Homogeneous Vs. Heterogeneous Ancestry

[Seth]

I thought it was an interesting quote. I didn't mean it to slam the topic or anything like that but rather to make a point; I think all to often we focus on the differences rather than the similarities. It is important to recognize the traditions and way of life for people on all corners of the world, I agree. It is also quite understandable that a person will identity strongly with his or her own culture and borders. Humans are a territorial animal, and I find it interesting how we so strongly identify with what are essentially artificial boundaries. I myself do the same thing, I have also identified with Florida where I grew up.

But what happens when we strip away the politics? Take away the political borders, the names and the histories. What are we left with? Just Earth. I think we toe a fine line sometimes. Their may be benefits to growing up with one or more cultures and even identifying with one, however we risk trapping ourselves into a label. When we separate ourselves we often times lose sight of the similarities. Just because I grew up in Florida and some other kid grew up in India doesn't change who we really are: humans. The same goes for religious or political ideology. It's so easy to fall into an "us vs. them" mentality. Every single one of us here has done that at some point of our lives. Probably a lot, whether we realize it or not.

Maybe the only label that we should give ourselves is simply being Alive.

 

[JakeTheEmerican]

I am Heterogeneous, I am around 75% Italian, and 25% Irish.

I was raised mainly on my dad's side (Italian)

So that's really the only culture I know!

 

[Mudora]

I am Heterogeneous! I have like, ten different ethnic backgrounds. I personally think that there are many benefits to both types of ancestry and one is not better than the other. Be proud of the culture(s) you come from!

 

[Warbad]

Im not sure of my ethnicity but I believe I am 60% Mexican, 30% American, and 10% Indian.....dont start with the racism...
Even though I have pure Mexican blood(a little exaggeration over here), I dont carry their traits. I feel that I am more connected to the American follow-ups and their custom traditions.

 

[JPowers83]

I was born and raised in the US but my family came here from Ireland and Italy, so I'm Irish and Italian American.

 

[Claire]

My ancestry is heterogeneous.

I was born and raised in the United States, however, this question is difficult for me. While it may seem strange, I do not necessarily identify as an American in respect to ethnicity. It is not my cultural identity. The most recent of my ancestors to immigrate to the United States were my 3rd great grandparents who came from Ireland during the Great Famine and Wales. My ancestry can be traced back to Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Switzerland, Germany, and France. I was raised with my Swiss and German background emphasized due to the fact that I have ancestors who were Amish in both my maternal and paternal lineages. Even though one of my ancestors was the first ordained Amish bishop in the United States, I fail to connect with this cultural identity, though I am guilty of practicing the culture to an extent. My cultural identity and ancestry do not exactly mesh.

It's a tricky subject. Your ethnicity does not necessarily have to relate back to your ancestry. Also, there are a plethora of sub-cultures that have influence over how you identify yourself culturally. I would have to disagree that certain traits, like nationalism, are primarily associated with homogeneous ancestry. It exists in both realms. Concerning discrimination, I would also argue it has more to do with your cultural traditions rather than your ancestry, which are not synonymous.

 

[DarkestLink]

Well I can't speak for all from Heterogeneous ancestry, but rather than give me a variety, I find myself lacking a racial identity. I'm white. Not Italian, not Irish, not English, not German...just....white.

 

[Curmudgeon]

White and whiter. One side of my family comes from Norway, the other a mishmash of German and Austrian. Culturally, I only represent an echo of that makeup, however. I don't speak the languages (instead, I majored in Spanish) and I learned about my ancestry through books. The place where I grew up reflects a faint, almost superficial shadow of the immigrants who settled there 130 years ago.