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since a large percentage of the native americans died from disease / starvation / genocide
it seems there should be more people that claim being part African from the slavery / plantation days?
it seems like there are a lot more people claiming native american ancestory? even the most miniscule amounts, and often untraceable, mostly just from old stories about an Indian princess in the family.
it's completely the opposite for claiming African ancestory, I heard many people that claim to be part native american are actually part black?
but claiming to be part NA / or from a warrior tribe is more acceptable or more PC
I think people like to claim whatever feels more desirable or in their favor.
Whites lived in close contact with Native Americans for many generations so I would bet that more whites versus blacks have native ancestry today in America.
In regards to people not claiming African ancestry, that is due moreso on the idea that Africans and being black is inferior to other ethnic groups. This is based upon our society's view of the African as an inferior species and laws that were passed (including the constitution) that deemed blackness as "less than" white or others. Free black people in northern areas weren't even considered as true citizens in the country so those mullatos who were part black, many times claimed NA ancestry in order to fully participate in society or have specific rights that were not afforded to blacks or those with "one drop" of black blood. This was done out of necessity and the stories just stuck in those families.
As a black person who is knowledgeable about these things, people not claiming their African ancestry is not surprising to me in this regard, but IMO more younger people who utilize genetic ancestry services are surprised to find African ancestry and don't view it as negatively as their grandparents would have. I think that times are changing and more people in general have less racial prejudices and ideas regarding the inferiority of blackness and the African than what was exhibited in previous generations.
And FWIW, even black people claim NA ancestry over being white. This is primarily due to (and this is my opinion) many black people associating negativity with whiteness/the European. The history of racial oppression in our country against black people made many blacks, especially the older generations have a huge disdain for whites. My grandmother-in law is in her 90s and she is not afraid to admit that she hates white people. Her mother was half white but she hates them all the same. My older aunts and cousins also hate white people and my aunt, who is in her 80s in particular doesn't like them and she is mad at me because I found out that we are not really "part Indian" like she thought via my genealogical research. We are part white, which makes sense IMO. My aunt has green eyes, as did my great grandmother (her mother) and I told her it was kind of rare for natives to have green eyes and more than likely we are part white. She cursed me out lol!
since a large percentage of the native americans died from disease / starvation / genocide
it seems there should be more people that claim being part African from the slavery / plantation days?
it seems like there are a lot more people claiming native american ancestory? even the most miniscule amounts, and often untraceable, mostly just from old stories about an Indian princess in the family.
it's completely the opposite for claiming African ancestory, I heard many people that claim to be part native american are actually part black?
but claiming to be part NA / or from a warrior tribe is more acceptable or more PC
I think people like to claim whatever feels more desirable or in their favor.
The right to vote in US is interesting & helps one understand the climate of that time. Here's a summary. More info at link below.
1870 Black men given right to vote, though in some areas other rules prevented it.
1906 American Indian males who did not live on reservations were given right to vote
1920 Women given right to vote.
1924 American Indians living on reservations given right to vote.
1926 Chinese & other Asian Americans given right to vote.
1943 Chinese born & other Asians previously excluded allowed to become American citizens.
1960's voting rights anti-discrimination laws passed ensuring black & poor whites could vote.
It is like the game of telephone. The oral history that gets passed down through generations in a family gets changed every time a new person tells it, and often the people listening hear what they want to hear.
I think it is very sad that my journey to find out about my family is stunted by new age racism. A black person that has been told oral history about their na heritage is not always trying to deny their black NOT African heritage. To be honest it sickens me to find out my family is not my family recently. My grandfather was adopted by his step father after his mother-full blooded n/a died and not counted on the census. I can not even find her real name. It hurts because every effort I take to find answers I am met with prejudice, roadblocks and denial of my heritage. My history. Why? We are all human we all bleed red so why should a black person be treated any different or denied access to information due to stereotypes from the same nations that faced genocide and disease from the same race that they are quick to acknowledge more than the race who ever enslaved during their own burdens. It hurts because honestly some people heritage was stolen. I am not from African. I was born right here in american and I am unwilling to accept the only history I have is oppression of my ancestors from slavery over 400 years ago there were people born after that that lived and loved and I am starting to think that all this denial has to do with nothing but racism and money!
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