The purpose of this group is:

Maybe the Yahoo Group named Melungeon Heritage Research is not understanding that the ATAA is made up of Turkish-Americans. There is nothing wrong with these Americans being lobbists. Who are they (MHRG) to deny these Turkish-Americans their freedom to celebrate both their American and Turkish culture?

I have been reading the posts at MHRG and in my opinion they are a group who have a sincere hostility for Turkish Americans. Some of the posts are laughable, these ones have a caveman mentality.

The MHRG even professes their intentions towards the Turkish Americans communities. They hate the people of Turkey. They think that the Turks want to rule the world. I tell you this is paranoid thinking.

The Melungeon Heritage Research Group now has a Saint among them. She arose to sainthood when she revealed the that there is no Turkish DNA to begin with. So she concludes that ALL Melungeons do not have Turkish DNA in their body, based on the facts, she just figured out.

Economic History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century By Phillip Alexander Bruce Published 1895 Macmillan and co.


There were found in Virginia in the seventeenth century a number of persons of Turkish blood, who had been imported like English laborers under the terms of ordinary indentures. One of the head rights which Francis Yeardley, in 1647, gave in to obtain a patent to land in Lowere Norfolk was acquired by his importation of Simon, who was of Turkish nationality.

Jonathan Newell of York County owned four Turkish servants, whose value was placed at the very high figure of ninety-five pounds sterling.

The inventory of the estate of George Jones of Rappahannock included a Turk whose term had still seven years to run. In the last decade of the century, a suit was entered in York by Mathew Catillah, probably an Algerian, for the recovery of his freedom, his mitress retaining him beyond his twenty-fourth year.

Gypsies, Turks, Armenians, and East Indians on Our Early Shores:

An Update on Continually Emerging Ethnic “Surprises”

By Brent Kennedy

(1998)


The Tip of the Archival Iceberg?

American archival evidence of Turkish, Armenian, Gypsy, Jewish and other Middle Eastern settlers now surfaces with regularity. The simple act of looking for it has generally been the key to finding it (along with the fortitude to not dismiss out of hand what is found). A few examples of easily verifiable documents should suffice to demonstrate that the whole story of our Nation's settlement is by no means known. Some examples:

From Jewels of the Third Plantation, Obadiah Oldpath, Lynn, Massachusetts: Thomas Herbert and James M. Munroe, 1862. Early American (Massachusetts) historical reports (pages 71-74):

“1647. Aug 8: There hath suddenlie come among vs a companie of strange people, wch bee neither Indjan nor Christian. And wee know not what to liken them vnto. Some will have it yt they bee Egyptians or Jypsjes, wandering thieves, jugglers and beggars...Never hearing yt any such people were in ye Dutch settlements or Virginia, I surmised yt hee did mean yt they came from ye Spanish settlements, thousands of leagues awaie...They doe use palmistry and other devilish arts and witchcrafts...”

"Could Gypsies have been present this early in North America? Around 1000 A.D., Gypsies, who had originated in India, migrated westward to Turkey where they still reside in significant numbers, and then fanned out again into the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and, finally northern Europe. They carried with them their own rich culture and this they blended with other cultures as they migrated and intermarried. As they moved into Europe they took with them bits and pieces of Ottoman/Turkish/Byzantine culture, folklore, linguistics, religion (Islam), and even genetics (for excellent historical background, see David M. Crowe's, A History of the Gypsies of Eastern Europe and Russia, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1996, pp.1-30). Much of this admixed Gypsy culture would eventually be carried into England by the early 1500s. Gypsy, or more properly, Romani scholars present an intriguing scenario of how Gypsy immigrants might have arrived in early America as slaves, servants, and even "English" settlers, complete with English surnames."

"The Washington Times

Embassy Row

Excerpt:

" 'Genocide' politics

"A grim but tireless debate between Turks and Armenians for more than nine decades found its way into the U.S. presidential campaign, as Turkish-Americans began organizing politically against any change in Washington's policy toward the "Armenian genocide" of 1915."

YouTube Melungeons Visit New York

I found this YouTube link over at the hateful Melungeon Heritage Research Group. Quite interesting. I think people should listen carefully to what Wayne Winkler said. He said that the Ottoman Empire was not just in Anatolia, but encompassed a large region.

Newsletter Volume 1, No. 1 September 1989

Excerpt:

"Today, Turkish scholars have verified that the name Melunjun was applied and used freely by early Ottoman Turk-ish sailors. The modem Turkish people recognize this term which meant cursed soul or abandoned by God. How ironic in view of the traumatic history of the Melungeons in America. Also, Spanish Historian, Eloy Gal-legoes, found the name in early Spanish Folk songs."

Turks in Hancock County Tenn.

In my opinion this is a racist and paranoid statement and I think it is hostile to anyone on earth who is Turk. Tell me exactly how on earth having Turkish heritage can cause the Melungeon people a lot of problems? This statement is insane... almost laughable if it were not so racist.

Caucasians can be of the Muslim faith too. Hateful thoughts and attitudes such as yours are what fuel the wars that exterminate God’s creations. America is not at war with Muslims. The truth is many Muslim men and women took an oath to defend the freedoms we treasure in our society. These women and men, I'm referring too, are in the United States Military. I'm sure that some of these people have Turk parents.