MELUNGEONS
Melungeon* is a term traditionally applied to one of a number of "tri-racial isolate" groups of the Southeastern United States, mainly in the Cumberland Gap area of central Appalachia: east Tennessee, southwest Virginia, and east Kentucky. Tri-racial describes populations thought to be of mixed (1) European, (2) sub-Saharan African, and (3) Native American ancestry. Although there is no consensus on how many such groups exist, estimates range as high as 200. Some self-identifying Melungeons dislike the term tri-racial isolate, believing that it has pejorative connotations. Until the late 20th century, some considered the term Melungeon to be pejorative.
CONTENTS
- Definition
- Origins
- Legends
- Etymology
- Modern Identity
- DNA Testing
- External Links
*Melungeon information from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
 
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