Genealogy / Has anyone taken Genealogy DNA tests? [87]

One thing that has been touched but not fully explained in this thread is where the results come from.

There are two tests generally available, maternal and paternal.

The maternal tests your Mitochondria which are directly passed from mother to child. So the maternal test will look back at your mother's mother's mother's mother's (etc) line. Since this has remained unchanged they can identify its orgin... however they do that.

If you take the maternal test, you must be a male. Your brother or father could take it if you are female. It looks at the Y chromosome which again gets passed directly from father to son. So that is your father's father's father's...

So really only a small fraction of your DNA does get looked at. Regardless, when I have the money to blow I will do this! Maybe by the time I have the money the process will be really refined.

History / Prussian History [29]

yeah ive read up a lot on prussia on wiki...

Grzegorz that was a good summary. Unfortunately it confirms my suspicions that I won't find out what I really am since there were both.

Actually, one of my ancestors said she was prussian on one census and then later said she was polish...

Thanks for the insight!

USA, Canada / Friendly Polish in Chicago [17]

That is actually a good idea. I have been meaning to go to this other church not too far from me which was actually the church my polish ancestors went to... it is still heavily polish but also has a high spanish speaking population

Genealogy / Has anyone taken Genealogy DNA tests? [87]

ooops... i meant to say paternal test for the second one (if you notice i called them both maternal tests)

the autosomal DNA one sounds like it would be very controversial because your genes are all switched around...

USA, Canada / Friendly Polish in Chicago [17]

Oh they are everywhere... the problem is that since there are so many the amount of polish speakers is very high and its hard to fit in if you aren't fluent... so im looking for something more for like 2nd generation poles where you don't have to be fluent (but maybe pick up more of the language)

I also figured a good amount of people on this message board are from Chicago so they should be able to help.

UK, Ireland / What do Polish people think of Ireland and the Irish? [50]

My Irish American friends had problems in Ireland because someone thought they were Polish...

I haven't experienced it first hand but I have had conversations in acadamia about how the Irish are racist against the Polish. Much because the Irish are still recovering from the troubles and british involvement. They are probably struggling with some identity problems...

Still 217 parishes in Ireland give mass in Polish once a month, so they are there in large numbers!

Language / Help with pronunciation of Gorecki Symphony [41]

Merged: Marcela - how is the Polish version pronounced?

I noticed Marcela on the name day name day thing... ive always liked that name but i have only known people who were hispanic with the name

how is the polish version pronounced?

Genealogy / Does anyone know the history/culture of this beaded bag? [3]

I am not sure where it is attached

Language / Help with pronunciation of Gorecki Symphony [41]

Ive never heard it the way the 'american' voice says it

I like it pronounced the Marsela way

Love / Polish wedding customs/traditions? Aussie marrying Polish. [21]

Ask him what he wants to do special, he might not even notice

USA, Canada / $13 a week for the American people,but $30,000,000.00 for endangered mice [4]

$30 million for wetlands restoration.... that means people will be paid to do the restoration, that means jobs

people working in national parks is what helped get the USA out of the depression in the 30s

Love / Polish men vs German men: Who is hotter? [513]

I am both Polish and German... and my good lookin side is the German one!

To think of it, of the guys I've dated the cuter ones have happened to be German too...