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I'm a black American, a descendant of slaves brought to North America, yet my mother and I have both been told that we look Ethiopian. :?
I don't know from where they came, but I know it wasn't in Ethiopia!
Ethiopia is in Africa, and it's totally possible your ancestor(s) came from there. Most slaves were from the various countries of West Africa, but there was money to be had in selling your neighbor into slavery (and then you could take their property, or their spouse if you wanted). With a lot of African tribes, whichever tribe lost a war with a neighboring tribe, they got sold into slavery. A good way of making sure your enemy doesn't come back. Or sell the conquered Chief's daughter (or wife) into slavery and god-only-knows what happened to him afterwards.
Ethiopian women are some of the most beautiful in the world. They have what most would consider European features (slim noses, etc), creamy milk-chocolate skin (not dark), and hair that looks like it's been spiral permed (not kinky).
Moroccans are African, too. It's a fascinating subject and it's amazing how differently they all look and are still all Africans.
I'm a blonde haired blue eyed Native American (having a great-grandmother from Switzerland). In my family, there's one blondie each generation since she married my great-grandfather (this is on my dad's side). Both my parents and all my siblings have black hair. I've been mistaken for Swedish and Russian (with these cheek bones? and I tan as dark as an Alaska Native in the summer, so get outta here!).
My ex-husband *is* half-Swedish (and Irish, Norwegian) and has black hair and light brown eyes. No, he's not adopted. His paternal great-grandfather came from Sweden (maternal great-grandparents from Ireland and Norway)---he looks just like his Swedish great-grandfather. So does his 2nd cousin in Stockholm. He's always being mistaken for Native American, even by real Native Americans---until he gets a few sentences out in conversation and they realize he's not (we have a distinctive way of speaking to each other).
Anthropology class in college taught us that it's actually the blonde-blue-eyes-light-skin that is more dominant, and has the strongest genes. That's why guys tend to migrate more towards blonde women---it's being drawn to someone with strong genes that can survive hardships and is most likely to pass down good genes to the children . . . sort of a preservation of the species instinct. Dominant doesn't translate to commonly found, though. Again, the preservation thing.
My mechanic is half-Sicilian and gets mistaken for Mexican all the time. He doesn't even remotely look Mexican. I have a friend who's half-Aleut half-Russian, looks 100% Aleut, and gets mistaken for Mexican all the time. (And we're talking the Pacific Northwest here, not Texas or someplace). Oh, and btw---Sicilians are *not* Italians; they are their own thing. (Like Lithuanians aren't Russian.)
People tend to look at the color of the package and ignore the cheek bones, body type, and all other indication of their ancestry (including being decked out in full tribal jewelry and buckskin--hello! a non-Native is not going to know how to put all that together; they'd look like some cardboard cut-out from an old Italian-Hollywood spaghetti western). If you're over 6 ft and blond or strawberry blond, you must be Scandinavian (thinking of my "poor" neighbor, who's half Irish and half Pottawatomie).
I think you might have slept through anthropology class lol
When I'm outside the US my wife and I were always assumed to be German. I'm mostly German by family history but we've been here for four generations. Her family was Czech and German/French but,again, several generations ago. Americans are often easily identifiable by their mannerisms or how they behave or dress when in Europe or even South America. I must do something different...don't know what.
Once in restaurant in Rome the owner came over to our table and (jokingly) showed my daughter the proper way to hold her knife and fork...not like Americans, he said.
When I'm outside the US my wife and I were always assumed to be German. I'm mostly German by family history but we've been here for four generations. Her family was Czech and German/French but,again, several generations ago. Americans are often easily identifiable by their mannerisms or how they behave or dress when in Europe or even South America. I must do something different...don't know what.
Once in restaurant in Rome the owner came over to our table and (jokingly) showed my daughter the proper way to hold her knife and fork...not like Americans, he said.
We arenear an Amish community Because of the type beard I have I am some times mistaken as being Amish. One years ago when I was selling cars a customer was convinced I was Amish. I could not talk him out of it. The Amish do not drive cars...
I'm a blonde haired blue eyed Native American (having a great-grandmother from Switzerland). In my family, there's one blondie each generation since she married my great-grandfather (this is on my dad's side). Both my parents and all my siblings have black hair. I've been mistaken for Swedish and Russian (with these cheek bones? and I tan as dark as an Alaska Native in the summer, so get outta here!).
My ex-husband *is* half-Swedish (and Irish, Norwegian) and has black hair and light brown eyes. No, he's not adopted. His paternal great-grandfather came from Sweden (maternal great-grandparents from Ireland and Norway)---he looks just like his Swedish great-grandfather. So does his 2nd cousin in Stockholm. He's always being mistaken for Native American, even by real Native Americans---until he gets a few sentences out in conversation and they realize he's not (we have a distinctive way of speaking to each other).
Anthropology class in college taught us that it's actually the blonde-blue-eyes-light-skin that is more dominant, and has the strongest genes. That's why guys tend to migrate more towards blonde women---it's being drawn to someone with strong genes that can survive hardships and is most likely to pass down good genes to the children . . . sort of a preservation of the species instinct. Dominant doesn't translate to commonly found, though. Again, the preservation thing.
My mechanic is half-Sicilian and gets mistaken for Mexican all the time. He doesn't even remotely look Mexican. I have a friend who's half-Aleut half-Russian, looks 100% Aleut, and gets mistaken for Mexican all the time. (And we're talking the Pacific Northwest here, not Texas or someplace). Oh, and btw---Sicilians are *not* Italians; they are their own thing. (Like Lithuanians aren't Russian.)
People tend to look at the color of the package and ignore the cheek bones, body type, and all other indication of their ancestry (including being decked out in full tribal jewelry and buckskin--hello! a non-Native is not going to know how to put all that together; they'd look like some cardboard cut-out from an old Italian-Hollywood spaghetti western). If you're over 6 ft and blond or strawberry blond, you must be Scandinavian (thinking of my "poor" neighbor, who's half Irish and half Pottawatomie).
No it's the other way around. Blond hair, blue eyes and light skin are recessive traits. Brown eyes, dark hair, dark skin are dominant.
People always thought that I was half white and half black. I am mixed with white, but just not half. I have blue eyes, light skin, and had brownish-blonde hair so I guess that threw them off. My dad is African-American and my mom is half Dominican (father's side) and half Louisiana Creole (mom's side).
People always thought that I was half white and half black. I am mixed with white, but just not half. I have blue eyes, light skin, and had brownish-blonde hair so I guess that threw them off. My dad is African-American and my mom is half Dominican (father's side) and half Louisiana Creole (mom's side).
Ha Ha. My parents are both black but Im dark blond and blue eyed too. I cant tell you how many problems I had with that over the years. I always put on forms that Im African American. Many people especially Blacks don't like that. But the truth is the truth..
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The Amish do not drive cars..
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