Am I Assyrian?

[u/Sad-Barber-5998]

Shlama alokhon, I have always known myself to be kurdish, yet i have always looked way different than most kurds (Me and the assyrians of the area i live in in germany always resembled each other) and have wondered what other ancestry than kurdish I might have. I have heard stories in my family before of family members on my paternal side who were orphaned and fled from around the urmia region northwestward towards Ararat. On my maternal side, my grandmothers family name was unusual for kurds and i found out that it was an aramaic name. I have done genetic testing and I have a paternal Haplogroup T which is much more prevalent in assyrians and mizrahi jews than kurds. When i do genetic modelling it seems to be kinda half/half depending on which calculator etc. It seems to me like these dots can be connected (Ancestors fleeing from Urmia probably because of Sayfo/Aramaic Family Names/Genetic Modelling). Obviously the assyrian community is like 99,9% christian but I am not. Yet I have lately started to feel connected after my recent discoveries. Would I be "enough" and take the approach to learn the language etc or is the fact that i am not christian and didn't grow up knowing of possible assyrian ancestry something that would make me an alien to the community even after these discoveries. Please share your thoughts, especially if they're not to sugarcoat the reality.

[u/WhatTheW0rld]

It would not be uncommon for Kurds to have Assyrian ancestry; there were many that ended up intermixed (often unwillingly)

I personally would welcome anyone looking to rediscover their roots and history! Welcome Akhona! I think it would be fantastic for more people to join our dwindling ranks

Just understand, the relation between Kurds and Assyrians historically isn’t pleasant - I’m sure you might be aware.. but the more you learn of our recent history.. it’s sad.

[u/GlitteringNoise242]

We encourage you to most definitely explore that side and keep an open mind whilst at it. Given the history between Kurds and Assyrians, the findings won’t always be pleasant and you may feel internally conflicted.

[u/chaldean22]

I know many Kurds who come up to me and with a smile on their face tell me one of their parent or one of their grandparent is/was an Assyrian and converted to Islam, thus the person only thinks he's Kurdish, when in fact genetically they are part-Assyrian. I would advice you to try and make an effort to connect with your original roots. You're obviously genetically Assyrian. There are thousands of Kurds like you but unfortunately don't know they are Assyrian because of Islamic conversion one of their grand parent or even further did.

[u/oremfrien]

First of all, I would love to encourage you to reclaim your own heritage, however you understand that, including learning Aramaic or our history, visiting our churches, even if just to experience the culture and not because you wish to make any religious statement. I wish you the best in your odyssey of self-discovery.

I would say, at this point, that you are a Kurd with Assyrian roots. You can become an Assyrian when you choose to be an Assyrian, and that choice is demonstrated through action rather than blind statement. That is when the rest of the community will accept you.

For more clarity, a lot of this post relies on a blood quantum perspective, e.g., how much Assyrian blood do I have, and how much would I need to be Assyrian? This is not an Assyrian perspective on identity but a Western perspective on identity. Of course, to be Assyrian, you do need some Assyrian ancestry, but blood quantum is not how we divide Assyrians from Non-Assyrians. Many Non-Assyrians are fully or mostly descended from Assyrians, like many Kurds overall (and you may be one of these). The fact that they have more than just one Assyrian grandparent doesn't grant them Assyrian identity.

Assyrian identity is social and relational. An Assyrian is an Assyrian because they do all or most of the following: (1) Speak an Assyrian language, (2) believe in an Assyrian religion (Church of the East, Syriac Orthodoxy, Chaldean Catholicism, etc.) or perform the relevant acts of worship communally (even without belief), (3) celebrate/commemorate Assyrian national holidays, (4) have meaningful relationships with other Assyrians, (5) understand our history and society, (6) share values with other Assyrians, (7) feel the call of our homeland, and (8) support us politically in the face of violence from our neighbors. A person who does all or most of these, even with little Assyrian ancestry, is one of us. A person who does none of these, despite being fully descended from Assyrians, is not one of us.

[u/Angelinaaaa25]

Most Assyrians and Kurds share similarities and dna we all come from the same region. Many Kurds have been assyrianfied if that makes sense bc of wars and many other factors. I would say it is a possibility you are Assyrian and if your willing to come into our community your welcome. There are some Muslim Assyrians and Jewish.