Greetings!

I was never asked about my ethnic until I moved to Chicago in 1967. I grew up in a small town about 1/4 of a mile from the Disrict Line (DC). My adoptive adoptive (maternal) grandmother always described us as being 'Black Irish' and 'Black Dutch'. She was never really clear on what that meant. Other than those two references, ethnic backgrounds or race was never discussed and my adoptive father was a racist (I guess that could be a good motive for not bringing the subject up).

I just learned that my birth mother was of Filipino/Caucasian/Black (Grandmother) and Native American (Cherokee -Grandfather) descent. My birth father was Italian/Jewish. Wow......what a heinz 57 mix!

Soooo, that makes me 1/8 Filipina, 1/4 Cherokee, 1/4 Jewish, 1/4 Italian and whatever other caucasian mix and Black. No wonder I flunked fractions! I did receive a letter (May 23, 2001) where a man of mixed heritage told me that in his studies of Black Dutch/Black Irish, that it was a way of saying they were 'not that Black'. He also told me that my hair looked like that of people of mixed color backgrounds.

My mother's family had a color range from light-skinned to dark, but not black. They all had black, wavy hair and brown or hazel eyes, except for Uncle John, who had the most beautiful blue eyes you ever saw.

My aunt Frances (Mooch - have to laugh at the nickname) had short hair that was close to her head and most people who would see us couldn't quite figure us out (whether some of the family was Black or not).

Looking back, I could say that some of them did have more prominent Black characteristics than others in the family, but I just never really noticed it. After moving to Chicago (I had joined the army), people would frequently ask me what ethnic background I was. "What 'nationality' are you? What country do you come from? Are you Jewish?

So many questions. I didn't want to go through the whole adoption thing, so I told them that I was German and Irish and someone laughed and said I should "ask my mother". I can tell you this. I have never felt like I belong in an all-white setting, like in a church, for instance. I just don't belong with that group.

In 1995, I began to be pulled to my Native American roots. I identify mostly with the Native American and Jewish groups, though I would like to invesitgate my Asian background.

Please go to my website. It is a website for adoptees, and other family members to submit their photos and information.

On the registry site, scroll down to 'Pics of Carol Jean and family'. I really would appreciate feedback of which ethnic characteristics I look the most.

My website can be found at:

http://community-2.webtv.net/cjshoe1946/ADOPTEEPHOTORE

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