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Border shifts - I am part Belorussian ancestry now?


zbigniewz 1 | -  
15 Apr 2008 /  #1
I consider myself full Polish since that is the culture that I grew up into. But I am wondering, the furthest back that we know on my dads side of the family was originally from modern-day Belarus which was part of Poland back then. They moved to Poland after the borders were changed after the war. Does that technically make me part Belarusian?
Polonius3 994 | 12,367  
15 Apr 2008 /  #2
Border shifts are political moves that do not affect one's nationality. Of course, when they are accompaneid by ethnic cleansing and/or other violence, as was the case with Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany, then some people may be intimiated into denying or changing ther declared inationality for the sake of survival. Also, the term natioanality or ethnicity should be mroe closely defined. It can mean blood ties (DNA) or a sense of awareness of both.
Syrena 7 | 73  
17 Apr 2008 /  #3
Hi Z, my whole family came from what is now Belarus BUT it was part of poland then and thats all that counts!! If you need help send me a PM and i'll pass info on to you. Cheers

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