Ethnicity qualifications?

Question

I was wondering how many generations of a family has to live in one area to be considered the ethnicity of the country? For example, I have family form Burysztyn, Galicia. Burysztyn was a polish town but I have 2 generatins of my ancestors living there.

(emigrated from Germany During 3rd or 4th generation counting backwards... which means starting with me first and working my way backwards)

Would that make me polish since they lived there for 2 "known" generations?

Answer 1

No your ethnicity is german, you share similar Dna and physical traits of the people in the german place your ancestors are from.

Answer 2

Based on what you've shared with me thusfar, there isn't an answer to your question. You can consider yourself "Germanic", but you couldn't reasonably say you're "German". You can claim Ashkenaic, but you might also be Hassidic. There is a bit of a nuance between the two.. You are clearly Galician and given the fluid borders of the region at the time, I would personally embrace that fact. Regardless of all the political churnings, you're of a good Central European Jewish family that had the good sense to get out while things were good.

Answer 3

You are getting overly involved in trying to identify ethnicity.  As you go back in research,any percentages will change and you can only go back so far. There is no nationality, race of ethnic group that is pure.  

That part of Europe was always going through border changes.  If a person had a great great grandfather from Germany chances are his great great grandfather had one from Poland, France or Bohemia.  

Just trace your ancestors with documentation.  

Poland had been divided between Prussia, Russia and Austria.  I have some that came from Prussian Poland.  Census records show place of birth as Prussia as Poland didn't exist as a nation at the time they immigrated.  

The parents of your 4th generations might not have come from Germany.   Actually, Germany wasn't a nation until the latter part of the 19th century.  Actually, most of the nations in Europe didn't exist until the last melennium.

Answer 4

If your ancestors are all of German extraction then you would be ethnically German.  If you are a mixture of both Polish and German extraction then you would be ethnically mixed.  Ethnicity has to do with race and not location where your familly inhabits.  Nationality has to do with where you have citizenship.