Black Irish, mother’s grandfather from Barbados.
Dan Hubbs, Queensbury, NY. Mixed race ancestry was a family mystery. When visiting Irish relatives in Ireland, all of whom were fair skinned, I knew...
Child of Pennsylvainia coal miners
James Tupko, New Milford, CT My grandfather came to Pennsylvania in 1907 to work in the coal mines. It had to be tough to be...
That is a white Jewish name
Sonja, East Cleveland, OH My children are not biracial and their last name is Cohen. However their great great grandfather who married a black woman...
Mom’s people owned slaves. Dad’s were.
Andrew Dunn, Meridian, ID. My 4x great grandfather was born a slave in Virginia. My 3x great grandfather owned slaves in Missouri.
Blinded grandfather gave granddaughter excellent vision
Nicole, East Lansing, MI. My grandfather was blind all my life. All I knew was that there was an accident. It wasn’t until he passed...
Grandpa sold war-bonds to be accepted 1944.
Frederick Kiehl, Maysville, MO He was a 3rd generation German-American farmer in middle America. He had one son in Europe and another son in the...
I hate being called “white girl”
Stephanie Wichowski, Mount Olive, NJ,. I’m proud to be Polish and part Irish but because I’m white and a girl I automatically get grouped into...
Never met Grandfather because “Bull” Did
Andrea James Andrews Fresno, CA Our personal family legend includes Bull Connor from Alabama. My grandfather was diagnosed as Schizophrenic but that didn’t stop Bull...
Blacks say I’m White, WASPs don’t.
Thomas R Gerbasi, Lewiston, NY I’m Sicilian-American. Both sides of my family came to the USA in 1890s The KKK burned a cross on my...
Grandfather’s poker gift a hanging invitation
Carol Zachary, Washington, D.C.–and Montana. Somehow I kept blocking on three things: A) the six words. . . grandfather, poker, three hangings, an invitation lost...
Usually I’m ashamed to be white
Thomas Williamson, Cool Valley, MO Born the end of 1949, traveled throughout the country, changed schools every year, in D.C. when Dr. King was killed,...
Great-grandparents were white illegal immigrants.
Robin Shudak, Wilkes-Barre, PA Both sides of my family are Polish, who escaped from Poland the rise of fascism. Their destination: the US. My maternal...
Race is nothing. Family is everything.
Sheli Turner, Los Angeles, CA While I am now a biracial 62 year old woman, who bore living witness to the difficulties my parents had...
Χιος to Hughes…we’re all immigrants
Patricia Hughes, Lake Arrowhead, CA. My father’s father took the long route of immigration from Greece during the political upheavals occurring in the early part...
Grandfather German immigrant citizen acclimated USA
Susan Mitschke Ccott, Olivenhain, CA Grandfather Mitschke came to America through Ellis Island. He learned English and acclimated into the USA society. My great grandfather...
You’re Indian? With Dot or Feather?
Sam, Morris, MN. I have a grandfather that is fully Native American, from the White Earth Tribe. So my mother is ¼ Native American, and...
Strange fruit in a Plum Tree
Ronnie Dunn, Cleveland, OH My family was the third African American family to move on my street, Gay Avenue, on Cleveland’s Eastside in 1964. I...
