Reflections on Ancestry

The US Census Bureau is planning on adding a second question to the Census for white people. Rather, than just checking off that you are white you are now also going to be asked to fill in your family origins. My first thoughts were why, and what is the purpose of this? It felt, frankly a bit creepy and intrusive, although those who are Hispanic have been asked to identify themselves as such for sometime. 

I had the thought to fill out the blank by saying both my parents were born in America as a kind of f__ you statement. Then I thought, if I do answer the question seriously, how far back in my origins do I go? Just to my grandparents? Or great grandparents? Maybe all the way back to Colonial days and beyond. 

My mother was all Swedish. Her mother was the only one of her immediate family born here. Her father's family came to the US when he was 2. So, obviously I would put down Swedish. My MorMor (Swedish for mother's mother) told us that somewhere back in her family was a Russian horse thief. Should I put down Russian? 

Part of my father's family came from England in the 1600's. I am descended from King Malcom III of Scotland, King Brian of Ireland (also known as Brian Boru) and Charlemagne through my 8th and 9th great grandparents that came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony at that time. 

My father's grandfather also came from Sweden. His wife came from England, possibly Liverpool. Her family apparently came to Massachusetts first - just like the ancestors I talked about above. 

I do know that my other great grandmother was from a famliy that was originally from Germany, but I don't know when they came to the US.  When I was much younger, the family said we were part Pennsylvania Dutch, people having mistaken the word Deutsch for Dutch when the Germans first settled in Colonial Pennsylvania. 

I have no clue about where a lot of my ancestors came from.

So, I know that I should put down Swedish, English and German. Do I put down Scots, Irish and medieval French? Well, and as for being English, am I descended from Anglo-Saxons, Celts, Danes from the Danelaw section of England or other groups the may have been in England? Pict maybe??? 

How about Norman French from the Normans who invaded England under William the Conqueror in 1066? Truthfully, Normandy came into being when the French King gifted the province of Normandy to some Vikings so they wouldn't invade the rest of France. The word Norman was derived from the word Norseman. That is if I remember my history correctly.

So, just how far back do I go? France was known as Gaul before it became France. Rome conquered it and England, so Roman? Do I list the various Germanic tribes? There was so much movement around Europe it's probably really hard to know what all my ancestors were.

And, the really interesting thing about anyone who is at least part European or Asian in origin is that we have about 2% Neanderthal DNA.  Does this go on the list?  

As for DNA, I participated in the National Geographic Human Genome project. The purpose of the project was to obtain DNA from as many people as possible to prove to people just how related we all are. And, to hopefully start breaking down the distrust and divisions between people once we learn how related we are. 

I don't remember what I did with my genome map, i.e. the map that shows my origins. I no longer remember my haplogroup. Wikipedia says that: "A haplogroup is a genetic population group of people who share a common ancestor on the patriline or the matriline."

What I do remember is that my oldest maternal ancestor came, wait for it, from Africa. Do I put that down? 

The photograph is by Ghost Presenter and was found on unsplash.com.