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There's a general mis-perception that if you were Español you would have to be white or fair skinned and blonde and blue eyed.
I watch many, many movies that are made throughout latin America and Spain and I have to tell you, based on the movies that I see from Spain, most people in Spain are still mostly brown haired and brown eyed, some blue eyes and some blonde but mostly brown. I also watch many Italian films and have many Italian friends and most are brown eyed and brown haired with a few blonde and blue eyed people, depending on how and with whom they have inter-married.
The fact is that the Spanish people were also a mixed breed with the proximity to northern Africa and taking into consideration that the Moros and the Jews had settled in Spain having come from the Arabian Peninsula. Anyone who has read world history has to know that all the nations of great sailors traveled the world, visiting and settling in foreign lands. We have to look at the historical migration patterns and the great diasporas to understand that even in the 1400's and 1500's people came in all colors, shapes, races and sizes.
Even the bible, especially the old testament talks of wars, invasions and migrations from one country to another. I think it's very naive to believe that because we have Mexican ancestry or are from Mexico that we should be a certain color.
The beauty of genealogical research is that we go where the records lead us. It's the discovery of the new and unknown. It's in making the connection with our past, whatever it is and wherever it leads and having the openness to accept those findings.
This journey of discovery and acceptance is what it's all about. Unfortunately I haven't been able to pursue my research due to other commitments but one day soon I will get back to the thrill of the hunt and the joy of finding and connecting with my ancestors. I don't really give a hoot if they were brown haired or blonde, green, blue or brown eyed. I still remember the first time I went to Central Mexico and we arrived in Jalpa Zacatecas. We walked into a bank and were waiting in a very long line. I kept on staring at some young ladies that were near the front of the line. I really don't know why I was staring at them and not at other people in that same line.
After we left the bank, we went into a loncheria, we were with my uncle, my mother's brother and in this loncheria were the young ladies I'd been staring at in the bank. My uncle sees them and says to me, those are your cousins, your primas hermanas, their father is your father's brother. I guess the reason I'd been staring is that we had many resemblances, we looked alike. I still get chills when I think of this day, how I could not take my eyes off my cousins even when I didn't know who they were.
Regards,
Alicia Carrillo de San Jose, Calif
Racial and color mis-perceptions
This is true Alicia, and thanks for switching the topic we were discussing into a seperate post. Spaniards but namly mediterrean europeans tend to be olive skinned and brownish to black hair. Something Ive learned, blonde and the cloured eyes tend to be in the northern part of Spain, so anywhere from Madrid and the north you'' find your usual blonde blue eyed spaniard who speaks spanish, not saying you wont find blondes in the south but somewhat rare. Those south of Madrid are heavily mixed with Jews and Moors. My mothers family comes from Santander and Burgos almost near france, hence our blonde hair. It is funny how almost all spaniard actors are from the south and hence the films that came out. Spain is a very diversed country as well, Galicianos, Cantabrieuanos, Valencianos, Aragoneses, Castellanos, y Vascos. All whom have their own language together they make up what we know is Spanish but each dialect is very different. Vasco or Euskara is the most complicated it is so
me combination of old Norde and Celtic language. -Daniel
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Racial and color mis-perceptions
Your right Daniel. In the north of Spain they are blonde and more blue eyes and its mainly because the Moors didn't really mix, they couldn't even enter that area up north. It was a different terrain to battle on and the people in the mountains would surprise attack. There are many redheads in the south and if you see a blonde from somewhere else in Spain, generally they are a dark blonde with green eyes. This is what I have encountered when I lived in Madrid for 15 years and traveled all over the country. Like you said Daniel, there are different languages in certain provinces. The Catalanes defend there language and would like to seperate from Spain, considering themselves different from the rest, as the Pais Vasco.
I must say I have never encountered that when I say I am Spanish that the person understands why I am blonde and white. Usually they do not believe me because they believe all spaniards are black hair dark eyed, which the majority is, but the other also exsist.
Sofia
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Racial and color mis-perceptions
What a great story, Alicia! You're absolutely right about the majority of Spaniards, Italians, and Mexicans having brown eyes and hair. For many years I've traveled throughout the world and that holds true in most countries. Why some people have such a difficult time accepting this, is beyond me. Genetically, brown is dominant, so it makes sense that most people in the world would have dark coloring. By the way, the last time I checked, brown is a color, so I don't understand why some dismiss brown eyes as not being "colored". Scientifically, hybrid vigor is more desireable; it brings strength and in general the best of both worlds, whereas inbreeding brings problems. Which is why historically, the royalty of the world has experienced intellectual problems and had Arabic tutors to instruct them in the sciences and mathematics that Europeans had no knowledge of. I've just had an AHA moment---my "pure Spanish blood" could explain why I had such a tough time with my advanced university mathematics! LOL! Scientists go on to predict that some time in the not too distant future (as the history of man goes), all people will be brown (as we all were when left Africa). Hopefully, that will put an end to racial/color discrimination. Unfortunately, the need for some to feel superior at the expense of others will always exist and they will shift their attention to other things such as socioeconomics. Again, Alicia thanks for the story and your thoughts. Alice B. Blake
--- alliecar@pacbell.net wrote:
From: Alicia Carrillo
To: general@nuestrosranchos.org
Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] Racial and color mis-perceptions
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 23:00:53 -0700 (PDT)
There's a general mis-perception that if you were Español you would have to be white or fair skinned and blonde and blue eyed.
I watch many, many movies that are made throughout latin America and Spain and I have to tell you, based on the movies that I see from Spain, most people in Spain are still mostly brown haired and brown eyed, some blue eyes and some blonde but mostly brown. I also watch many Italian films and have many Italian friends and most are brown eyed and brown haired with a few blonde and blue eyed people, depending on how and with whom they have inter-married.
The fact is that the Spanish people were also a mixed breed with the proximity to northern Africa and taking into consideration that the Moros and the Jews had settled in Spain having come from the Arabian Peninsula. Anyone who has read world history has to know that all the nations of great sailors traveled the world, visiting and settling in foreign lands. We have to look at the historical migration patterns and the great diasporas to understand that even in the 1400's and 1500's people came in all colors, shapes, races and sizes.
Even the bible, especially the old testament talks of wars, invasions and migrations from one country to another. I think it's very naive to believe that because we have Mexican ancestry or are from Mexico that we should be a certain color.
The beauty of genealogical research is that we go where the records lead us. It's the discovery of the new and unknown. It's in making the connection with our past, whatever it is and wherever it leads and having the openness to accept those findings.
This journey of discovery and acceptance is what it's all about. Unfortunately I haven't been able to pursue my research due to other commitments but one day soon I will get back to the thrill of the hunt and the joy of finding and connecting with my ancestors. I don't really give a hoot if they were brown haired or blonde, green, blue or brown eyed. I still remember the first time I went to Central Mexico and we arrived in Jalpa Zacatecas. We walked into a bank and were waiting in a very long line. I kept on staring at some young ladies that were near the front of the line. I really don't know why I was staring at them and not at other people in that same line.
After we left the bank, we went into a loncheria, we were with my uncle, my mother's brother and in this loncheria were the young ladies I'd been staring at in the bank. My uncle sees them and says to me, those are your cousins, your primas hermanas, their father is your father's brother. I guess the reason I'd been staring is that we had many resemblances, we looked alike. I still get chills when I think of this day, how I could not take my eyes off my cousins even when I didn't know who they were.
Regards,
Alicia Carrillo de San Jose, Calif