1/32nd Cherokee

My cousin is half Mexican and half white, but traumatic events prevented her from growing up with much Mexican influence. She describes how coming to terms with her identity has changed over time. 

We also discuss an ongoing saga that affects whether my last name is my true genetic last name or a last name of mysterious circumstance. 

Sisters Alisa and Jeanie discuss living in a bi-cultural household. Even though their mother speaks both English and Japanese, they struggle to connect with their mother's inner life. 

Part 1 of 2

My good friend Liz considers herself too ordinary to be a good guest, but we dive pretty deep anyway. We discuss learned helplessness, various bootstrap scenarios, and white guilt. 

Also, she describes what it's like to be related to the Peanut Man-of-the-Year

My family gets in a group to discuss different ties to slavery, being proud by proxy, and DNA results, but my dad reveals that his legal last name may not be his biological last name. 

WHAAAAT??!? I have feelings.

My mom and I unpack some family legends, but she is much more blasé about the Cherokee connection than I. 

Also, I discover a bunch of my ancestors were deserters. 

 Grandma and I chat about family origins---but I leave with soooo many more questions. I'm inspired to add a Footnote segment.

The nexus of the family lore doesn't rest with my grandmother, though she's the one who talks about it the most---but the lore originates with HER dad, Warren. So I talk to my uncle to find out what he knows-- and he tells a terrible story about a headless rooster. 

SCW is still elusive! Tiffany is in the business of genealogy (literally) and walks me through some of the steps she took to document SCW's ancestry. As much as she'd like to give me good news....things go awry.

My sister-in-law forces me to have her on the podcast to tell a story about being adopted into our family. My brother tries to avoid conscription, but he can't resist her allure.

Also, a free add for hibachi.

A retired genealogist in my neighborhood briefly reviews some challenges for documenting Native American ancestry. It's a pre-step to moves I'll take in my pursuit of SCW.