A genealogical journal
I tell people I’m an “ethnic Mormon”. The label confuses almost everyone, and that’s why I do it. It gives me a chance to explain. My experience is that when you’re a Mormon you’re a Mormon whether you believe or not, and whether you belong to the Church or not. I was excited to see…
Many of us who delve into DNA for genealogy have the same frustration. The general public seems to have an almost childlike belief in stories. People either believe their DNA tests are telling the absolute, scientific truth, or they’re skeptics who think it’s all bunk. Comparatively few see the stories for what they are—marketing. Does…
How often do we see it? People claim an ethnic heritage they don’t really have. Remember Rachel Dolezal? There was a scandal a few years ago because she identified as black and even served as president of the NAACP in Spokane without having the right DNA for the job. Some people might think it’s an…
I like this article as one of the clearest introductions to a complex subject I know. Ethnicity, Nationality, Race, Identity, Culture & Heritage (E.N.R.I.C.H.) by Christian E., at Daily Jaunter, March 26, 2012. Here’s a taste: Heritage can overlap on the ethnicity and nationality a bit at times, but it generally refers to the ancestors of a person, and what…
I ‘m not sure why the particular theme of invented identity plays out so often in the world around me. Maybe it’s that I’ve overly sensitive to it. Or maybe it’s that I’m out of touch with America. This is not the thing where Americans confuse identity and ancestry— they’re German (or whatever) because they…