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Do I look Polish? (my picture)


nothanks - | 633
25 Mar 2016 #181
Polska is without a doubt the place to live in Europe for the 2020's. Somewhat because Western Europe will be up in flames.
Poleboy765 - | 66
25 Mar 2016 #182
Jobs as well? And what if I was wearing sport s hats? Haha.

I also don't want to be at the point where I can't regularly converse with others language wise you know?
AlbertA - | 2
3 May 2016 #183
Merged: Do I look polish to you

I have a polish friend and have been for some days at his home city in krakow. I am from Vich, near Barcelona, Spain. While my impression has been that in general polish people look a bit different from my area, everyone in Poland assumed I was native until they found up I couldn't speak a word of polish. Just out of curiosity, what do you think about it?


  • foto
Levi 12 | 442
3 May 2016 #184
No, you look like Jew. (Adrian Brody from pianist too)
But there are a lot of poles that have jewish ancestry so you could be considered similar to them.
AlbertA - | 2
3 May 2016 #185
Really? Nobody has ever told me that. Not that there are many jews in Spain anyway
Levi 12 | 442
3 May 2016 #186
I Have portuguese ascedancy from mother side.

In fact, Spaniards and Portugueses have huge amount of Jewish heritage/dna since during reconquista a lot of Jews instead of leave the country, stayed and became "spanish" / "portuguese"
InPolska 9 | 1,816
3 May 2016 #187
Since Arabs were in Spain and Portugal for centuries, for sure a lot of people in both Spain and Portugal have ... Arabic blood ;)
Ziemowit 14 | 4,278
3 May 2016 #188
Don't you know that Arabs of the Iberian peninsula along with indigenous polpulations converted to Islam were forcibly expelled by the Christians who won the big battle with Islam, often in most non-humanitarian ways?
InPolska 9 | 1,816
3 May 2016 #189
However, it does not change facts that Arabs were in Spain/Portugal for quite a while (a lot of influence over culture, cooking, language...)and a lot of Spaniards and Portguese (including most probably Levy ;)) have Arabic blood. Arabs went even further north into France until they were stopped by Charles Martel in Poitiers Battle in year 732....

Even today, the Arabic influence can be easily seen in Southern Spain (although my family came from (Spanish) Basque Country, I know whole Spain very well ;))
Levi 12 | 442
4 May 2016 #190
Why you are talking about rapist arabs that invaded Spain and Portugal to kill the man and rape the woman in a thread about a guy asking about his appearance?

Just because (and IF) someone have a far away ascedanscy of those rapists and murders, it doesnt mean that he should defend rape and murder.
Marsupial - | 880
4 May 2016 #191
I would post my picture here but I don't post my pictures on the net. Every person I ever met with even rudimentary knowledge of geography has told me I look polish.
janina2016 1 | 6
27 Jul 2016 #192
Merged: Do I look Polish?

Where I grew up in the U.S. even my elementary school classmates thought I look like I was from a very specific European country but not exactly sure where (they did not think I looked like I was from France, UK, Italy, Greece; if I looked Spaniard they would probably thought I was from the Caribbean, Mexico,and/or Central/South American). If they understood the way my last name looked then they probably would guess correctly. I had the same classmates throughout all of my pre-college years. Again, for those who didn't know what my last name was or the ethnicity based on the way it was spelled I also got this inquiry about my heritage from adults in my workplace, as well as many others (i.e. grocery store), and it was unsolicited. Apparently there's not a lot of people who look like me where I still live (I really am often told I look unique) as I don't look "American" enough. I get a lot of compliments by the opposite sex but who knows if it's truly for that purpose. Anyhow, apparently I look less "American" than my cousins (they look British, or typical "American" as many would say being the first founders of the U.S. as they are half British unlike myself; my sibling was killed at a young age so it's hard to say if he would face the same thing). Finally, before I got a chance to spend ample time with my grandparents I was at least told by them that out of the entire family I look like I was born in Poland. So I wonder if I inherited features that skipped a generation? No matter what the answer I am content with my uniqueness...just wondering if it's not so unique had I lived somewhere else (wish I had my grandparents to ask this instead & I checked online as to what other Polish people look like, although, I'm sure it's more complicated than doing a Google search). I know when I get my first chance to visit Poland I will definitely get my answer! But if anyone can nicely assist me I would be extremely grateful (I admit I have always felt alone in this aspect...like not having a group I can identify with); thank you in advance!





Lyzko 45 | 9,346
27 Jul 2016 #193
Gosh, with intermarriage, mixed-marriage etc., it's darn tough to nail it every time, "YOU look Polish!" While the photos seem to indicate perhaps Central or Eastern European extraction, there has been so much cross-pollination of races and peoples throughout Europe, it's not at all easy for me to say!

Sorry for waffling:-)
janina2016 1 | 6
27 Jul 2016 #194
Thanks for your answer and taking the time to answer! As the absolute youngest & last one left of both sides of the family, I was told I was a 'purebred' by both sets of grandparents in my family a long time ago (they are no longer here & haven't been for some time) so I guess I should just go along with that...even if I look more Polish than a generation older than me (I mean over that 1,000+ years my grandparents have claimed their Roman Catholic ancestors to live in Poland I'm sure neighboring countries crossed borders; I do have hundreds of pictures from the 1800s to confirm to that time period; I just happen to look the most Polish of my family & apparently my community who can not figure me out; so I guess I didn't inherit some possible German accents & possibly Scottish due to that huge 16th century migration that maybe my parents & their siblings did; I mean, at best, I look like a younger sibling to my grandparents instead of their granddaughter based I those photos, so I can deduce it from that too). It still will be interesting to see how 'pure' I am when I do the ancestry DNA test soon just for the heck of it.

Confidently Polish (who needs to learn to speak/write it again & would like my family to move back there again if they'll have us),

Janina

Meant to add this about the attached images:
I do not have any makeup on in these pics except lip gloss; my father took these randomly & recently, and I get a lot of compliments as to how they are an accurate representation of me (I've been told the 1st one is somewhat a weird angle than I think I look...but I do have some cheekbones so I included it for the facial features alone!).

Correction: The 1st posted pic wasn't the one I originally attached. Oh well. That' s me with my ex-boyfriend who is now my very best friend (not an ex for anything terrible obviously) who is half-German & half-Canadian French. A lot of my friends are no more than 1st/2nd generation Europeans like I am. He's got great bone structure (at one time he really did look like Hugh Grant oddly enough; although, a lot of my 1st generation UK, German & Dutch friends know that there is some overlapping in portions of the populations there; I know mainly the ones of the Royal family...as I hear most often...but I know there of many others); anyway, people often point out he looks like he's born from somewhere else too. But I guess I'm the only one who is full Polish or Prussian apparently (which he appreciates thankfully)!
Poleboy765 - | 66
27 Jul 2016 #195
Based on your pics, I'd say Czech. My family was in Poland way back in the 1200s(recorded history, but even before then I'm just regarding historical records and what family says) until the 1930s, visiting the US in the 1920s. I'm second generation. To answer your question, yes looks can skip generation's. Over time, looks will fade more and more the less Polish(or any ethnicity) happen to breed with the family. Eastern and Central Europe seem to have the most distinct features. Compare them to Western Europe and you'll see my point.

Meant to word it like, my family has been in Poland since the 1200s, maybe even before then. This is as far as I could look back with historical records.
janina2016 1 | 6
27 Jul 2016 #196
Thank you Poleboy765. My father mentions how we are like Czech's all the time so I will talk to him about this a bit more.

I attached pics of my 23 yr old daughter (she was 22 at the time of the pics; we both look young so we have that in common at least). She dyes her hair black (her natural is medium brown & she's an extremely talented artist with singing & sketching....hence the piercings, at least in her case). She has beautiful doe eyes (not to sound bias but since she doesn't look like me; she favors her father's UK side that has a little hint of European Spaniard...like no more than 1/8th but her eyes are darker than mine). Her face is more symmetrical than mine and shaped completely different (as well as her nose, ears,lips & body type; the only thing I'm told by everyone that we have in common is are chin). Anyway, this is an example of how different we are. She thinks I'm beautiful & I think she is but I wish we looked a little bit more alike. She dues to give birth to a daughter the first week of September that she's naming after her maternal great grandmother & great-great grandmother (she's combining their names Anna & Stasia and using my name as her daughter's middle name. I'm honored! This will then make my daughter the 2nd youngest & me the 3rd youngest in my entire family.

Again, I REALLY appreciate your time!

Respectfully,
Janina





Poleboy765 - | 66
28 Jul 2016 #197
You're welcome. I'd say she looks like you in the face, however her eyes are not shaped the same. She does look a little Spanish though but not much.
janina2016 1 | 6
9 Aug 2016 #198
Thank you Poloboy765 for your prompt response! Yes, I forgot to say 'doe-shaped' eyes (I think I just said 'doe eyes) & it works well with her shape of face, which a lot of very nice people called 'heart-shaped' (I really appreciate that you said she looks like me so I admit I'm being biased but I know my face isn't 'heart-shaped' but I'm okay with my own & I'm happy for her individual looks...of course, what's inside is the most important).

Here's one last picture (unfortunately the lighting isn't the best but it's not edited at all - I'm not good at doing that & I don't feel good if anyone does it on behalf as I guess I'm sort of old-fashioned that way - & it was taken in my childhood home's foyer; on a side note: I'm so fortunate my parents still live there as it's extremely rare in the part of the U.S. where I live; they're now actively searching to downsize after 41 yrs as they're almost 80 yrs old & 76 yrs old, respectively, so that will be a little hard as far as missing the house & I lost my brother there, but of course I want the best for them...maybe we can move back to Poland?).

All the best!
Janina



mike4a1 - | 1
10 Sep 2017 #199
Merged:

do i look polish or russian



me Polish or Russian
kaprys 3 | 2,249
10 Sep 2017 #200
I'd say Russian ...
Wulkan - | 3,203
10 Sep 2017 #201
DO I LOOK POLISH OR RUSSIAN

You look American
jon357 74 | 21,770
10 Sep 2017 #202
POLISH OR RUSSIAN

Neither
gumishu 13 | 6,134
10 Sep 2017 #203
I agree with kaprys - he does sort of look Russian
Crow 155 | 9,025
11 Sep 2017 #205
you could pass as polish or any European except southern

Specifically, we see that he can`t be Spaniard, Portuguese, Shquiptar (as they call themselves, while western Europeans named them Albanians), Italian, Greek, Romanian and also hardly Bulgarian.
Ziemowit 14 | 4,278
11 Sep 2017 #207
Not if he took this silly thing off his head.
simpleboi95 2 | 29
14 May 2020 #208
People who don't know me always guess me polish... What do you think, do I look Polish?





Miloslaw 19 | 4,664
14 May 2020 #209
Not particularly, but you could certainly pass as Polish.
Ziemowit 14 | 4,278
14 May 2020 #210
What do you think, do I look Polish?

Yes, you do.


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