Interesting: Ethnic Heritage of 21st Century Americans

[The Seeker]

The map that shows where America came from: Fascinating illustration shows the ancestry of EVERY county in the US

Census data shows heritage of 317 million modern Americans
Clusters show where immigrants from different nations chose to settle
Largest ancestry grouping in the nation are of German descent with almost 50 million people
African American or Black is the second largest grouping with just over 40 million people
Almost 20 million people claim to have 'American' ancestry for political reasons and because they are unsure of their family's genealogy

The largest ancestral groups:

- German at 49 million
- Black or African Americans at 41 million
- Irish at 36 million
- Mexican at 32 million
- English at 27 million


Read the linked article.

English is probably right up there with German, but for various reasons, people don't think of themselves as English. An example would be if you had English, Italian, and German in your heritage, they pick Italian or German because "English" is almost generic in the USA.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2408591/American-ethnicity-map-shows-melting-pot-ethnicities-make-USA-today.html

 

[CarlS]

Interesting. I would have thought English would have been the largest group.

 

[Rocky]

Interesting stuff.
I would have thought English would have been the largest group too.
The item mentions 317 million Americans.
Canada just tipped over the 35 million mark - fewer than the population of California.
But we're all crowded next to the US/Canada border because it's warmer there

 

[The Seeker]

As I said.....English is probably in reality right up there if not more than German.

But this is based on what people would put on a questionnaire.

English is practically considered generic American since the original 13 colonies were almost completely English.

So even if you are part English, Irish, German, and Scottish (a common mix here), chances are they will respond German or Irish.

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[CarlS]

I agree. The responses are not accurate.

 

[The Seeker]

I agree. The responses are not accurate.

Right......so many Americans could claim 4-5 different ethnicities. When asked for one, they just choose the one they want to be.

I know a girl who I was talking about different ethnic foods with. He said she hated almost every type I named except Italian. She then said it's probably because her family was Italian. I then asked her how that was possible since her last name was Robertson? She said well, we always considered ourselves to be Italian....even though it is obvious her Father and thus her Grandfather were both of English decent.

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[keystiger]

Well. I never

Actually Seeker and Carl I think you are spot on. Most Americans (at least this one) are Mutts. In reality I have Italian, English a bit of German and a little bit of Welsh and Irish, all mixed in together. I tend to "identify" with the Italian and English as those where the dominant direct grand parent links. And of those two I spent more time with the Italian Grandparents and therefore would lean that way just out of respect (never go against the family) I am sure if I where to "trace" my true ancestry there would be other countries in there as well.
Most folks put down what they identify with or whichever relative they where closest to maybe? Yep were mostly mutts.
I think Bill sort of summed it up rather well here.

[video=youtube;D8Q1fDf0GeY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Q1fDf0GeY[/video]

 

[hemibee]

My ancestry is mostly Irish and English on my fathers side with a line into French and a couple Germans with a horse theft thrown in for a little variety if the family book is correct. The Irish side carries across my generation pretty thick. My mothers side of the family is English and Choctaw with no others known. I can and have claimed each when asked on different forms so I can see how the above make up of the country can be a bit tainted without full DNA testing of everyone.

My wife's family is 50/50 German (her father) & English (her mother) with no known others in the tree.


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[DaveM]

So at what point does the identifier stop, with your grand father or further back. If your ancestors originated in Britain and you are 4th generation American. Now you move to Australia in another 4 generation what are they, British, American or Australian

 

[CarlS]

American, you would have an American passport. But that is different than tracing one's ethnic background. My ethnic background is 1/2 English, 3/8 Irish, and 1/8 American Indian. In the study AJ posted, the accuracy would have been far better if the study had asked for the highest percentage of ethnic background.

 

[hemibee]

So at what point does the identifier stop, with your grand father or further back. If your ancestors originated in Britain and you are 4th generation American. Now you move to Australia in another 4 generation what are they, British, American or Australian

WINNER, WINNER Chicken Dinner. That's the $64,000 question.

In reality I am an American. . . A mixture of multiple folks that were native to this land and the ones that came over in the 1600's.

The Native American bloodline by law, some Native American Nations, and/or government acceptance ends with my generation, my kids cant claim it. By other Native American Nations the bloodline ended with great-great grandfather when his birth introduced the English bloodline. To the Cherokee Nation, a "breed" is not a Cherokee. My bloodline is Choctaw, they aren't as cut and dry on ancestry as the Cherokee.

I officially only claim American as I refuse to claim a hyphenated title. The times I have marked anything else has been when I'm screwing with the numbers someone or some organization is trying to gather statistics and use to them to push some agenda. The main one being the company I work for and the screwy diversity program they are trying to force down our throats. With them I have claimed every segment of the bloodline at one time or another. Once I used every one of the segments on one form, French-German-Irish-English-Native American and the idiots even showed in their numbers we had one French-German-Irish-English-Native American employee.

But to answer your question. . . In the current diversity driven mind set of so many different governmental, organizations, and/or companies, I don't see an end to it.



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[keystiger]

Once I used every one of the segments on one form, French-German-Irish-English-Native American and the idiots even showed in their numbers we had one French-German-Irish-English-Native American employee.

 

[The Seeker]

100% English on my Father's side (my Grandfather Turner was born in England and spoke with an English accent) and my Mom was French-Canadian and we know very little about her side's family tree. I suspect though it's mostly if not all French.

So I'm basically just 2nd generation American.

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