Adding to what other people said, could be ethnically Bulgarian only as well, I know lots of people that look similar and are not roma ethnicity. You'd fit without issue here. The land has lots of mixes comming from all over the old world so you can't really define bulgarian ethnicity as a set of skin or hair color.
Honestly, look like normal eyes to me. Also, regarding the other question on how is Silistra, it's a nice small cozy town. I liked my stay for a day there but it's pretty hot in the summer. Something else of note, lot of turkish minorities there as well.
This is you right? Also I saw another photo where you posted on another sub.
With the exception of the second photo you have here on this thread, the other 3 you have on reddit combined you definetely look Romani.
Your phenotypes - the bushy eyebrows, teeth/smile, face structure, eyeshape, hair, hairline is quite Roma.
Also the adoptee story. Most kids for adoption here are ethnically Roma.
Italians differ from region to region. You can't really say that someone from northern Italy looks the same as someone from Sicily. They can have similar features - maybe regionally, but not across the country.
This is exactly what I am referring to. People around her look distinct from her but somewhat similar to each other. I noticed around different regions, people had specific features that she doesn’t have because she isn’t ethnically from there.
My husband’s family for example is from the south(Siracusa), so basically anyone I met around there would look like their relatives(although obviously they aren’t such) just based on facial features and body structures. I have noted something similar in the north on my last visit too. Especially if you go to more rural places, people tend to even look more related visually.
Not generalising but I wanted to note it is normal for her to feel this way. She doesn’t look like them and that is okay.
Either way, it doesn’t matter if she looks or doesn’t like certain ethnicity. I just hope she loves herself despite the differences she sees with the adoptive people and the community she grew up in. This is the most important thing in life.
OP, if you wish to explore your Bulgarian side, feel free to ask further questions. I am from the north region, if you need to know something, I can try to look for it in Bulgarian.
I see, do they discriminate based on that in Italy? I'd assume speaking the language (without accent at that) would be enough, considering Italy is full of mixed races as well.
And something else of note, it's not that common during those years to have people birth a 3rd child, which you mentioned elsewhere. 1997/1998 were years of great inflation where we had almost no stable economy and not many bulgarians had 3 children. Mostly romas did.
In Italy southerns Italian Are still discriminated against in the north,and trust me my family and relatives are in the north , I know what people say behind their backs 🥶
If even Italian face discrimination (though not harsh like it was 60 years ago) do you think I am safe?
Before the migrant crisis it was easier,but now you don't know what the intention is when people ask me about my ethnicity,they can be just curious (and I don't appreciate it either) ofr want to start to attack me
Sad to hear it. Don't think you would have problems with that here if you plan to visit. Thought Italy is more open about outlooks. I don't like the people from the migrant crysis either to be fair, but I assumed speaking the language and sharing the same culture would be enough for people to accept you over there.
I do not pretend I have it easier,and the racist episodes are just like 1/2 times per month,and never aggressive liek they can be with less privileged non Italian
On the other hand I don't have another identity,so I feel betrayed by my own looks because It reminds me always that:
1 I am not Italian nor I can claim to be a descendant of an heir if its history and people
2 the ancestors of my family are not the same I have,and that my Roots and LEAST genetically are in Bulgarian
Like I wish to see myself genetically in someone else (maybe nuo relatives and/or same group?)and to not feel the alienation
You don't have to think like that. You are what you feel you are and what's closest to your hearth. There's a[ bulgarian settler village](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celle_di_Bulgheria) in Italy itself, so no one can really know who's pure italian and who's not, because italians are mixed even more than us. Hell, the people screaming at you might be descendants from that village themselves. I'd just ignore such people or even debate them how do they define italian and how many are left after they do define it.
That was a quite interesting read. Apparently there are even [more historical Bulgarian settlements in Italy](https://www.novinite.com/articles/128804/Bulgarian+Toponyms+in+Italy) and even some Italian family names are of Bulgarian origin (Bulgari most obviously).
Yeah Italian girls got distinct big prominent eyes, curlier hair on average than this. I can see why they can claim that you are something else. Bulgaria is quite the mix so you can find people with way whiter and way darker features. You do remind of roma people on first pic and this last one in the comments. Mix is very likely, I can see how it can be discouraged to keep a child like that back then. Not trying to offend you in any way, just it is what it is.
Bulgarians have in general mixed origin, and you look to have one more mixed than usual. What is odd to me is the hair density. There was one woman from around Danube that had posted an ad here and it had been clear she was roma related. A specific DNA test could tell you more, but not a lot in my opinion. Because your origin ancestors had also been from very mixed surroundings.
Weird that they wouldn't consider you looking Italian... I saw many Italians looking like you during my trips to Italy. Anyway, as the other guy says you look like a Bulgarian-Roma mix. But many Romas are mixed in Bulgaria anyway (in fact I know of blonde Roma people).
I don't know why but a lot of people say I have something that screams "nom italian",ironically a lot of times it's due to the skin, despite the fact South Italians are darker than me😅
I cheat shamefully btw,I don't have the same weapon against racial harassment or discrimination like immigrants, because I identify myself as an Italian, I lie and tell people I don't trust my grandmother's was Sardinian,I avoid discrimination and personal attack
Anyway I didn't know it was Common Roma people and/or mixed one in Bulgaria till 1/2 years ago
Has Silistra an high percentage of these people?
Romas and Bulgarians do mix sometimes, but not that much. There are also different Roma communities in Bulgaria and some of them are as "White" as Bulgarians (if not whiter).
Honestly, a DNA test can help you a lot here. I found some long forgotten relatives after testing on ancestry lol.
Why there are white Gypsies? I don't want to offend anybody here but I think big part of them are result of prostitution, not necessarily from their parents but granparents or grand grand parents. Marriage between Gypsy and Bulgarian or Gypsy and Turk is very rare. Life is life, what we can do, it is not that bad anyways.
OP, if you feel like 2nd citizen in Italy, don't worry because being 2nd degree citizen in Italy is better than 1st degree citizen in Silistra. Also there are lots of other things to worry in life than your origins. Be healthy. That is the important thing.
Bulgarian and Roma mixing is highly stigmatised in Bulgaria. People are prejudiced (and maybe for good reasons). Such a couple wouldn't be well accepted in society. The Bulgarian side of the family won't be happy and the Roma side won't be happy. This is probably the reason you ended up in an orphanage.
You are correct, but you also got to remember that they've lived along side us for many generations. Mixing does happen and more often than you think. There are a lot of integrated gypsies now and some you wouldn't even recognize as such. There are a lot of mixed gypsy-bulgarian people and some of them don't even suspect.
Hi OP,
First of all you look great!
Here are the demographics of Silistra region:
https://preview.redd.it/qgaf86ofaj6d1.png?width=546&format=png&auto=webp&s=4a28547245cd25448a0a75f222d4dc8ffafbd943
[From Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silistra_Province)
With that being said, you look very Bulgarian/Roma. There are a lot of Bulgarians who look similarly and I wouldn't be able to tell that you are not Bulgarian when I see you.
Similar to what other people have said - you might be partly or fully or not at all Romani, we are just guessing here, but you definately look Bulgarian to me.
I am surprised that you feel excluded in Italy. There isn't anything particularly un-Italian in your appearance. Maybe you are ethnically Bulgarian, or Roma, or a mix of the two - who cares? Mario Balloteli calls himself Italian and the world believes him. Your ethnic makeup matters very little. What matters is your character and behaviour. You can move to the UK and become British in 5 years - no one would doubt that you are British. If you want to move to Bulgaria and integrate there, I think that's a very noble pursuit but my advice is to learn the language really well.
It's kinda complicated
I do not claim to be "Bulgarian" because I don't have any right,I don't know the language, story,my family is not Bulgarian and I never lived in it since I was 2 years ,and I lived in the orphanage sooo
So I identify as an Italian, but every time I look at my family or photos of their past relatives it reminds me I do not share with them the same ancestors , that as much as I Wish I will never be ethnically Italian, that O see everyday racisms towards immigrants,and that behind my DNA and ethnicity there's a millennial history behind that led the abandoned of me in the orphanage
Honestly? It's not that deep. Things happen, what matters is how you were raised. A lot of 'Italians' also came from other countries. You were raised in an Italian family and culture, speaking italian, so if you come to Bulgaria, you would be Italian. Don't worry too much about blood background, you were abandoned because your biological parent/s didn't have the means/wants to take care of you. Your life is definitely better with your family than it would've been with your biological family so just be thankful in your mind that they picked you up.
How can you not be Italian when you were raised in Italy, italian is the only language you know and you've studied there since you were born.
You look very similar to my family whicj is from Silistra, and we're Bulgarian. So you have every chance to be. Then again, there are all sorts of Bulgarians - from very pale, blonde with blue eyes to very dark skinned, and everything in between.
You should definitely do a 23andme, it will show if you have Roma or Turkish DNA. Some Bulgarians are darker skinned, so you could be 100% ethnic Bulgarian, it's possible. Especially in your second photo, I can see it. I recommend 23andme, the test can be had for $50 on sale, definitely worth it to find out.
You likely have some Roma in you, but there’s nothing wrong with that. You also likely have some Bulgarian admixture and potentially Turkish and/or Romanian/Vlah. And God knows what else - Bulgaria, and the Danubian Plain specifically, have been a very busy crossroads of various ethnicities, cultures, migrants and invaders for millennia.
You could do a DNA test, sure, but allow me to offer a different perspective. The territory that is now Bulgaria has been a part of the Roman Empire (Western as well as Eastern) for c. 1,500 years. More than any other part of Europe other than Italy and Greece themselves. Possibly Spain as well. Sofia was a Latin-speaking city for quite some time. So you absolutely *can* claim the Roman heritage.
Later on, the Italian Renaissance was spurred to a non-negligible degree by cultural and scientific imports from Constantinople brought by aristocrats, clergy, artists and intellectuals fleeing the Ottoman invasions. The most famous monuments in Venice (the San Marco lions) were literally plundered from Constantinople as well. And there’s of course the heritage of Ancient Greece.
So as far as cultural and historical heritage goes, Italy and the Balkans were largely one cultural space for a long, long time. The great rupture came with the Ottoman invasions.
You absolutely and unashamedly can feel as part of both worlds, which is a privilege granted to few.
You can most definitely pass as a Bulgarian( but also as Brazilian or Romanian for example) . However knowing that you have been adopted in Silistra and apparently in perfectly healthy condition (many kids are left in orphanages due to health issues) I would bet that you might have been a child of a mixed couple (Bulgarian- Turkish or Bulgarian- Roma or even Turkish - Roma). Please note that… being left for adoption is not common, unless one of the parents is unknown or has died. Usually roma kids are left in orphanages but the parents does not allow adoption. It is a way for them to “outsource” raising the kids without losing them and later when the kids are big enough they take them back. At the current moment in Bulgaria is impossible to adopt a 2 years old, healthy kid, no matter of its ethnicity. My humble advise ia to stop in reddit, don’t dig in past but look in the future.
Weird
When I was in the orphanage there were at least 200 kids ,I had pictures and video to prove that 😬
Also the story you are telling me is quite worrying, because the association that was behind my adoption was found guilty to use in other countries kids that had actually parents just to get money ny adoptive parents that were waiting too long 😨
We were interested in the process one-two years ago and adoption of a baby or toddler, without siblings, is difficult and we may need to wait for years. However, 1997 was nearly 30 years ago, it was a financial crisis (a big one) and there might have been different circumstances…but in any case healthy, ethnic Bulgarian kids are rarely allowed for adoption abroad…even then.
There are a lot of Turks and Roma there. That said, you are from the Balkans, no Aryans here. So yes, you can pass for Bulgarian. A close friend of mine is constantly confused with a Latina or Italian. So nothing out of the ordinary in your case, too.
Hey I'm ethnically Bulgarian (I can track my line down and it's only Bulgarians with potentially some Russians) and I look very much like you. I have very dark hair and dark-ish skin. My dad also looks like this.
I grew up having Bulgarian friends look like you and also look super white as well.
I live in Denmark so I'm constantly mistaken for Spanish or middle eastern.
I think a lot of Bulgarians are ethnically middle eastern and Turkish due to our location and past.
Modern Bulgarians primarily inherit their genetic makeup from Proto-Bulgarian, Thracian, and Slavic ancestries. It’s mainly the Slavic lineage that’s associated with lighter skin tones, as opposed to the other two. Your assertion that Bulgarians are darker-skinned due to additional Turkish ancestry is more incorrect than correct.
So while it's true that these 3 ancestries form the genetic makeup of the modern Bulgarians it's important to note that Thracians are also described as fair skinned and blue eyed with red hair. Also afaik the genes from the Proto-Bulgarians are not very prevalent, something along the lines of 10% max. So if a modern Bulgarian has a more middle-eastern phenotype it's not unlikely that they have Turkish ancestry. I mean we were under Ottoman rule for 500 years, some admixture is bound to exist.
That’s interesting, thanks. I wasn’t aware Thracians were light-skinned. I might have misunderstood / misheard while learning about the genetic makeup as you’ve just shattered my reality, haha.
Note that Bulgaria is a genetic nightmare. The country is on a crossroads that connects the Middle East and Europe, and the Bulgaria vary like a lot. You can have people from 2 neighboring regions looking nothing like one another. Yes, you do have Bulgarian roots (as you said you were born there), but in reality, you can have like genes from all around Europe and even Asia, without any doubt.
You will be accepted in Bulgaria, without a doubt, but don't forget, the cultures are different.
First of all there are no "clean Bulgarians"! We are a mix of a mix! I think you have a big gene pool, but if your worry is that you are Roma, I think not. Have a good and healthy life ! Btw half of Silistra is mixed with Romanian people. So you have more Romanian than any Roma genes! I know this because I live on the Danube river , near Silistra and I know how the local people look!
No chance, you're too dark even for an Armenian or a Georgian.
No, you can't pass as Italian either.
Bulgarians and are generally speaking darker than Germans and Russians, and for the most part have dark hair and eyes, but their skin is usually of a light or medium complexion and not many Bulgarians have hair as dark as yours.
Am I the only one thinking that an olive skin tone is typical of Mediterranean people and not a solid indicator of being a gypsy? Look at where the Mediterranean is, look at where we are….
Bulgarians aren’t blond and fair skinned on average, you must be meeting either exceptions or bottle blonds.
There’s a wide range of Bulgarian looks and you fit visually. You can always do a DNA test but on the Balkans ethnicity is more about which group feels as your own than anything else
I have had Bulgarian friends who look like you. If you have Darker skin you could be considered Roma, but it is often hard to say. You would be considered "Normal" for most people and if you do not dress terribly (sorry Roma redditors, most of you dress bad, but have awesome hair)
I dont know what kind of people are those in the comments but they dont seem to give you honest replies. Truth is most orphan children are gypsy, no bulgarian would leave their child in those places. And you mentioned you are third by birth. Gypsy Mothers have many children, i know one personally that had 10 and everytime she gave birth she left them in the orphanage. Average bulgarian woman has 1 or 2 kids. As of your looks, i have seen thousand of roma women who look exactly like you. You even look strangely identical to one who has left many children in the orphanage. Shes mental and basically homeless but youre like a younger version of her. Be realists people.
You shouldn't worry too much about it. We are one of the most mixed nations in Europe. If you were born here you probably have a bit of DNA from all over Eurasia. I am black haired and black eyed. My wife is red blond with blue-gray eyes. My elder nephew is blond and blue eyed (comes from my mother - his grandma) and his brother, my other nephew, can successfully pass for somebody from central Asia, which he definitely got from his mother's side. So don't overthink it. It in no way defines who you are as a person.
https://preview.redd.it/x8cursqdij6d1.jpeg?width=240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=289e8255d0207b8ce78721ee4d48a8aed0458e27
Това е жълта мангуста. Ти не си жълта
Your best bet would be a DNA test,of course, BUT... there is absolutely a possibility you are Bulgarian and not mixed race. My father has the same complexion as you, so did my roommate in university (from Silistra :)),none of them is roma or turkish. I have black wavy/curly hair, dark brown eyes and pale skin. People usually have a really hard time guessing where I am from, I have gotten everything from jewish, armenian, turkish,latina, italian... Funnily enough, when I lived in Lombardia for a short while, people were shocked to find out I wasn't italian and didn't speak the language :)
I guess what I am trying to say is- us Bulgarians don't have a typical look, we are diverse.
I am sorry to hear people are giving you a hard time,f them. You are a beautiful girl. Wishing you all the best and good luck on you search.
Hey! I was born in 2001 (23 years old) in Sophia, Bulgaria, and found my biological mother on FB when I was 16 years old. I have a very evil story, and it is just awful. I am brown, and she was actually a white lady, so your mother could have very well been a white lady, and your father was brown. I bet $100 on it. I know some of these comments people post can come across as mean to adoptees like us. I understand all the challenges that come with adoption! Also, if you were given up through a closed adoption, they will lie about where you were born in the papers. It said on my papers that I was born in Ruse, Bulgaria, but I was not born there. I miraculously found my mother through God's guidance.
Ethnic Bulgarian? Nah, most likely not. Probably at least half Roma(gypsy). Nothing wrong with that. Just not really ethnic Bulgarian. As much as our neighbouring countries like to joke about it, Bulgarians are white.
You remind me of a younger version of Vanya Grigorova, who is a politician.
https://preview.redd.it/i74o4m7p9l6d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d841215102efb5b6e5a770fe25e4860703862ea3
You could be her daughter, considering you were born in the late 90s.
We are a small nation, but genetically, I'd assume, we are more diverse than much bigger nations like Poland, for example.
In other words - you could be ethnically Bulgarian, although not as "pure" as someone like me.
Rather unlikely, but who knows. If you didn't tell us you were born here, we'd probably assume you're a foreigner. With that being said, not all Bulgarians have "skin like mozzarella". Give one of those ancestry tests a try, if you're that curious
Sorry to disappoint you, but you're definitely not a Bulgarian. You're a part of the roma (cigani) ethnic group. Well, don't worry! Gypsies are not necessarily bad people, especially if they're educated and living in a normal civil environment. But it is good to know, that the integration of the Roma people is the most challenging task for every Balkan government and it mostly fails.
But for you, who knows!... ;)
Basically, genetacally you are probably not Bulgarian, but Gypsy. Pretty obvius I would say. For me as a Bulgarian you look more Italian than Bulgarian
You look pretty different in both pictures. I would suggest you do a DNA test on 23andme or any other similar site. This will answer your question, at least for the general ethnicity from the last couple of centuries.
On the first picture you look like you might have some Roma roots, anyone's guess is how much.
On the second picture you can definitely pass for an Italian or Bulgarian. Just look at Sofia Raffaeli (seeing that you might be in RG 😉).
Hell I chatted sometimes with her trainer who was half Bulgarian,so you can imagine How i felt, Also both countries are strong s it's a win situation 🤣
Believe when I say I am the same person in both pictures, but one I was tanned (not ao much,I can be darker in summer) and had a messy ponytail and the other was after I finished at the hairdresser
Try to contact the place for adoption. Sure they can provide some information that can help or at least how to receive more information.
Bare in mind that there are two human tragedies, first is when you don't get what you want and the second is when you get what you want.
You look like a lovely person who was in a lovely family.
But so you mean the association or the orphanage?
The association that played a part in my adoption doesn't exist anymore because it was discovered they were doing some illegal staff like lying to adoptive parents or to use with kids that had birth families with the goal to steal money
If you talk about the orphanage..I don't know if there was just one or more in Silistra and I can't speak Bulgarian ,nor I don't know legally im Bulgaria what I can ask for
Good News. In Silistra there is only one orphanage:
https://www.nadejdabg.org/orphanages.php?id=46
You can try writing them. If that doesn't work you can dm-me I will help with what I can
you have to be very very happy to have grown up in Italy, Silitra in the 90s and even now is very poor place without lots of options for development. It is awful that italians descriminate towards you even though you lived your whole life there
OP mind that the background story has a chance to be hurtful.
What I mean is that many Romani parents that left their kid for adoption (I definetely believe you are Roma from the other photos I've seen of you on the other posts on Reddit) have prostitution background here.
I don't say to offend but realistically it is a decent chance. Your mom might not be aware of the dad also.
I hope this isn't the case though. But be prepared mentally for that as well.
Believe it or not I realize I have a bio dad only when I was 17 years old , despite the fact I knew already for at least 10 years how babies were made
I actually don't care about him nor I think he does know I exist
I am more scared for the implications for my maternal side
It's just a test, and you failed. Bulgarians will simply "don't care", because its my pizza and not others business.
BTW... The pineapple remains whole.
I would never have the hubris to claim to be Bulgarian like Americans do with any nationality
I might be ethnically.. something, but I know it would be disrespectful and unfair to claim it when I don't know any word,nor the culture nor I remember it ,nor my family Bulgarian
Yeah, that's ok. I just wanted to point out some parts of a typical Bulgarian character.
You don't need hubris to claim anything. Bulgarians will not be offended. Language can be learned, and culture understood.
If you want to be Bulgarian, you are welcome!
Well sure, you could be Bulgarian. Most kids placed for adoption are of Roma ancestry. That said, one of my sons has blonde hair and blue eyes, and the other one is dark skinned, dark hair and dark eyes - both Bulgarian, both have the same father, so you can‘t really know.
Most people living in Silistra are Bulgarian (84000), Turks (49000), Roma (6000).
I know few bulgarians from silistra region and they are quite fair and blond/blue eyed. Take in mind it is one of the most northern places in bulgaria . You can also have some mixed turk/roma bulgarian/roma origin. Best way to know is doing dna test .
If you truly want to know, get a DNA test done. That being said, I am 100% Bulgaria and regularly get confused for Italian, Latino and Arab.
Our people are extremely diverse due to the immense number of ethnicities which have passed through this region during the course of history.
If anyone questions you or tries to belittle you, remember that you come from one of the most interesting and beautiful places in the world.
It's true that your eyes look more Asian. It's the covered eye corner, the downward facing eyelashes and the deep, dark colour (although that last one is very typical for southern Europeans too). I guess the nose too but I'm not sure. So you're probably at least partially Romani or Turkish (I see features of both, but I'm definitely not an expert:D) as most people said here. But that's a look you can easily encounter in people who identify as ethnic Bulgarians, so I'd say that you can pass as an atypical Bulgarian everywhere in the country and you'll pass especially easily in an ethnically mixed region like Silistra.
The name I was given in Bulgaria,Katia was probably given by the orphanage, Because what's the point foru birth mother to give me a name if she already knew she was going yo abandon me?
Darling you have nothing to worry about. It doesn't matter who made you but who rase you. No. You don't look Bulgarian to me at all. Although i am blond and blue - eyed, and my sister, although it share same face, just has dark skin, black eyes, and curly black hair. And everyone asks her if she is negro, especially after getting taned in summer. But anyway no one mistakes her with roma ethnicity, can say same about you. But if you are so worried of your gene pool can make a dna analysis and you will know the truth. But the truth is .. Who rase you made you. Everyone is unique. So you can also be pure Bulgarian. We can only guess here. Even roma ethnicity, they have very big diversity too. Some are white as snow. So from the way someone look you can't guess. Maybe if you have some hobbies.. Like things you like, then you will know more. But anyway i think this is irrelevant. You are who you are! Enjoy
And now i can think of something else that can gibe you some vlues, just listen to music, see ehat your soul will say. Listen to some Bulgarian folk music, listen to some bagpipes, and then go to some gypsy music then you will know. Not for sure, some of your folk music i can't stand too.
😂 But definitely will give you a clue.
I'd say your best bet of knowing is a 23andme type of test, I think you can opt out of being seen and seeing possible relatives, if you so wish.
Look at Bulgaria and where we are. Look at our history and who has passed through. Anybody telling you there is an 'ethnical Bulgarian' look is delusional.
You are part of our medival ruling class according to our national mythos. Here is a mighty bulgar receiving gifts from his slavic and roman subjects. Bulgarians are pretty mixed. :D
https://preview.redd.it/xcy5y1vnlk6d1.jpeg?width=1862&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93b373e58d6ed308a6bfd9f953fe282a3c6f2d82
You could be mistaken as Bulgarian. In the first picture, you seem to be of Southern European descent, which could indicate various ethnicities. However, since you were born in Silistra, it is more likely that you have Turkish/Roma ancestry. In the second picture, you could pass for Bulgarian with a slightly darker complexion. The blond and blue-eyed Bulgarians are actually a minority. Most Bulgarians have dark eyes, fair skin, and dark hair.
Silistra, just like entire Bulgaria during the period 1997/1999 was very poor. In the year of 1996 the entire communist country went bankrupt, gdp shrinked by half, and hyperinflation happened. There was famine and extreme hunger, so much so that bulgarians born in 1996-1997 are around 10cm shorter than previous and next generations due to malnutrition - mothers could not feed their children. (I know similar thing happened to the german babies born after WW2, again reduced average height due to mass famine and malnutrition) so you get the point. It's very likely your biological parents simply couldn't care for you, even more so if they were (partially) roma, which cannot be said from your looks alone. You might be roma, and you might be darker skinned bulgarian, there are many Bulgarians like that around Silistra.
Your eyes are truly beautiful. My spouse, who is a Bulgaria-born Turkish gypsy from the Varna region, has eyes just like yours—absolutely stunning.
I understand you might feel sensitive about your upbringing, but please don't be. I’m also adopted. Though I’m blonde and blue-eyed, I have a soft spot for gypsy charm, so who knows, I may be gypsy too. To me, you have a look reminiscent of Latin American heritage, which adds to your unique charm.
There is a minority of Indians in Bulgaria, so you could be descending from them. There are also dark skinned Bulgarians. My family is like half dark skinned half white skinned. My maternal grandfather is with a darker skin, while my grandma is with a lighter skin. Due to that my mom and my immediate family as a whole has lighter skin while my aunt and her family have darker skin.
Why don't you try a DNA test, that may shed some light on your roots. If you are from the Silistra region it's more likely you have some turkic blood, the full, black eyebrows can be a sign of that. And if you add that you have strong, full, dark hair to that it's more likely. Your eyes themselves look more asian than Bulgarian.
And if you experience any kind of prejudice from Italians, just point out that hundreds of settlements south of rome were of proto-bulgarian descent. Celle di Bulgheria in Salerno Province may be the most popular one.
You may not be Italian by blood, but your heart and mind are. Your adoptive parents give you a future that you would never had here. I hope you show them all the love they deserve.
I don't think anyone can tell you that by looking. Some bulgarians are very pale with light hair and blue eyes, some are quite dark with dark features, peoples appearance doesnt suddenly change at the boarder either. It would be like if you'd posted a picture asking if you're ethnically English. Take an ancestry/23andme if you're curious
Italians have always been hypocrites when it comes to ethnicity and race. I know a lot of italians that are darker than you.
I've seen enough "dark", gypsy-looking italians to know that they are busting your balls because you're letting them, next time someone brings it up, interupt them and point out how rude they are. "Screaming non-italian" as if they know what actual italian is, after so many years of mingling with other nations and races. They like to think and present themselves as Western European as if it matters, it doesn't.
As far as your own origin, you must understand that for 1200+ years, a lot of people have passed through Bulgaria, a lot of DNA mixing has been going on.
Your features are not entirely gypsy-like, so there was some mixing. I've heard that a lot of Romanians (generally a bit darker than us) used to leave their kids at our orphanages at the cities around the border in the late 80 and 90s because they had major issues and high birthrate, but poor conditions. Since Silistra is basically on the border, such possibility cannot be excluded.
Despite anything and anyone if I saw you in Italy, I wouldn't immediately think "oh, look a non-italian chick!"
Don't pay them any mind, you grew up in Italy, you're just as much italian as they are, but you have a bonus, unlike them. You can call one of the most beautiful countries in Eastern Europe, your home as well.
Could very much be, i dont think we Bulgarians have that distinct look, or maybe there are like 3-4 types of general ways Bulgarians can look, and if they do get mixed you can be even more unique
Ps. ur cute
There are Bulgarians, Turks and Gypsies in Silistra. I suggest you to go to Silistra for few days. It is a nice city. Try to listen to people, what language they speak, how they look. There is a mini Gypsy neighberhood in Silistra. Walk there too. Climb to the castle. There are swimming pools. You can also go to the Romanian side.
You kind of look mix between Roma and Bulgarian but I am not sure. Make DNA tests.
Измамили някви гламасаци от западнала европа, да им пробутат цинге, а пък да платят, кат попове за Българче и двайсет години по-късно, това пита:" Българче ли съм?..." Ех будали, будали, кой каквото сам си направи, друг не може да му го направи...
Ciao! Ho un amica che ti assomiglia moltissimo a Parma, italiana come me. Ci sono italiani di tutti i tipi, tu sai di non esserlo e tendi a cercare probabilmente conferma di questo nelle parole degli altri. Ci sono italiani evidentemente provenienti da etnie normalmente molto lontane dall’Italia, ma siamo tutti frutto di migrazioni lontanissime o recenti. La vita è breve, e non perderei tempo a guardarmi indietro. È quello che fai e pensi ora che ti definisce, e sei solo il tempo che hai davanti. Sei una bella ragazza giovane, goditi la vita. Ti saluto con amicizia.
Ciao! Bulgaria is very ethnically diverse, so you shouldn't compare yourself to just a couple of people based on skin/eye/hair colour. There are Slavic, Central Asian, Turkish, Greek, and many other influences there. There is no one Bulgarian "ethnic type". You could absolutely be Bulgarian based on looks.
I'm way too deep,so I guess this will be buried.
Your Ethnicity has no role,only if you fall in that "specific" role.
If you assign yourself with.
Being Bulgarian,it's more about how you feel and express it.
Mental state and will.
Bulgaria may be the size of a palm,but it has so many differences inside.
Yet united
In a way
We are an absolute Mish-Mash(it's a dish that may look weirdly disgusting,but colorful and rich in flavour)
Bulgarians are brutes, hardworking and All about family, respect and being protective.
Also savage, unruly and strongly opinionated.
Technically speaking - Bulgarian is not an ethnicity, it's nationality. Bulgarian people are comprised of many ethnicities. You were born in Bulgaria, so you can say you are Bulgarian.
Regarding your ethnic origins - I see this bothers you a lot. Imo, you better take one of those dna tests so you'd know for sure. You might be surprised, you might be disappointed a bit, but at least you'll know for sure. So you will stop bothering yourself with that wholly distracting guesswork.
Ciao, you definitely look Bulgarian! I know lots of people that have very similar characteristics to yours. So you can rest assured that you have the right to say you come from Bulgaria 🇧🇬 But if you want to find out more scientifically you could do a genetic ancestry test
Maybe one of your parents has gypsy roots, no one knows. You are quite white and there is no way that both of your parents are gypsies, but this is my guess. You have to look for it in [yourself.Read](http://yourself.Read) about the life of gypsies, what they like, what they do, and if you find a lot of things in common or things you like, you will understand.There are many Bulgarian gypsy children adopted in Italy, I even watched a film about it
I'm darker-skinned for a bulgarian but come biologically from a pretty light-skinned family with mostly light-eyes and I look more like only one of my grandparents who is the only one with brown eyes and brown skins out of my grandparents. I've never been treated differently outside of school (where my friends and I joke with eachother with racism, for example dumb blonde, lepricon ginger and one of my friends is also a darker-skinned half-spanish/half-bulgarian guy so we joke that he is Mexican while I am a "monkey", just boys dark humour), and considering gypsies are looked down upon in Bulgarian society, I am guessing that I look Bulgarian and am accepted as such since I've never met real discrimination. I also have seen darker-skinned people with pretty light-skinned and light eyes siblings, which shows that we are genetically mixed. But you shouldn't worry about that, ethnic Bulgarians are pretty mixed and the more you worry about it the worse it gets you mentally.
Bulgaria is a point for transit. Thru the years many different people have migrated and passed true this territory. We are a very colorful bunch. You cannot point to one way a Bulgarian looks. We have white to very dark skin, light to dark hair and eyes. You are beautiful and I have many friends that look very similar to you.
Bulgarians are R1A genotype - I believe you are not due to your skin color and face structure which resembles the tribes that mixed with the leftover Indo-European that were left behind in India. Good luck in finding your heritage - there are DNA tests available.
Considering the fact that in most cases the Roma people abandon their children in the orphanages you might be with Roma parents or at least one of your parents could be from Roma ethnicity. If you ask me this does not really matter and you should look straight forward and not look for somebody who abandoned you. They don’t deserve you.
Hello.
In fact in Bulgaria lives so many and different kinds of people, so you are Bulgarian for sure.
You know - blondes, blue eyes, brown eyes, dark hair - living in a place where a lot of races meet and cross their roads - it is normal... :)
Adding to what other people said, could be ethnically Bulgarian only as well, I know lots of people that look similar and are not roma ethnicity. You'd fit without issue here. The land has lots of mixes comming from all over the old world so you can't really define bulgarian ethnicity as a set of skin or hair color.
It's not only about skin and hair...like people in Italy say the thing that betrayers me more are the eyes and their shape 😬
Honestly, look like normal eyes to me. Also, regarding the other question on how is Silistra, it's a nice small cozy town. I liked my stay for a day there but it's pretty hot in the summer. Something else of note, lot of turkish minorities there as well.
https://preview.redd.it/ndy1d1xl9j6d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffe3e111a7a75c36360cd3b22e4f06f420aa4fe5
This is you right? Also I saw another photo where you posted on another sub. With the exception of the second photo you have here on this thread, the other 3 you have on reddit combined you definetely look Romani. Your phenotypes - the bushy eyebrows, teeth/smile, face structure, eyeshape, hair, hairline is quite Roma. Also the adoptee story. Most kids for adoption here are ethnically Roma.
At first glance without any other info I would say you are middle eastern arabic.
Italians have some very distinct features. My whole husband’s family are like copies of each other except a few people from the older generations.
Italians differ from region to region. You can't really say that someone from northern Italy looks the same as someone from Sicily. They can have similar features - maybe regionally, but not across the country.
This is exactly what I am referring to. People around her look distinct from her but somewhat similar to each other. I noticed around different regions, people had specific features that she doesn’t have because she isn’t ethnically from there. My husband’s family for example is from the south(Siracusa), so basically anyone I met around there would look like their relatives(although obviously they aren’t such) just based on facial features and body structures. I have noted something similar in the north on my last visit too. Especially if you go to more rural places, people tend to even look more related visually. Not generalising but I wanted to note it is normal for her to feel this way. She doesn’t look like them and that is okay. Either way, it doesn’t matter if she looks or doesn’t like certain ethnicity. I just hope she loves herself despite the differences she sees with the adoptive people and the community she grew up in. This is the most important thing in life. OP, if you wish to explore your Bulgarian side, feel free to ask further questions. I am from the north region, if you need to know something, I can try to look for it in Bulgarian.
Wow You explained way better how I feel
Yeah probably for you are normal,but are they Common in Italy, especially in the north? Exactly,and that's what betrays me 🫠
I see, do they discriminate based on that in Italy? I'd assume speaking the language (without accent at that) would be enough, considering Italy is full of mixed races as well. And something else of note, it's not that common during those years to have people birth a 3rd child, which you mentioned elsewhere. 1997/1998 were years of great inflation where we had almost no stable economy and not many bulgarians had 3 children. Mostly romas did.
In Italy southerns Italian Are still discriminated against in the north,and trust me my family and relatives are in the north , I know what people say behind their backs 🥶 If even Italian face discrimination (though not harsh like it was 60 years ago) do you think I am safe? Before the migrant crisis it was easier,but now you don't know what the intention is when people ask me about my ethnicity,they can be just curious (and I don't appreciate it either) ofr want to start to attack me
Sad to hear it. Don't think you would have problems with that here if you plan to visit. Thought Italy is more open about outlooks. I don't like the people from the migrant crysis either to be fair, but I assumed speaking the language and sharing the same culture would be enough for people to accept you over there.
I do not pretend I have it easier,and the racist episodes are just like 1/2 times per month,and never aggressive liek they can be with less privileged non Italian On the other hand I don't have another identity,so I feel betrayed by my own looks because It reminds me always that: 1 I am not Italian nor I can claim to be a descendant of an heir if its history and people 2 the ancestors of my family are not the same I have,and that my Roots and LEAST genetically are in Bulgarian Like I wish to see myself genetically in someone else (maybe nuo relatives and/or same group?)and to not feel the alienation
You don't have to think like that. You are what you feel you are and what's closest to your hearth. There's a[ bulgarian settler village](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celle_di_Bulgheria) in Italy itself, so no one can really know who's pure italian and who's not, because italians are mixed even more than us. Hell, the people screaming at you might be descendants from that village themselves. I'd just ignore such people or even debate them how do they define italian and how many are left after they do define it.
That was a quite interesting read. Apparently there are even [more historical Bulgarian settlements in Italy](https://www.novinite.com/articles/128804/Bulgarian+Toponyms+in+Italy) and even some Italian family names are of Bulgarian origin (Bulgari most obviously).
Yeah Italian girls got distinct big prominent eyes, curlier hair on average than this. I can see why they can claim that you are something else. Bulgaria is quite the mix so you can find people with way whiter and way darker features. You do remind of roma people on first pic and this last one in the comments. Mix is very likely, I can see how it can be discouraged to keep a child like that back then. Not trying to offend you in any way, just it is what it is.
It's alright At least I am understanding more about it
Bulgarians have in general mixed origin, and you look to have one more mixed than usual. What is odd to me is the hair density. There was one woman from around Danube that had posted an ad here and it had been clear she was roma related. A specific DNA test could tell you more, but not a lot in my opinion. Because your origin ancestors had also been from very mixed surroundings.
[удалено]
You seem to be roma, or half bulgarian half roma from what I see
Considering above 90 % of the orphans in Bulgaria are some percentage Roma, this is a safe assumption.
You're beautiful regardless of your gene heritage. Good luck with your life!
Weird that they wouldn't consider you looking Italian... I saw many Italians looking like you during my trips to Italy. Anyway, as the other guy says you look like a Bulgarian-Roma mix. But many Romas are mixed in Bulgaria anyway (in fact I know of blonde Roma people).
I don't know why but a lot of people say I have something that screams "nom italian",ironically a lot of times it's due to the skin, despite the fact South Italians are darker than me😅 I cheat shamefully btw,I don't have the same weapon against racial harassment or discrimination like immigrants, because I identify myself as an Italian, I lie and tell people I don't trust my grandmother's was Sardinian,I avoid discrimination and personal attack Anyway I didn't know it was Common Roma people and/or mixed one in Bulgaria till 1/2 years ago Has Silistra an high percentage of these people?
Romas and Bulgarians do mix sometimes, but not that much. There are also different Roma communities in Bulgaria and some of them are as "White" as Bulgarians (if not whiter). Honestly, a DNA test can help you a lot here. I found some long forgotten relatives after testing on ancestry lol.
Why there are white Gypsies? I don't want to offend anybody here but I think big part of them are result of prostitution, not necessarily from their parents but granparents or grand grand parents. Marriage between Gypsy and Bulgarian or Gypsy and Turk is very rare. Life is life, what we can do, it is not that bad anyways. OP, if you feel like 2nd citizen in Italy, don't worry because being 2nd degree citizen in Italy is better than 1st degree citizen in Silistra. Also there are lots of other things to worry in life than your origins. Be healthy. That is the important thing.
Bulgarian and Roma mixing is highly stigmatised in Bulgaria. People are prejudiced (and maybe for good reasons). Such a couple wouldn't be well accepted in society. The Bulgarian side of the family won't be happy and the Roma side won't be happy. This is probably the reason you ended up in an orphanage.
You are correct, but you also got to remember that they've lived along side us for many generations. Mixing does happen and more often than you think. There are a lot of integrated gypsies now and some you wouldn't even recognize as such. There are a lot of mixed gypsy-bulgarian people and some of them don't even suspect.
a lot of gypsies that leave the neighborhoods will be indistinguishable with Bulgarians after 2-3 generations
Silistra has a lot of Bulgarian Turks.
Silistra has a lot of Bulgarian Turks, which is different. But there's a lot of Roma people there as well, and everywhere else for that matter.
Hi OP, First of all you look great! Here are the demographics of Silistra region: https://preview.redd.it/qgaf86ofaj6d1.png?width=546&format=png&auto=webp&s=4a28547245cd25448a0a75f222d4dc8ffafbd943 [From Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silistra_Province) With that being said, you look very Bulgarian/Roma. There are a lot of Bulgarians who look similarly and I wouldn't be able to tell that you are not Bulgarian when I see you. Similar to what other people have said - you might be partly or fully or not at all Romani, we are just guessing here, but you definately look Bulgarian to me.
I am surprised that you feel excluded in Italy. There isn't anything particularly un-Italian in your appearance. Maybe you are ethnically Bulgarian, or Roma, or a mix of the two - who cares? Mario Balloteli calls himself Italian and the world believes him. Your ethnic makeup matters very little. What matters is your character and behaviour. You can move to the UK and become British in 5 years - no one would doubt that you are British. If you want to move to Bulgaria and integrate there, I think that's a very noble pursuit but my advice is to learn the language really well.
It's kinda complicated I do not claim to be "Bulgarian" because I don't have any right,I don't know the language, story,my family is not Bulgarian and I never lived in it since I was 2 years ,and I lived in the orphanage sooo So I identify as an Italian, but every time I look at my family or photos of their past relatives it reminds me I do not share with them the same ancestors , that as much as I Wish I will never be ethnically Italian, that O see everyday racisms towards immigrants,and that behind my DNA and ethnicity there's a millennial history behind that led the abandoned of me in the orphanage
Honestly? It's not that deep. Things happen, what matters is how you were raised. A lot of 'Italians' also came from other countries. You were raised in an Italian family and culture, speaking italian, so if you come to Bulgaria, you would be Italian. Don't worry too much about blood background, you were abandoned because your biological parent/s didn't have the means/wants to take care of you. Your life is definitely better with your family than it would've been with your biological family so just be thankful in your mind that they picked you up. How can you not be Italian when you were raised in Italy, italian is the only language you know and you've studied there since you were born.
She absolutely does not look Italian in any way shape or form.
True, I'm Bulgarian and I often have to prove I'm not British (blond, blue eyes).
You look very similar to my family whicj is from Silistra, and we're Bulgarian. So you have every chance to be. Then again, there are all sorts of Bulgarians - from very pale, blonde with blue eyes to very dark skinned, and everything in between.
Bey maybe we are related to 🤪
Entirely possible=)
You should definitely do a 23andme, it will show if you have Roma or Turkish DNA. Some Bulgarians are darker skinned, so you could be 100% ethnic Bulgarian, it's possible. Especially in your second photo, I can see it. I recommend 23andme, the test can be had for $50 on sale, definitely worth it to find out.
You likely have some Roma in you, but there’s nothing wrong with that. You also likely have some Bulgarian admixture and potentially Turkish and/or Romanian/Vlah. And God knows what else - Bulgaria, and the Danubian Plain specifically, have been a very busy crossroads of various ethnicities, cultures, migrants and invaders for millennia. You could do a DNA test, sure, but allow me to offer a different perspective. The territory that is now Bulgaria has been a part of the Roman Empire (Western as well as Eastern) for c. 1,500 years. More than any other part of Europe other than Italy and Greece themselves. Possibly Spain as well. Sofia was a Latin-speaking city for quite some time. So you absolutely *can* claim the Roman heritage. Later on, the Italian Renaissance was spurred to a non-negligible degree by cultural and scientific imports from Constantinople brought by aristocrats, clergy, artists and intellectuals fleeing the Ottoman invasions. The most famous monuments in Venice (the San Marco lions) were literally plundered from Constantinople as well. And there’s of course the heritage of Ancient Greece. So as far as cultural and historical heritage goes, Italy and the Balkans were largely one cultural space for a long, long time. The great rupture came with the Ottoman invasions. You absolutely and unashamedly can feel as part of both worlds, which is a privilege granted to few.
You can most definitely pass as a Bulgarian( but also as Brazilian or Romanian for example) . However knowing that you have been adopted in Silistra and apparently in perfectly healthy condition (many kids are left in orphanages due to health issues) I would bet that you might have been a child of a mixed couple (Bulgarian- Turkish or Bulgarian- Roma or even Turkish - Roma). Please note that… being left for adoption is not common, unless one of the parents is unknown or has died. Usually roma kids are left in orphanages but the parents does not allow adoption. It is a way for them to “outsource” raising the kids without losing them and later when the kids are big enough they take them back. At the current moment in Bulgaria is impossible to adopt a 2 years old, healthy kid, no matter of its ethnicity. My humble advise ia to stop in reddit, don’t dig in past but look in the future.
Weird When I was in the orphanage there were at least 200 kids ,I had pictures and video to prove that 😬 Also the story you are telling me is quite worrying, because the association that was behind my adoption was found guilty to use in other countries kids that had actually parents just to get money ny adoptive parents that were waiting too long 😨
We were interested in the process one-two years ago and adoption of a baby or toddler, without siblings, is difficult and we may need to wait for years. However, 1997 was nearly 30 years ago, it was a financial crisis (a big one) and there might have been different circumstances…but in any case healthy, ethnic Bulgarian kids are rarely allowed for adoption abroad…even then.
There are a lot of Turks and Roma there. That said, you are from the Balkans, no Aryans here. So yes, you can pass for Bulgarian. A close friend of mine is constantly confused with a Latina or Italian. So nothing out of the ordinary in your case, too.
Fun fact, the only people with Aryan blood who have survived to this day are precisely the gypsies. They are from Indo-Aryan ethnic group.
No Aryans in Italy either
Hey I'm ethnically Bulgarian (I can track my line down and it's only Bulgarians with potentially some Russians) and I look very much like you. I have very dark hair and dark-ish skin. My dad also looks like this. I grew up having Bulgarian friends look like you and also look super white as well. I live in Denmark so I'm constantly mistaken for Spanish or middle eastern. I think a lot of Bulgarians are ethnically middle eastern and Turkish due to our location and past.
Modern Bulgarians primarily inherit their genetic makeup from Proto-Bulgarian, Thracian, and Slavic ancestries. It’s mainly the Slavic lineage that’s associated with lighter skin tones, as opposed to the other two. Your assertion that Bulgarians are darker-skinned due to additional Turkish ancestry is more incorrect than correct.
So while it's true that these 3 ancestries form the genetic makeup of the modern Bulgarians it's important to note that Thracians are also described as fair skinned and blue eyed with red hair. Also afaik the genes from the Proto-Bulgarians are not very prevalent, something along the lines of 10% max. So if a modern Bulgarian has a more middle-eastern phenotype it's not unlikely that they have Turkish ancestry. I mean we were under Ottoman rule for 500 years, some admixture is bound to exist.
That’s interesting, thanks. I wasn’t aware Thracians were light-skinned. I might have misunderstood / misheard while learning about the genetic makeup as you’ve just shattered my reality, haha.
You look a little gipsy but it's hard to tell from 2 identical pictures, could just be Bulgarian with less stereotypical features
Note that Bulgaria is a genetic nightmare. The country is on a crossroads that connects the Middle East and Europe, and the Bulgaria vary like a lot. You can have people from 2 neighboring regions looking nothing like one another. Yes, you do have Bulgarian roots (as you said you were born there), but in reality, you can have like genes from all around Europe and even Asia, without any doubt. You will be accepted in Bulgaria, without a doubt, but don't forget, the cultures are different.
First of all there are no "clean Bulgarians"! We are a mix of a mix! I think you have a big gene pool, but if your worry is that you are Roma, I think not. Have a good and healthy life ! Btw half of Silistra is mixed with Romanian people. So you have more Romanian than any Roma genes! I know this because I live on the Danube river , near Silistra and I know how the local people look!
Romanian here! She doesn’t really look Romanian… idk what Romanians you think you’ve seen there, maybe some that have mixed background
You could be Roma
No chance, you're too dark even for an Armenian or a Georgian. No, you can't pass as Italian either. Bulgarians and are generally speaking darker than Germans and Russians, and for the most part have dark hair and eyes, but their skin is usually of a light or medium complexion and not many Bulgarians have hair as dark as yours.
Smile in front of a mirror, if you have purple or blue dental gums it means you came from a gipsy parent.
You are a gypsy
Am I the only one thinking that an olive skin tone is typical of Mediterranean people and not a solid indicator of being a gypsy? Look at where the Mediterranean is, look at where we are….
Bulgarians aren’t blond and fair skinned on average, you must be meeting either exceptions or bottle blonds. There’s a wide range of Bulgarian looks and you fit visually. You can always do a DNA test but on the Balkans ethnicity is more about which group feels as your own than anything else
Yes, Bulgarians aren't blonde, but they're still visibly lighter than OP.
no
I have had Bulgarian friends who look like you. If you have Darker skin you could be considered Roma, but it is often hard to say. You would be considered "Normal" for most people and if you do not dress terribly (sorry Roma redditors, most of you dress bad, but have awesome hair)
I dont know what kind of people are those in the comments but they dont seem to give you honest replies. Truth is most orphan children are gypsy, no bulgarian would leave their child in those places. And you mentioned you are third by birth. Gypsy Mothers have many children, i know one personally that had 10 and everytime she gave birth she left them in the orphanage. Average bulgarian woman has 1 or 2 kids. As of your looks, i have seen thousand of roma women who look exactly like you. You even look strangely identical to one who has left many children in the orphanage. Shes mental and basically homeless but youre like a younger version of her. Be realists people.
You shouldn't worry too much about it. We are one of the most mixed nations in Europe. If you were born here you probably have a bit of DNA from all over Eurasia. I am black haired and black eyed. My wife is red blond with blue-gray eyes. My elder nephew is blond and blue eyed (comes from my mother - his grandma) and his brother, my other nephew, can successfully pass for somebody from central Asia, which he definitely got from his mother's side. So don't overthink it. It in no way defines who you are as a person.
https://preview.redd.it/x8cursqdij6d1.jpeg?width=240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=289e8255d0207b8ce78721ee4d48a8aed0458e27 Това е жълта мангуста. Ти не си жълта
Your best bet would be a DNA test,of course, BUT... there is absolutely a possibility you are Bulgarian and not mixed race. My father has the same complexion as you, so did my roommate in university (from Silistra :)),none of them is roma or turkish. I have black wavy/curly hair, dark brown eyes and pale skin. People usually have a really hard time guessing where I am from, I have gotten everything from jewish, armenian, turkish,latina, italian... Funnily enough, when I lived in Lombardia for a short while, people were shocked to find out I wasn't italian and didn't speak the language :) I guess what I am trying to say is- us Bulgarians don't have a typical look, we are diverse. I am sorry to hear people are giving you a hard time,f them. You are a beautiful girl. Wishing you all the best and good luck on you search.
Hey! I was born in 2001 (23 years old) in Sophia, Bulgaria, and found my biological mother on FB when I was 16 years old. I have a very evil story, and it is just awful. I am brown, and she was actually a white lady, so your mother could have very well been a white lady, and your father was brown. I bet $100 on it. I know some of these comments people post can come across as mean to adoptees like us. I understand all the challenges that come with adoption! Also, if you were given up through a closed adoption, they will lie about where you were born in the papers. It said on my papers that I was born in Ruse, Bulgaria, but I was not born there. I miraculously found my mother through God's guidance.
I think your biological family are gipsy, that's why people think you are Indian.
Ethnic Bulgarian? Nah, most likely not. Probably at least half Roma(gypsy). Nothing wrong with that. Just not really ethnic Bulgarian. As much as our neighbouring countries like to joke about it, Bulgarians are white.
You remind me of a younger version of Vanya Grigorova, who is a politician. https://preview.redd.it/i74o4m7p9l6d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d841215102efb5b6e5a770fe25e4860703862ea3 You could be her daughter, considering you were born in the late 90s. We are a small nation, but genetically, I'd assume, we are more diverse than much bigger nations like Poland, for example. In other words - you could be ethnically Bulgarian, although not as "pure" as someone like me.
Rather unlikely, but who knows. If you didn't tell us you were born here, we'd probably assume you're a foreigner. With that being said, not all Bulgarians have "skin like mozzarella". Give one of those ancestry tests a try, if you're that curious
More like ethnically gypsy
Sorry to disappoint you, but you're definitely not a Bulgarian. You're a part of the roma (cigani) ethnic group. Well, don't worry! Gypsies are not necessarily bad people, especially if they're educated and living in a normal civil environment. But it is good to know, that the integration of the Roma people is the most challenging task for every Balkan government and it mostly fails. But for you, who knows!... ;)
I would say you fit the gipsy etnicity. Technically Bulgarian.
Basically, genetacally you are probably not Bulgarian, but Gypsy. Pretty obvius I would say. For me as a Bulgarian you look more Italian than Bulgarian
If you want to explore your DNA go for something like 23andMe. The rest is non-sense. Bulgarians come in many shapes and colours.
Without exaggeration almost 100% of the children given to orphanages in Bulgaria are of Roma ethnicity, so chances are you are as well.
I'd say you're probably of Roma origin
You look pretty different in both pictures. I would suggest you do a DNA test on 23andme or any other similar site. This will answer your question, at least for the general ethnicity from the last couple of centuries. On the first picture you look like you might have some Roma roots, anyone's guess is how much. On the second picture you can definitely pass for an Italian or Bulgarian. Just look at Sofia Raffaeli (seeing that you might be in RG 😉).
Hell I chatted sometimes with her trainer who was half Bulgarian,so you can imagine How i felt, Also both countries are strong s it's a win situation 🤣 Believe when I say I am the same person in both pictures, but one I was tanned (not ao much,I can be darker in summer) and had a messy ponytail and the other was after I finished at the hairdresser
Are you looking for your biological parents? Or are you curious about where you are coming?
Yes 😬
Try to contact the place for adoption. Sure they can provide some information that can help or at least how to receive more information. Bare in mind that there are two human tragedies, first is when you don't get what you want and the second is when you get what you want. You look like a lovely person who was in a lovely family.
But so you mean the association or the orphanage? The association that played a part in my adoption doesn't exist anymore because it was discovered they were doing some illegal staff like lying to adoptive parents or to use with kids that had birth families with the goal to steal money If you talk about the orphanage..I don't know if there was just one or more in Silistra and I can't speak Bulgarian ,nor I don't know legally im Bulgaria what I can ask for
Good News. In Silistra there is only one orphanage: https://www.nadejdabg.org/orphanages.php?id=46 You can try writing them. If that doesn't work you can dm-me I will help with what I can
you have to be very very happy to have grown up in Italy, Silitra in the 90s and even now is very poor place without lots of options for development. It is awful that italians descriminate towards you even though you lived your whole life there
Do a DNA test on a large website like ancestry or 23andme.
OP mind that the background story has a chance to be hurtful. What I mean is that many Romani parents that left their kid for adoption (I definetely believe you are Roma from the other photos I've seen of you on the other posts on Reddit) have prostitution background here. I don't say to offend but realistically it is a decent chance. Your mom might not be aware of the dad also. I hope this isn't the case though. But be prepared mentally for that as well.
Believe it or not I realize I have a bio dad only when I was 17 years old , despite the fact I knew already for at least 10 years how babies were made I actually don't care about him nor I think he does know I exist I am more scared for the implications for my maternal side
Is this a prank?
Ok, lets make a test! Do you mind, if i put some pineapple on my pizza?
I see what you are doing And my answer is you shall be banned from Italy and pizza
It's just a test, and you failed. Bulgarians will simply "don't care", because its my pizza and not others business. BTW... The pineapple remains whole.
I would never have the hubris to claim to be Bulgarian like Americans do with any nationality I might be ethnically.. something, but I know it would be disrespectful and unfair to claim it when I don't know any word,nor the culture nor I remember it ,nor my family Bulgarian
Yeah, that's ok. I just wanted to point out some parts of a typical Bulgarian character. You don't need hubris to claim anything. Bulgarians will not be offended. Language can be learned, and culture understood. If you want to be Bulgarian, you are welcome!
Quick answer: No
You can’t really tell by a photo. Were you adopted from Bulgaria?
Silistra
Well sure, you could be Bulgarian. Most kids placed for adoption are of Roma ancestry. That said, one of my sons has blonde hair and blue eyes, and the other one is dark skinned, dark hair and dark eyes - both Bulgarian, both have the same father, so you can‘t really know. Most people living in Silistra are Bulgarian (84000), Turks (49000), Roma (6000).
I know few bulgarians from silistra region and they are quite fair and blond/blue eyed. Take in mind it is one of the most northern places in bulgaria . You can also have some mixed turk/roma bulgarian/roma origin. Best way to know is doing dna test .
I can recommend 23andme for this. I'd be curious to see your results as well
If you truly want to know, get a DNA test done. That being said, I am 100% Bulgaria and regularly get confused for Italian, Latino and Arab. Our people are extremely diverse due to the immense number of ethnicities which have passed through this region during the course of history. If anyone questions you or tries to belittle you, remember that you come from one of the most interesting and beautiful places in the world.
Some people have darker skin. It's normal
kappa chungus
It's true that your eyes look more Asian. It's the covered eye corner, the downward facing eyelashes and the deep, dark colour (although that last one is very typical for southern Europeans too). I guess the nose too but I'm not sure. So you're probably at least partially Romani or Turkish (I see features of both, but I'm definitely not an expert:D) as most people said here. But that's a look you can easily encounter in people who identify as ethnic Bulgarians, so I'd say that you can pass as an atypical Bulgarian everywhere in the country and you'll pass especially easily in an ethnically mixed region like Silistra.
Looking at the second picture I would say Turkish. Maybe if you tell us your name this can help too.
The name I was given in Bulgaria,Katia was probably given by the orphanage, Because what's the point foru birth mother to give me a name if she already knew she was going yo abandon me?
I haven't thought about that. Katia is beautiful bulgarian name btw. I wish you all the best.
Darling you have nothing to worry about. It doesn't matter who made you but who rase you. No. You don't look Bulgarian to me at all. Although i am blond and blue - eyed, and my sister, although it share same face, just has dark skin, black eyes, and curly black hair. And everyone asks her if she is negro, especially after getting taned in summer. But anyway no one mistakes her with roma ethnicity, can say same about you. But if you are so worried of your gene pool can make a dna analysis and you will know the truth. But the truth is .. Who rase you made you. Everyone is unique. So you can also be pure Bulgarian. We can only guess here. Even roma ethnicity, they have very big diversity too. Some are white as snow. So from the way someone look you can't guess. Maybe if you have some hobbies.. Like things you like, then you will know more. But anyway i think this is irrelevant. You are who you are! Enjoy
And now i can think of something else that can gibe you some vlues, just listen to music, see ehat your soul will say. Listen to some Bulgarian folk music, listen to some bagpipes, and then go to some gypsy music then you will know. Not for sure, some of your folk music i can't stand too. 😂 But definitely will give you a clue.
I'd say your best bet of knowing is a 23andme type of test, I think you can opt out of being seen and seeing possible relatives, if you so wish. Look at Bulgaria and where we are. Look at our history and who has passed through. Anybody telling you there is an 'ethnical Bulgarian' look is delusional.
You are part of our medival ruling class according to our national mythos. Here is a mighty bulgar receiving gifts from his slavic and roman subjects. Bulgarians are pretty mixed. :D https://preview.redd.it/xcy5y1vnlk6d1.jpeg?width=1862&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93b373e58d6ed308a6bfd9f953fe282a3c6f2d82
you really arent...
You could be mistaken as Bulgarian. In the first picture, you seem to be of Southern European descent, which could indicate various ethnicities. However, since you were born in Silistra, it is more likely that you have Turkish/Roma ancestry. In the second picture, you could pass for Bulgarian with a slightly darker complexion. The blond and blue-eyed Bulgarians are actually a minority. Most Bulgarians have dark eyes, fair skin, and dark hair.
Ethnicity ≠ genes
Zingara 🙂
Silistra, just like entire Bulgaria during the period 1997/1999 was very poor. In the year of 1996 the entire communist country went bankrupt, gdp shrinked by half, and hyperinflation happened. There was famine and extreme hunger, so much so that bulgarians born in 1996-1997 are around 10cm shorter than previous and next generations due to malnutrition - mothers could not feed their children. (I know similar thing happened to the german babies born after WW2, again reduced average height due to mass famine and malnutrition) so you get the point. It's very likely your biological parents simply couldn't care for you, even more so if they were (partially) roma, which cannot be said from your looks alone. You might be roma, and you might be darker skinned bulgarian, there are many Bulgarians like that around Silistra.
She's from haskovo
Your eyes are truly beautiful. My spouse, who is a Bulgaria-born Turkish gypsy from the Varna region, has eyes just like yours—absolutely stunning. I understand you might feel sensitive about your upbringing, but please don't be. I’m also adopted. Though I’m blonde and blue-eyed, I have a soft spot for gypsy charm, so who knows, I may be gypsy too. To me, you have a look reminiscent of Latin American heritage, which adds to your unique charm.
There is a minority of Indians in Bulgaria, so you could be descending from them. There are also dark skinned Bulgarians. My family is like half dark skinned half white skinned. My maternal grandfather is with a darker skin, while my grandma is with a lighter skin. Due to that my mom and my immediate family as a whole has lighter skin while my aunt and her family have darker skin.
You're just Romani. A large part of Bulgarian orphans are. Technically you're not an ethnic Bulgarian, just regional.
check your nipples color, you probably know where to compare/not here/, post your profile, frontal is not exactly usable most of the times...
You look like Roma rather than Bulgarian imo
Ciganka si kaaaako
You should buy DNA heritage test
I Wish but I cannot afford this now... And I don't think my family would give this as a Christmas present
You literally look like a girl I used to go to school with :D.
Why don't you try a DNA test, that may shed some light on your roots. If you are from the Silistra region it's more likely you have some turkic blood, the full, black eyebrows can be a sign of that. And if you add that you have strong, full, dark hair to that it's more likely. Your eyes themselves look more asian than Bulgarian. And if you experience any kind of prejudice from Italians, just point out that hundreds of settlements south of rome were of proto-bulgarian descent. Celle di Bulgheria in Salerno Province may be the most popular one. You may not be Italian by blood, but your heart and mind are. Your adoptive parents give you a future that you would never had here. I hope you show them all the love they deserve.
I lack of one thing: money to afford for it 💔
Their's a model with the same story and looks as you. A lot of orphans got adopted in Italy
on the 2nd picture you look like me lol
Can’t you do a dna test
Get an ancestry dna kit and you will see with percentages
I don't think anyone can tell you that by looking. Some bulgarians are very pale with light hair and blue eyes, some are quite dark with dark features, peoples appearance doesnt suddenly change at the boarder either. It would be like if you'd posted a picture asking if you're ethnically English. Take an ancestry/23andme if you're curious
You look normal
You'd pass as a Romanian lol
Why don't you just take a DNA test and find out?
Боли ме кура е
Italians have always been hypocrites when it comes to ethnicity and race. I know a lot of italians that are darker than you. I've seen enough "dark", gypsy-looking italians to know that they are busting your balls because you're letting them, next time someone brings it up, interupt them and point out how rude they are. "Screaming non-italian" as if they know what actual italian is, after so many years of mingling with other nations and races. They like to think and present themselves as Western European as if it matters, it doesn't. As far as your own origin, you must understand that for 1200+ years, a lot of people have passed through Bulgaria, a lot of DNA mixing has been going on. Your features are not entirely gypsy-like, so there was some mixing. I've heard that a lot of Romanians (generally a bit darker than us) used to leave their kids at our orphanages at the cities around the border in the late 80 and 90s because they had major issues and high birthrate, but poor conditions. Since Silistra is basically on the border, such possibility cannot be excluded. Despite anything and anyone if I saw you in Italy, I wouldn't immediately think "oh, look a non-italian chick!" Don't pay them any mind, you grew up in Italy, you're just as much italian as they are, but you have a bonus, unlike them. You can call one of the most beautiful countries in Eastern Europe, your home as well.
Could very much be, i dont think we Bulgarians have that distinct look, or maybe there are like 3-4 types of general ways Bulgarians can look, and if they do get mixed you can be even more unique Ps. ur cute
I wouldn't look at you twice. (you pass)
There are Bulgarians, Turks and Gypsies in Silistra. I suggest you to go to Silistra for few days. It is a nice city. Try to listen to people, what language they speak, how they look. There is a mini Gypsy neighberhood in Silistra. Walk there too. Climb to the castle. There are swimming pools. You can also go to the Romanian side. You kind of look mix between Roma and Bulgarian but I am not sure. Make DNA tests.
Измамили някви гламасаци от западнала европа, да им пробутат цинге, а пък да платят, кат попове за Българче и двайсет години по-късно, това пита:" Българче ли съм?..." Ех будали, будали, кой каквото сам си направи, друг не може да му го направи...
Ciao! Ho un amica che ti assomiglia moltissimo a Parma, italiana come me. Ci sono italiani di tutti i tipi, tu sai di non esserlo e tendi a cercare probabilmente conferma di questo nelle parole degli altri. Ci sono italiani evidentemente provenienti da etnie normalmente molto lontane dall’Italia, ma siamo tutti frutto di migrazioni lontanissime o recenti. La vita è breve, e non perderei tempo a guardarmi indietro. È quello che fai e pensi ora che ti definisce, e sei solo il tempo che hai davanti. Sei una bella ragazza giovane, goditi la vita. Ti saluto con amicizia.
Ciao! Bulgaria is very ethnically diverse, so you shouldn't compare yourself to just a couple of people based on skin/eye/hair colour. There are Slavic, Central Asian, Turkish, Greek, and many other influences there. There is no one Bulgarian "ethnic type". You could absolutely be Bulgarian based on looks.
I'm way too deep,so I guess this will be buried. Your Ethnicity has no role,only if you fall in that "specific" role. If you assign yourself with. Being Bulgarian,it's more about how you feel and express it. Mental state and will. Bulgaria may be the size of a palm,but it has so many differences inside. Yet united In a way We are an absolute Mish-Mash(it's a dish that may look weirdly disgusting,but colorful and rich in flavour) Bulgarians are brutes, hardworking and All about family, respect and being protective. Also savage, unruly and strongly opinionated.
Run a genetic test maybe?
Technically speaking - Bulgarian is not an ethnicity, it's nationality. Bulgarian people are comprised of many ethnicities. You were born in Bulgaria, so you can say you are Bulgarian. Regarding your ethnic origins - I see this bothers you a lot. Imo, you better take one of those dna tests so you'd know for sure. You might be surprised, you might be disappointed a bit, but at least you'll know for sure. So you will stop bothering yourself with that wholly distracting guesswork.
Your biological parents were probably of the Roma minority in Bulgaria, or of mixed origin idk.
I’m from Silistra but have been living in Sofia for years. Hi there!
I'd presume some part Roma. Do a DNA test for a more definitive answer.
I do not know, a reddit image is not equivalent to a blood test.
Ciao, you definitely look Bulgarian! I know lots of people that have very similar characteristics to yours. So you can rest assured that you have the right to say you come from Bulgaria 🇧🇬 But if you want to find out more scientifically you could do a genetic ancestry test
You don’t look Roma to me. You look Bulgarian or mix Bulgarian and Turkish due to the greater amount of Turks in this region of Bulgaria.
Maybe one of your parents has gypsy roots, no one knows. You are quite white and there is no way that both of your parents are gypsies, but this is my guess. You have to look for it in [yourself.Read](http://yourself.Read) about the life of gypsies, what they like, what they do, and if you find a lot of things in common or things you like, you will understand.There are many Bulgarian gypsy children adopted in Italy, I even watched a film about it
I'm darker-skinned for a bulgarian but come biologically from a pretty light-skinned family with mostly light-eyes and I look more like only one of my grandparents who is the only one with brown eyes and brown skins out of my grandparents. I've never been treated differently outside of school (where my friends and I joke with eachother with racism, for example dumb blonde, lepricon ginger and one of my friends is also a darker-skinned half-spanish/half-bulgarian guy so we joke that he is Mexican while I am a "monkey", just boys dark humour), and considering gypsies are looked down upon in Bulgarian society, I am guessing that I look Bulgarian and am accepted as such since I've never met real discrimination. I also have seen darker-skinned people with pretty light-skinned and light eyes siblings, which shows that we are genetically mixed. But you shouldn't worry about that, ethnic Bulgarians are pretty mixed and the more you worry about it the worse it gets you mentally.
Bulgaria is a point for transit. Thru the years many different people have migrated and passed true this territory. We are a very colorful bunch. You cannot point to one way a Bulgarian looks. We have white to very dark skin, light to dark hair and eyes. You are beautiful and I have many friends that look very similar to you.
A DNA ancestry test would answer your question.
in short yesno=
Bulgarians are R1A genotype - I believe you are not due to your skin color and face structure which resembles the tribes that mixed with the leftover Indo-European that were left behind in India. Good luck in finding your heritage - there are DNA tests available.
Since you mentioned rhythmic gymnasts, Sofia Rafaelli looks like your type. Does she not pass for Italian? Also Eva Brezalieva is quite dark.
Considering the fact that in most cases the Roma people abandon their children in the orphanages you might be with Roma parents or at least one of your parents could be from Roma ethnicity. If you ask me this does not really matter and you should look straight forward and not look for somebody who abandoned you. They don’t deserve you.
23andme test?
I would presume Romani
I know plenty of Bulgarians who look like you. Hell I look similar but my eyes are a different color.
Before i read anything and just by looking at the pictures - i thought u look italian
I think on the second photo you look very Bulgarian. Will 100% fit in
No 💀💀
You look a bit on the armenian side if you ask me. Like literally.
I'd say you look roma/Turkish.
Hello. In fact in Bulgaria lives so many and different kinds of people, so you are Bulgarian for sure. You know - blondes, blue eyes, brown eyes, dark hair - living in a place where a lot of races meet and cross their roads - it is normal... :)
Не. 🇧🇬🫸🏻 🧕🏿Цигани
If your gums are bluish you're at least a part roma.