What's Your Heritage? ... Where Ya From?

My background is Filipino with Chinese, Spanish, and Syrian decent. My father tells me that we are related to Lima Hong a Chinese pirate that somehow ended up living in Pangasinan, Philippines. My grand uncle was in the Bataan Death March and became the driver of a Japanese General. I was born in San Francisco and raised in the East Bay most of my life.

My dad was a survivor of that march and internment as well. Small world.

Seashark, small world indeed! I'm fortunate that my grand uncle is still with us today and living in Daly City.

4th generation German from Missouri, been in CA since 2001

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Euro-mutt as well.  Not much genealogy done on my dad's side, but likely German/Austrian.  Mom's side has been traced back to pond-hopping in the 1600's, eventually settling in Georgia and farming.  Actually they had plantations with slaves who farmed for them.  When the Civil War broke out all the men went to fight the yanks, and we still have dozens of letters to/from the front lines.  Google searches of 'Bowen' reveal all kinds of stuff.  After the war the family went south to Florida, coming out to So-Cal in the 1950's.

My wife's side is straight out of Norway and Sweden.  Her great-grandfather was actually one of the guys who whacked those cute little baby seals for their fur.  He jumped ship to Alaska in the 1940s or so.  Grandma still displays his blunderbust (hand-cannon) and seal club over the mantle in her house.   No wonder I had to marry into that family!

I was born in El Salvador, moved to California in 1980.
Small country.

my dad was born in yahuahlica mexico and came to the united states when he was 18 , he settled in the mission district and landed a job at UPS and retired there at the age of 60.

my mom is the daughter of a central valley farm worker (chicano) who inlisted in the army and was stationed somewhere in england. he and others went to a town dance hall and it was there he met the love of his life , margraret dunn. to make a long story short he had to leave england and sent her back to the united states to go live with family in the east bay while he was out in his deployment. when he got back to the US they moved around from richmond to santa rosa and eventually settled in the town of ken wood and had 5 kids , my mom being the 2nd oldest. its a small worled because 2 years ago at redbarn im sitting with the guys talking about things and someone brought up Kenwood , turns out gabriel (el dorado) was my uncle mikes best friend when they were young , or familys pretty much were good freinds and it tripped us out. anyways another addition to this story is that my granpa opend up a fish and chips shop in santa rosa called "bettys fish and chips" which he named after my grandma (betty was her shorter name) and from what i understand is still standing to this day. so i am 3/4 mexican and a quarter scottish.

My birth Mother was from Tennessee. She got knocked up at age 18. She came to SF to have the baby. She left me there with some strangers. Who became even more stranger later on. I did a birth search when I was 42 and found my Moms side of the family in the hills of Oakland. My mom came to Oakland to stay with her sister during her pregnancy. My birth Aunt was like a family historian. All my relatives from her side came from Scotland in the 1800's. Im sure there was some rednecks in there that were from Europe somewhere.

 My birth dad raped my Mom and thats where I came from. I have no idea about that asshole.

technically 100% Japanese.  But I am 5'11, so was my dad and my cousins in Japan are kick ass in Judo at 6 feet.  We all are well over 200 pounds.  My sister has hazel eyes though "pure Japanese."  My dad had curly hair.   Ask around a bit and turns out there was a dutch colony near the village.  So some Tsuji had a fling with a dutch guy/gal is my guess. 

I am 2nd generation japanese, still speak it though cannot read or write it.  Grew up in Watsonville.  Parents were in Japan during WW2 and were on the receiving end of US military might.  My dad worked at a factory that made "torpedos with seats."

Coolest story from my Moms side was post war they were instructed to head to the hills, make spears and fight to the end.  Instead they headed to the beach to watch the landing and get killed quick.  See the white devils.  Instead of white devils, the landing was by an all black unit.  My mom remembers this black guy comes up, pats her on the head and gives her a chocolate bar.  The war was over, and it was time for chocolate, coca cola and Doris Day.

What's Your Heritage? ... Where Ya From?

My mom. 
She is Polish and Slovenian, my dad is Italian.

Chinese.  Born and raised in SF.  unfortunately, I didn't listen to my mom and dad and never paid attention in Chinese school, so I don't speak Chinese well.

My dad came over from China when he was about 6 years old with my grandfather in the 1930's or early 1940's.  They came on a ship so it was a long trip.  Then they were detained at Angel Island.  They had to prove who they were to the officials.  At that time, the detainees had to describe their village, know how many stairs in the house, where the village well was, things like that.   Many of the Chinese were 'paper sons'.  They claimed their citizenship papers were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake, so the questions were a test.  If you failed, you got sent back.  My grandfather and father were 'paper sons'.   They bribed the official and the interpreter to get out.  $10 for each of them.  My dad always used the phony last name.  My sister and I have always used our real last name. 

After my dad and grandfather came to SF, my grandfather sent for his favorite wife to join him.  My dad's mother was his favorite because she gave him a son. 

My dad said that my grandfather was a gambler and a hatchet man in SF. 

Great stories posted. 

Euro-mutt as well... alot of Scottish, then of course English, I am sure not by choice. Irish. French. Grandfather from a fishing village in France. Interesting he married my grandmother after meeting her four days later while he was a US WWII naval officer... that may have been her ride out of poverty. Her dad worked on the small dams along Feather River up in Paradise. Stole apples from the orchards to survivie. Later she was "sold off" to take care of a family's home because her folks could not afford her and all the kids who lived along the river. Much later in life when we lived in Paradise (moved from OC), she shared the story. I would have never know her Paradise story as she actually changed her first name and modified her last name to sound more regal and lived in southern Ca most of her later life. My mom while grandfather was stationed on some of the Pacific Islands right after Pearl Harbor attack was only "white girl" on Guam and was exposed to all sorts of bomb testing. She has been fighting cancers most of her later years, probably related to her childhood exposures. Alot of those kids were exposed...

My dad's family is from the south (GA & FL). Years ago I visited the old place in GA where there were interesting stories including roots with the civil war, slaves and a lot of fishing stories.

Sorry...you can wake up now...

Euromut.  The Koons line came to the US pre-revolutionary war from Alsace.
Famous relatives: Jeff Koons (don't google him at work).
I left the California in 1998 for Korea and then moved to Hungary in 1999.  I returned to California in 2007.

Linda's heritage is more interesting than mine.  She was born in way north China (granddaughter of a Red Army general) and moved to Budapest when she was 11.

We plan to produce whasians, who like mooch can blend with any culture.

What's Your Heritage? ... Where Ya From?

My mom. 
She is Polish and Slovenian, my dad is Italian.

 
Always one in every bunch ....... Now we know ours

Great stories,
Amazing how much the world comes together over such things ..... maybe Politics should be handled this way?

Great stories,
Amazing how much the world comes together over such things ..... maybe Politics should be handled this way?
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+1

My ancestors, that is my parents came to the new world via the Mayflower  PanAm.  100% percent Filipino and born in what would have been the 52nd state in the union if only the Philippines didn't demand independence from the US.   Puerto Rico is the 51st state btw but they are still in denial.  
I also have a bonus of 1% Korean in me because I lived there for 1 yr while serving in the US Army and Kimchee, YukGaeJang soup  and me just get along so well