Feeling Conflicted about my family history
Romaine Martin II, Richmond, VA. I Think Ancestry.com is very therapeutic. You can spend hours researching your family’s cold cases. One bit of information I...
I’m Black but NO-ONE believes me!
Kristi Webber Las Vegas, NV Growing up, there were several clues and incidents which occurred over the years which hinted at some sort of non-European...
Multi-racial man without a country to call home.
Juan Carlos Greater Boston, MA If you look at me… I look Latino. Not tall, dark features – hair, eyes, skin, wide nose, full lips....
What country does my family represent?
Chevelloni El, Newark, DE. My daughter attends a multicultural festival at her school each year where students share their experiences, cultures and history. She wants...
I am White and Hispanic getoverit
Matt JP J, Tewksbury, MA. My grandmother’s father was from Puerto Rico and she never knew him very well. She grew up as Irish with...
“You’re Hispanic?,” he said. “Prove it!”
Irmie S. Bristol, CT I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood. Both of my parents were from Puerto Rico but were of Spanish ancestry,...
Stop pairing my ancestry with race.
Journey Brown-Saintel, Charlotte, NC. The system of checking off boxes to indicate my heritage is flawed.
I am both black and white
Alexander Belisle, Bronx, NY. My mother is Latvian and my father is from Belize but all my life I passed as white. I always listened...
I am more than just white.
I wrote this six word memoir because I think a lot of people assume that I am just one race or ethnicity rather than someone...
Sometimes, I can’t feel guilty anymore.
Allison Hren, Elon, NC. Elon University Recognizing the problems that exist in our divided world are very important, but there’s a part of me that...
Would All My Ancestors Love Me?
Melissa U., Charlotte, NC. My Taino people would love me, from my plump lips to my curly hair. My African people would love me from...
3 percent Irish? How’d that happen?
Tee Virginia Beach, VA I would love to find the answer to that, and many other questions…
I’m still proud to be white.
Brian Washington, New York, NY. White guilt has not, will not, and is not useful in the mission to eliminate racial stratification. It’s a shame...
Free Black since at least 1820
Sherryl N Weston, Denver, CO. I was an adult before we learned the full scope of my mother’s complete ancestry story. Timbuctoo, NJ was co-founded...
We all come from Black ancestry.
Lezlie Graebel, Mount Shasta, CA. Science has showed us that our origins are from Africa. With the exception of those in Europe who have the...
No, I’m not Italian or Spanish.
Michele Warch, Georgetown, DE. My mom is English and Native American. My dad is Scotch-Irish and German. I speak Cherokee and read some Gaelic. I...
Human? We have something in common.
Brandon Attala, Grand Rapids, MI. ‘Race’ is just a way to classify ourselves on a more individual level. In actuality, we are all made...
Not All Mixed People Are Biracial.
Ashley L., Durham, NC. For much of my life, people have asked and assumed that because of the way my sister and I look that...
