native American. 🙂

marga Level 7 Feb 2, 2018
4

Hey Sarah, I always describe myself as a "Native Son of the Golden West, born of Appalachian and Okie stock."

My father's family, the Spence's, arrived in Virginia from Bristol, England in 1680. Right before the start of the 20 years war. Before that they had spent a century or so in Ireland after leaving the area around Edinburgh, Scotland. On my dad's side of the family we are mostly Scots-Irish with a little English, Irish, French, West African, and Cherokee.

My mother's family, the Hoppes, arrived in Pennsylvania from Germany in 1753. Mostly German, with some Irish, English, Lebanese (also know as a "Persian Peddler" ), and Choctaw.

I am a member of Sons of the American Revolution (both sides), Sons of Union Veterans (mother's side), and Sons of Confederate Veterans ( on my father's side). I know that last affiliation might piss some people off, but my Great-Grandfather survived too much to not honor him. He fought at Chickamauga and his regiment, the 18th South Carolina, was on top of the explosion at The Battle of the Crater.

My ancestry, and the struggles and hard work of my ancestors, means a lot to me. I cannot imaging how you feel about not knowing your own family history. Just know that ultimately you determine your worth as a person by how you live in the present day.

I hope that your adoptive family gave you all the love they could muster.

3

My father's father was born in Germany, came to the States at 12, became a naturalized citizen, and fought in WWII.

My father's mother was born to Irish immigrant parents here in the States.

My mother's father's folk were of English and Scottish stock (I think).

My mother's mother's folk were from the Netherlands and Alsace-Loraine (France) (I think).

That's all I know.

I'm white to the fourth-- ...nevermind.

3

My daughter is the one in the family who is interested in genealogy. She has an account at ancestry.com. For Christmas I got her a DNA test kit, and also got one for me. As her mother is deceased, think the difference between her's and mine will get at her mothers DNA. Growing up, from what the families said, thought I was some mix of Irish, German, English, Danish, Swedish, and French. What I got back was largest to smallest: 1- Scandinavian 2 -Ireland, Scotland, Wales 3- England 4- Iberian Pen. 5- Europe West 6- Europe South. Biggest thing missing was amount of German.

3

My mother's oldest known ancestor came from Ostby in Norway which was also her maiden name. My father's was quite nomadic travelling through most of Europe before settling in Scotland and England for about 300 years before making the journey to America in the 1620's. Two of my ancestors had local wives making me about 2% Native American.

3

Italian .Both sides of the family

3

I only have part of my ancestry - my paternal grandmother was an orphan and all her papers were lost in a fire, her husband, my grandfather was a drunk and there is not much background on him either. On my mom's side there is English and German.

3

Basically English and German.

3

My nationality is American my ethnicity is European, but I'm not certain of the origins of my ancestors. Judging by the surnames of my ancestors I think I'm German and English, but a lot of European immigrants anglicized their names to better fit in when they came to America.

JimG Level 8 Feb 2, 2018
2

Yes: Celtic, northwest European, Italian.

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