To ask you how to work out my ethnicity?

[GettingStuffDoneInSlippers]

Okay, sorry, I'm admittedly posting in AIBU because I need an answer quickly.

I'm wanting to be a blood stem cell donor, and it's something I'm shocked I hadn't signed up to do before now.

So here's my dilemma. It asks for ethnicity (I've attached a picture), and it says it's really important to be specific because it's hard to find a donor as it is, especially one that fits the exact criteria.

I would usually describe myself as White British and leave it at that. But even my Midwife during my pregnancy gave me a raised eyebrow and I always find myself explaining I 'look' the way I do because of my Grandmother.

I know nothing about genetics, hence my question.

My Grandmother is 100% Spanish. My own Mum is Half Spanish, half Scottish.

My Dad was just British.

So what does this make me? Should I just put white British; even though I do not look white British at all?

Does my very olive skin and colouring have any relevance to what I put down?

On the face of it, I suppose I would just put white British?

Sorry for the derail, I've no idea what to put down and don't want to get it wrong

I think I would choose white other if I was you if there's space to explain just put Spanish/British mix. I have this issue with my DS I don't really know what to put as he's 3/4 black and 1/4 white and he looks mixed but I feel as if the mixed box is for those who are half of both races but if I tick the black Caribbean box it's not completely true but i tend to tick that one anyway because it's what he's the most of.

It would never occur to me to not call myself white british, even though my mum is not British.

Tbh I don't think it's going to matter that much- it's your blood type that matters, not your appearance, and the chances of your spanish ancestor making a huge difference to your blood type are slim.

The nuances of ancestry aren't important wrt ethnicity- they're looking more broadly for white, black, asian, american indian etc, as it's more likely your blood will match to those ethnicities. Yours is likely to match another white person, regardless of origin. There are massive shortages of non-white donors, which is why they ask- they'll priorities if you're black, for example.

They will type your blood anyway when you register. You would jump the queue a bit if you were not white, that's all.

Ethnicity is how you describe yourself. It isn't a fixed scientific term

Ordinarily I'd agree - I never give an answer.

But in this case (with the caveat I have no idea how genome typing is stored or compared) the underlying origins of the donor may be affected by their genomes long journey to life.

Generally, I consider myself "white european", but I was quite surprised when my DBs (US) colleague suggested based on his name alone that he might have more African traits.

A DNA test later and he was right ! In my DBs case it proved quite handy, as it demonstrated that the "anaemia" he occasionally seemed was nothing of the kind, and if it had been treated as such could have made him very ill.

Ethnicity is how you describe yourself. It isn’t a fixed scientific term

That’s fair enough in a social setting but medically, it is a scientific term. As I tried to explain in previous post

Can you not select multiple boxes? It seems strange if you can't since they are specifically referencing people having mixed ethnicity.

I would tick the Spain and Portugal box, and if there are separate English and Scottish boxes, then I would tick those as well.

It's nothing to do with what you look like, or how you would normally define yourself, they are asking you to be specific about your ethnicity, so try and give as much information as you can.

It's nothing to do with what you look like

^

This. It's about your ethnicity, not aesthetics

Tbh I don't think it's going to matter that much- it's your blood type that matters, not your appearance, and the chances of your spanish ancestor making a huge difference to your blood type are slim.

It's not just blood type, it's all sorts of genetic oddities.

My DB has Thalassemia minor [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_thalassemia]]. The reason it was never picked up in the UK was that no one would expect a child born to two "Europeans" to have it.

Given Spain has probably got more African heritage than the UK, it's entirely possible something like that could be lurking ...

I always refuse to answer that crap...

I’m sure your immune system will be happy to ignore “that crap” if you just explain your position to it when you need a transplant Step.

They’re giving a specific box for Mediterranean countries because it really does make a difference for stem cell donation - and the fact that OP is “only a quarter” Spanish doesn’t mean that’s she should ignore it because that quarter might be the bit that’s ended up inherited on a crucial chunk of her DNA.

Are you sure there’s no way to tick two boxes OP?

Outside No way to tick both boxes, no, which is understandable I suppose but somewhat confusing

I made the post because I know 0 about genetics but maybe my Spanish ancestry is incredibly prominent if I look Spanish? My DS has even less Spanish in him than me and he's darker than me already... His dad is white British

He's 4 months

I always refuse to answer that crap...

So do I. But this isn't crap. There's a valid medical reason for it. It might just save a life ....

It's a nightmare isn't it. Im a real European mix as my mother is german/Dutch and my father is English with a bit of German. So im roughly 1/2 English, 4/6 German and 2/6 Dutch and that's keeping it simple. Fortunately my DC's father is English so my DC's are 3/4 English and 1/4 German

OP, if you make contact with them and get guidance as to how you should answer, would you please share it?

Is there an other/mixed option which might bring up an extra text box if you select it?

Many people of colour would ‘pass for white’ for various understandable reasons. Then you get genetic throwbacks causing a person with two ‘white’ parents to look Indian for example. Many people are more mixed than they realise.

some Spaniards look darker than others. I think a photo of yourself would've been easier to answer as an example the same siblings to mixed parents can have darker or lighter features despite having theoritcally equal parts of each ethnicity..(though i understand completely why you wouldn't want to post it).

You’re white and British....... white British

user7680
It isn't that straightforward for medical purposes. My DC are White and British but their risk of being a carrier of Thalassemia is higher than mine because DH is North African.

Those pesky genes. They can linger and crop up for hundreds of years. I’m 1/16 Italian from a great grandfather who came to the USA 200 years ago. Other family members from Germany, Ireland, France/Belgium. I’m olive skinned, two of my dc more so than me. As a Canadian myself and most would include all the above in describing ethnicity since only First Nations are really from Canada.

he reason it was never picked up in the UK was that no one would expect a child born to two "Europeans" to have it

Thalassemia is well known in mediterranean countries, specifically Italy and Greece (amongst others)if you are talking thal beta, so you would. White british you wouldn't be looking for it, or northern european, but certainly with southern europeans you would have it on a differential?

Thalassemia is well known in mediterranean countries, specifically Italy and Greece (amongst others)if you are talking thal beta, so you would. White british you wouldn't be looking for it, or northern european, but certainly with southern europeans you would have it on a differential?

The only thing I know with certainty in life, is the gulf between "should" and "actually", I'm afraid.

My DB kept on being "diagnosed" as anaemic in the UK (like me he's a blood donor) for 6 years. Then he goes to the US and in his first lecture a fellow student makes a comment about being tested for beta-thalassemia minor, because of his heritage.

When he told me the result, and suggested I get checked (2001 - I don't have it) my consultant seemed very surprised.

"Luckily", because DW has suffered MS for over 30 years, I have heard of, and experienced a lot more of healthcare systems than the average person. All of that said, GOD BLESS THE NHS, a thousand times.

I was amused to recently read a study which shows that people with myocardial infarction have a better chance of survival when the specialists are all away at conferences ...

I suppose that's because its pretty uncommon in Britain, but much more common in certain areas in the US due to migration patterns?

Although my cousin took years to get a diagnosis of haemochromatosis even in a country that has one of the highest rates of it!

Bizarrely I was a stem cell match for someone with a totally different ethnicity.

We've never been able to trace the family tree outside of the UK and my Grandma recently had one of those DNA things done (no idea how reliable they are) which came out as 90% celtic (irish/scottish/welsh)

some Spaniards look darker than others. I think a photo of yourself would've been easier to answer as an example the same siblings to mixed parents can have darker or lighter features despite having theoritcally equal parts of each ethnicity..(though i understand completely why you wouldn't want to post it)

Bad lighting but here you go, as an idea of what my skin colour is