Anonymous wrote:This is somewhat bizarre, I've never been asked ethnicity at a doctors office besides black, caucasian, and Hispanic etc.. I guess it depends on whether you identify as white or non white hispanic?

Most people from the US, like me, would have to take a dna test to find out what our heritage is, besides "white" or "black." Why the need to be so precise OP?

You clearly don't live in California. In CA, we are asked all the time for very precise ethnicities and it's "check all that apply". So there could be 20 listed just for "native american" asking what tribe. And we are asked constantly -- every school enrollment, every college class, every doctor visit, every survey. Irs insane. I wish I could screenshot the lists -- there are 100 ethnicities listed. And if you don't answer, they ask EVERY time you log in to go to class. So you can't just skip it. I think it's related to funding so I'm sure my kids' public colleges are stoked that they now click hispanic.

But yes, I 100% agree that it's BS. I wish we were post-racial. We are not. In fact to apply to a job, there's often a diversity statement requirement where you need to tell your families' son stories. My family was killed in Auschwitz so I guess I have one but I don't think it should be a qualification as long as you are empathetic to racism.

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused. Spain is in Europe.

European Jewish refers to central Europe, not southern Europe.

This is somewhat bizarre, I've never been asked ethnicity at a doctors office besides black, caucasian, and Hispanic etc.. I guess it depends on whether you identify as white or non white hispanic?

Most people from the US, like me, would have to take a dna test to find out what our heritage is, besides "white" or "black." Why the need to be so precise OP?

Anonymous wrote:Op here. This thread has taken on a life of it's own.

I've just started checking Spanish, German, Polish, Russian when asked for my ethnicity since I know my family came from Spain and am able to prove it with the Sephardic names and naming-custims as well as our religious customs. This means that I consider myself Hispanic on my mother's side, much to my surprise, since I didn't realize that Spaniards are considered Hispanic in the U.S. but my doctor corrected me.

But how many generations back is this? My mother is Mexican. I get grief from friends and family for calling myself Hispanic (which I rarely do) because I"m only half. I can't imagine the grief I'd get from family if I was claiming 4-5 generations back.

OP,

You can upload your Ancestry DNA test results to MyHeritage. MyHeritage breaks down Jews into five different groups including Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, etc. So you might show Sephardic on there. It is free to do the upload.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. This thread has taken on a life of it's own.

I've just started checking Spanish, German, Polish, Russian when asked for my ethnicity since I know my family came from Spain and am able to prove it with the Sephardic names and naming-custims as well as our religious customs. This means that I consider myself Hispanic on my mother's side, much to my surprise, since I didn't realize that Spaniards are considered Hispanic in the U.S. but my doctor corrected me.

How often are you being asked to report your ethnicity in the two months since you started this thread?

Op here. This thread has taken on a life of it's own.

I've just started checking Spanish, German, Polish, Russian when asked for my ethnicity since I know my family came from Spain and am able to prove it with the Sephardic names and naming-custims as well as our religious customs. This means that I consider myself Hispanic on my mother's side, much to my surprise, since I didn't realize that Spaniards are considered Hispanic in the U.S. but my doctor corrected me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some Sephardic Jews are of European ancestry. Remember Spain during a Andalusian times was a melting pot. People came from all over - the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. Jews were then kicked out during the inquisition and fled to Morocco. They are Sephardic yes but their Ancestry is European. I mean if you go to the Middle East right know you will see Arabs will European features. Their ancestors probably were originally from Europe but they settled in the Middle East. Your mom is your mom. I wouldn’t over think this.

Very ignorant post. Arabs (and Jews) were RAPED during the Crusades and other foreign invaders. All Sephardic Jews (Jews originating in Spain/Portugal) have a connection to the Iberian Peninsula -Sefard is the Hebrew word for Spain. Many Mizrachim do not have any genetic connection to Europe - you are conflating prayer style with ethnicity (some Mizrachim pray in the Sephardic rite - most do not). Some European Jewish communities are neither Ashkenazi or Sephardic (e.g., Bene Roma). Please get out of your racist, Ashkenormative bubble.

Lots of Ashkenazi Jews were also murdered during the Crusades, for what it's worth, which is why they moved from Germany and western France to places farther east -- to get away from the Crusaders who enjoyed slaughtering Jews of any background while on their way to Jerusalem.

There's a lot of nuance that these commercial tests miss as well as not-so-reasonable operational definitions that they set. The answer may be as simple as their defining Jews as a European population, which is a bit ahistorical but that's how they may be doing it.

Why is this an issue?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some Sephardic Jews are of European ancestry. Remember Spain during a Andalusian times was a melting pot. People came from all over - the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. Jews were then kicked out during the inquisition and fled to Morocco. They are Sephardic yes but their Ancestry is European. I mean if you go to the Middle East right know you will see Arabs will European features. Their ancestors probably were originally from Europe but they settled in the Middle East. Your mom is your mom. I wouldn’t over think this.

Very ignorant post. Arabs (and Jews) were RAPED during the Crusades and other foreign invaders. All Sephardic Jews (Jews originating in Spain/Portugal) have a connection to the Iberian Peninsula -Sefard is the Hebrew word for Spain. Many Mizrachim do not have any genetic connection to Europe - you are conflating prayer style with ethnicity (some Mizrachim pray in the Sephardic rite - most do not). Some European Jewish communities are neither Ashkenazi or Sephardic (e.g., Bene Roma). Please get out of your racist, Ashkenormative bubble.

Please don't be so harsh. Pp may simply be misinformed -- or maybe you are.

Weird response. Many Ashkenazi are ignorant of wider Jewish history (like you) - and this ignorance promotes harmful Jewish stereotypes about what a Jew looks like, sounds like, and prays like.

Oh hi, crazy “Ashkenormative” poster, who constantly throws out accusations without backing them up with anything.

Ok, nutter take your lithium.