How racially mixed is the average white american?

[eschaton]

One thing to keep in mind is that outside the U.S. South, most White Americans have a significant portion of their ancestry attributable to immigrants from 19th or early 20th century Europe. With the exception of some migrants from Portugal and Spain (where in places a large number of African slaves mixed into the white population), none of these people would have significant admixture with nonwhite peoples.

Things were likely a bit different in the 18th century. For example, most peoplein New England was of old-like English stock, but there was regular contact with Indians, and there were small numbers of blacks (both slaves and freedmen) in just about every city and town. Presumably a fair number did intermarry into the white community, given the options were so limited otherwise. It's just they were so few it probably didn't contribute more than a few percent to old-stock Yankees, which was then diluted by migrants from Ireland, Italy, and elsewhere, to the point that it's all but undetectable.

23andme suggests that I might have 0.1% Native American background - just at the level of detection. I also have my mother and her mother sequenced. I share this DNA with my mom, but not my grandmother, whose parents were German immigrants. My mother's father, though, had one family line which did go back to colonial times - the only one in my entire family tree. This suggests to me the genetic results are real, and the only 17th century American ancestors I had were not fully "white."

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Sprite97

Are all white people pure (especially americans) really "pure?"

What does that mean, 'pure'?

Does that mean that all their relatives were originally from Europe? Purely European?

Generally, yes, many white people in the U.S. do have all their ancestors from Europe.

There are also plenty of mixed kids, and Asian kids, and Black kids (who are more racially mixed than Americans give them credit for).

But, white people in the U.S., generally are of European origins. If they aren't, they'll usually state they are half Asian or something. If they are half black, they'll probably be presumed to be totally black.

It's the LATINO population in the U.S. that is more vague and struggling more with what is white or not white. But for non-Latino in the U.S., its quite clear.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by FBF

In Iowa, most are Germans and Scandinavians. They have no problems intermarrying one another because they see each other as truly white.

Anyone with black hair even with pale skin would not be considered white enough.

I've never heard this before, and I'm an American who grew up in the Midwest.

A person with pale skin and black hair, is white. What other race are you suggesting they would be? Unless you are referring to a white-skinned Korean or Japanese with black hair?

But if they look European and have pale skin, they are white, regardless if their hair color is black, blond, red, or bright green.