How far back can you trace your family history?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by epchick

Does that work in the opposite direction (like you are going down the family tree, i mean going up). Like i'll give an example. I'll use one of my grandmother's siblings--her brother Mauricio.

Mauricio had 6 kids (and i'll use my godfather Rudy as more of the example)
Rudy had 3 girls
His 3 girls all have kids (Rudy's grandchildren)

Rudy & his siblings would be my mom's first cousins. But "my generation" would be his grandchildren, so would they be my first cousins? Or would my "uncle" Rudy still be my first cousins as well?

If I'm following you correctly, Rudy and your mom are first cousins. Rudy and you are first cousins once removed. Likewise, Rudy's kids and your mom are first cousins once removed. Rudy's kids and you are second cousins. Rudy's grandkids and you are second cousins once removed. Rudy's grandkids and your kids would be third cousins.

Generation is this sense doesn't mean age -- i.e., Rudy's grandchildren and you are around the same age. It means number of generations removed from the common ancestor. One generation means that you are both the children of the common ancestor(s), or siblings. Two generations, grandchildren of the common ancestor(s), or first cousins. Three generations, great-grandchildren of the common ancestor(s), or second cousins. Etc.

So "your generation" is Rudy's kids, even if they are old enough to be your parents.

Make sense?

[agzg]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

If I'm following you correctly, Rudy and your mom are first cousins. Rudy and you are first cousins once removed. Likewise, Rudy's kids and your mom are first cousins once removed. Rudy's kids and you are second cousins. Rudy's grandkids and you are second cousins once removed. Rudy's grandkids and your kids would be third cousins.

Generation is this sense doesn't mean age -- i.e., Rudy's grandchildren and you are around the same age. It means number of generations removed from the common ancestor. One generation means that you are both the children of the common ancestor(s), or siblings. Two generations, grandchildren of the common ancestor(s), or first cousins. Three generations, great-grandchildren of the common ancestor(s), or second cousins. Etc.

So "your generation" is Rudy's kids, even if they are old enough to be your parents.

Make sense?

Did anyone watch Gilmore Girls? This reminds me of Emily and Richard's (second) wedding.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

If I'm following you correctly, Rudy and your mom are first cousins.

Make sense?

Yes they are first cousins. I do believe it makes sense now. My family has sooo many people in it, it is hard to keep track of it. lol.

I guess i've always been confused with this whole thing because i've always understood the "Mexican" way. Like Rudy and I are cousins, but he's always been "uncle Rudy" to me b/c in Mexico my mom and Rudy would be considered primos-hermanos or cousins-brothers. So that would mean that Rudy (and his siblings) and my mom (and her siblings) are more siblings than cousins because they all are around the same age.

Thanks for clearing it up MC & AGDee

[XSK_Diamond]

My ex-husband is from West Africa and his family (and maybe his entire ethnic group) follow the same kinship system. What's interesting though, is that my family (black American) does the same thing and always has. My mom's first cousins are considered her sisters/brothers and my aunts/uncles. And one of my cousin's kids call me Aunt Rosalind. Even close family friends get in on it.. I have a childhood friend that won't refer to me as anything other than her cousin. WE ALL understand the connections, but I know we confuse the mess out of other folks when we try explain it, LOL.

Originally Posted by epchick

Yes they are first cousins. I do believe it makes sense now. My family has sooo many people in it, it is hard to keep track of it. lol.

I guess i've always been confused with this whole thing because i've always understood the "Mexican" way. Like Rudy and I are cousins, but he's always been "uncle Rudy" to me b/c in Mexico my mom and Rudy would be considered primos-hermanos or cousins-brothers. So that would mean that Rudy (and his siblings) and my mom (and her siblings) are more siblings than cousins because they all are around the same age.

Thanks for clearing it up MC & AGDee

[AGDee]

We have "cousins" who are not really related but who came from the same village in Sicily along with my family on the same boat, moved next door to each other in Pennsylvania and then they all moved to Detroit together and lived across the street from each other in Detroit. In reality, since the village in Sicily is very small and people all married people from the same village, there is probably some shared blood somewhere, but they lived as though they were very close relatives our whole lives.

Then you have my dad's siblings. His brother and sister married a sister and brother. Their kids are "double cousins" because they share both sets of grandparents. They are probably, genetically, more like brothers and sisters than cousins.