to prove ancestry.
I have family members who do a lot of that. There are always some points at which the ancestry is hard to prove beyond doubt. This is especially true of people of Indian ancestry whose families are pretty fully integrated into American culture.
i have a cousin whose mother was 100% of Indian ancestry (also Oklahoma). She left when he was a child, and my cousin was raised by his father's and my family. My cousin knows he is 1/2 Indian and knows the name of his mother and her parents. His children don't look at all Indian (nor does he). If you saw him, you would not think that he is at all Indian.
I can easily imagine that in a couple of generations there will be a tradition of Indian ancestry but no ready documentation. And this happened in the 20th century. It is particularly difficult if the ancestry is maternal -- passed on by a female whose family name does not attach to her children. It is very, very difficult if a child is illegitimate. That was not the case here. But how do you prove you are the grandchild of your maternal grandmother without your mother's marriage license or certificate? And today many couples do not bother to marry. Say 150 years ago, if your mother was Indian, it is possible that she might not have been legally married to your father. These things happen.
It is beyond rude to challenge an accomplished woman about her ethnicity, race or heritage. Just rude.
We don't ask African-Americans to prove their race if they say they are part white. Why should we? Mixed ancestry is very common and will be more common in the future.
Anyone who asks about this? Well, I won't say what I am thinking. That would be as rude as the question about Elizabeth Warren's ancestry.
But, looking at Obama's ancestry, the claims that he was not born in the US. They are just signs of racism. Being very interested in this is simply racist.
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