I wanted to share my own ancestry, because I'd been talking about blood and legacy and connection to our lost roots, many of which were stolen by our very own ancestors in their flurry to get what little they could out of a broken system by injecting themselves with the psychotoxin that is "whiteness", all to avoid seeming Black or indigenous enough to "deserve" persecution.
History is fun and full of laughter and joy, but only if you enjoy gallows humor as much as I do. ☠️
Now away with the radically honest reflection of my ancestors' many, many sins! We proceed now with the more fun part of history...cultural ancestry!
Secundum Enatam
Following the line of enatic (maternal) inheritance
My maternal ancestors come from the South Santander region of Colombia. My grandfather's family came from the Kingdom of Castille in northern Spain, and we retain the Burgos surname to the present day (it's literally my surname :P ). At some point, this means we were descended from a royal or noble Castillian line.
And we all know blue blood turns red if you don't narcissus at it enough.
My grandmother's family came from the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France. Both Burgos (Castillian) and Peña (Basque) lines were city-builders, law-bringers, and the defenders of Roman Catholicism. We had a reputation for individualism, independence, order, honor, and a "no-nonsense" approach to life.
It's funny how I can see these same characteristics now reflected in me, although not in anyway that my ancestors would recognize or approve of. My individualism and independence demands freedom from the order of false dogmas and oppressive laws. I'm very glad to have been born in our family's post-apocalyptic age. I get to bring back the old values in a way that represents them more universally, and not just for my "noble peers." Fuck nobility.
My European ancestors were like all the rest in that they also "mixed" with indigenous peoples. I use the word "mixed" because euphemisms prevent CWs. Because of where my family remained for centuries, it becomes clear that I am also descended from the Guane people of the Chicamocha Canyon and the Suárez River valley. They were master weavers and terrace farmers, and they were called the "Engineers of the Highlands." They practiced cranial deformation and mummification, too, so they were fucking metal. 🤘
Secundum Agnatum
Following the line of agnatic (paternal) inheritance
Now, this was a surprise. My father comes from the Cuban Medinas. They were from Havana, and were likely part of the early Cuban merchant or colonial bureaucracy. As it happens, my father's family were late arrivals, and came to Cuba during the 17th and 18th centuries, when Sephardic Jews were fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. Medina was one of the many "cover" names the Sephardic Jews used to escape persecution. Given what I know about my father's family...holy fucking shit, I have Jewish ancestry. 🤯
Now the hatred transphobes feel towards Jews makes sense... they somehow knew I was always both. 🙀 /j
Ergo Sum
More seriously speaking, I think what makes an ancestral search worthwhile is when it helps explain parts of who you feel like you are. If it does, and this search definitely did that for me, then great! This was worth it. I've gotten to the point where I'm fortunate to be able to say that I see myself, but it's nice to be able to see how that self connects to the wider context of the world too.
We are, invariably and inevitably, the sum of our parts. How that sum adds up depends on you and what you want to do with it. Identity is a story. Culture is a story. They're only meaningful insofar as they serve as a sort of mythological cosmogony for our selves. These should give us foundations for growth and means of understanding ourselves.
Trash 'em when they don't. 💙
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