How Much of an Ethnicity Does One Have to Be In Order to Be Able to Claim It?

Ultimately, I think that it is a sad commentary on certain individuals who feel the need to "latch on to" a culture when they find out that they have a minuscule percentage of that ethnicity in their background.

I remember a girl that I knew in my late 20's that somehow found out that she had a great, great grandmother that was 25% American Indian yet the rest of her was a blend of different European countries. She had such a lack of self identity that suddenly she was going to Indian pow-wows and immersing herself in American Indian culture (I can't remember what tribe) because it gave her a sense of belonging to something that she had never had.

Recently I was talking with an employee of mine who really is Native American (Navajo/Hopi) and he was joking about the number of people like her that show up at pow-wows trying sooooo hard to "look" Indian.

Do you know which theater it was?It will give you an idea geographically.
I know I was born in the hospital and was transferred when I had jaundice to a different one then was taken home.

And some of the more visually stunning people out there come from unusual "racial" mixes.

I get the impression that God likes variety. Maybe that's just me.

My view... None of this should matter. This matters to people obsessed with race, such as the enlightened Wokists and other race-baiters trying to divide and conquer our culture through race.

I'm white, but a mixed white. I got white European, but also near-eastern and even some Asian DNA. I'm a Christian first, American second, and the rest is self-evident, regardless of how I might feel about it, and this is an almost non-existent third.

I think people will always be curious about their ancestors, and that is a good normal thing. Also it does matter a bit for certain medical reasons, I read an article about a young man trying to get a kidney transplant and the hospital wouldn't put him on the donor list because he had a small percentage of African blood in him.

Lanolin, I recall once seeing a big university protest about cultural appropriation, some white student had worn cornrows or dreadlocks or something. And one of the white protestors had a mohawk. I think the irony of culturally appropriating the hairstyle of a Native tribe was lost on them.

really..that might have been a bit of spin on that article.
Blood types are O A and AB theres no 'african blood' to phenotype. What they do scan for is if people have been vaccinated or not or exposed to HIV etc.

Those DNA tests are about as accurate as a $2 watch.

I was fascinated by the story of Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who says she identifies as black, and even
took prominent positions within the black community before she was outed by her own white parents:

Have you ever been to visit Seoul? Or anywhere in Korea? Did you know many Koreans growing up?

Hey Everyone,

This is a question that's really been on my mind, especially since I saw a story about a girl who outwardly appears white, took a DNA test, found out her ethnicity was something like (if I remember right,) 0.9% Jamaican, and is now presenting herself on social media with dark skin, cornrows, and posts saying that she is "proudly claiming her black heritage" -- and people are utterly slamming her for it.

This reminded me of a black friend I have and how it affected this person emotionally when they found out that one of their great great great grandparents had been white. No, this person did not try to claim to be white, but it definitely blurred the lines for them regarding certain white/black social issues.

With the popularity and easy accessibility of home DNA tests, I think most people will find that almost no one is 100% of any one particular ethnicity. I've grown up hearing people say (usually with a healthy amount of normal pride) that they are Italian, or Native American, or Irish, etc., even though one parent only who was, for example, half of that ethnicity.

Does a person have a right to claim a certain ethnicity as their own based on fractional bloodlines and/or cultural background?

I was fascinated by the story of Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who says she identifies as black, and even took prominent positions within the black community before she was outed by her own white parents:







I've always been in a unique place myself because although I am Asian, I grew up in all-white surroundings, and so traditional Asians don't see me as being Asian. But even though "white" is the closest I identify with both socially and culturally, I would never try to claim that I am a white person, though I do identify with the term "banana", which is given to many Asian adoptees in my situation (yellow on the outside, white on the inside.) This is just my own statement for myself -- I can't speak for anyone else's situation, including those who were raised in similar circumstances. I have met and read many stories about others in the same situation who identify with their biological heritage/culture and not the one they were raised in.

* In a society that tells us we can choose everything about our own identity, including gender, what rules are to be followed regarding ethnicity?

* For example, "how Italian" does one have to be in order to claim to be Italian? Is 10% enough? What about 49.99% Or if a person is 10% of 10 different ethnicities, does he or she have a right to claim all 10?

* In other words, exactly how much of an ethnicity "counts" enough in order for a person to be able to claim to be an active part of it?

I know this thread might seem like something more geared towards the Family Forum, but Singles is where I normally post, and ethnicity issues have always been a big part of my life.

I'm guessing it is for many others as well.

If you feel comfortable with sharing, what ethnicities do you personally identify with, and how much of them do you have in order to "justify to others" (as society will demand you to do) that you should be "allowed" to "qualify" what you claim to be?

I would love to hear your story, as well as your thoughts about all the things being discussed under the topic of this thread.

I think people will always be curious about their ancestors, and that is a good normal thing. Also it does matter a bit for certain medical reasons, I read an article about a young man trying to get a kidney transplant and the hospital wouldn't put him on the donor list because he had a small percentage of African blood in him.

I have also always wondered why, out of all the mixes of races, white/black are always asked to choose a side. "Are you white or are you black?" I don't know of my other mixed friends being asked, "Are you white or are you Asian?" "Are you Latino or are you white?" etc. I'm sure it happens, but it makes me sad that people who are white/black are not encouraged to celebrate all of who they are.