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Ancestry refers to the lineage or descent of a person, family, or group, tracing back through generations to identify their origins, heritage, and familial connections. It encompasses the genetic, cultural, and historical ties that link individuals to their forebears, shaping their identity and sense of belonging. Ancestry is a multifaceted concept, intertwining biology, genealogy, history, and culture, and it plays a significant role in how people understand themselves and their place in the world.

At its core, ancestry is rooted in genetics. Each individual inherits a unique combination of DNA from their parents, who in turn inherited their DNA from their own ancestors. This genetic material carries information about physical traits, predispositions to certain health conditions, and even behavioral tendencies. Advances in genetic testing, such as DNA analysis, have made it possible for individuals to trace their biological ancestry with remarkable precision. Companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA offer services that analyze genetic markers to provide insights into a person's ethnic composition and geographic origins, often revealing surprising connections to distant relatives or previously unknown heritage.

Beyond genetics, ancestry is deeply tied to genealogy, the study of family history and lineage. Genealogical research involves constructing family trees, documenting relationships, and uncovering historical records such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, census data, and immigration documents. This process often reveals stories of migration, resilience, and adaptation, offering a window into the lives of ancestors and the challenges they faced. For many, genealogy is a way to honor their forebears and preserve their legacy for future generations.

Cultural ancestry is another critical dimension, encompassing the traditions, languages, customs, and values passed down through generations. It connects individuals to their ethnic or national heritage, shaping their cultural identity and worldview. For example, someone with Irish ancestry might celebrate St. Patrick's Day, learn traditional Irish dance, or explore the Gaelic language, while someone with Japanese ancestry might practice tea ceremonies, study calligraphy, or observe Obon festivals. Cultural ancestry fosters a sense of continuity and belonging, linking individuals to a broader community with shared experiences and values.

Historical ancestry delves into the broader context of a family's or group's past, including significant events, social conditions, and historical movements that shaped their lives. For instance, the transatlantic slave trade, the Irish Potato Famine, or the Jewish diaspora have profoundly influenced the ancestry of millions of people, leaving lasting imprints on their descendants' identities. Understanding historical ancestry often involves grappling with complex narratives of triumph and tragedy, resilience and oppression, and the interplay of individual and collective experiences.

Ancestry also has a deeply personal and emotional dimension. For many, exploring their ancestry is a journey of self-discovery, offering insights into who they are and where they come from. It can foster a sense of pride, connection, and continuity, as well as a deeper appreciation for the struggles and achievements of those who came before. At the same time, it can raise questions about identity, belonging, and the complexities of heritage, particularly for individuals with mixed or multicultural backgrounds.

In a globalized world, ancestry serves as a bridge between the past and the present, connecting individuals to their roots while also highlighting the interconnectedness of human history. It underscores the diversity and richness of human experience, reminding us that every person's story is part of a larger tapestry woven over centuries. Whether through genetic testing, genealogical research, cultural practices, or historical exploration, ancestry offers a profound way to understand ourselves and our place in the world.

A diversification score measures the diversity of ancestries in the county. As the value appoaches 100, ancestry diversity decreases and therefore increasing the risk of a lack of cultural diversity. The ancestry diversification score for this county is:

Most common ancestry not including "Unknown" is:

Ancestry Report Part I
Description	Total Population	American	Native American	Hawaiian	Caribbean (Latino)	Mexican	Central American	South American	Other Hispanic	African American	Sub- Saharan	Caribbean (Black)

Clay County	67,234	1,143	945	17	298	2,307	14	96	449	1,154	1,958	131
Minnesota (in 000's)	5,840	149	55	3	30	230	37	36	21	191	160	40
National (in 000's)	343,251	13,890	2,213	626	11,327	38,879	6,181	4,644	3,687	25,893	7,852	7,174
Cass County	202,694	4,231	2,354	74	863	4,880	313	393	382	4,058	8,614	504
Otter Tail County	61,191	1,781	292	15	194	1,505	92	78	424	325	358	52
Becker County	35,546	822	2,097	9	47	459	31	47	33	186	33	14
Richland County	16,721	327	427	20	46	420	84	8	27	129	13	15
Norman County	6,336	81	102	0	34	228	13	2	29	39	2	1
Wilkin County	6,297	144	80	1	3	169	20	8	24	16	6	3

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Clay County	14.75	1.70	1.41	0.03	0.44	3.43	0.02	0.14	0.67	1.72	2.91	0.19
Minnesota	10.33	2.55	0.95	0.05	0.52	3.94	0.64	0.61	0.36	3.26	2.73	0.69
National	7.83	4.05	0.64	0.18	3.30	11.33	1.80	1.35	1.07	7.54	2.29	2.09
Cass County	13.87	2.09	1.16	0.04	0.43	2.41	0.15	0.19	0.19	2.00	4.25	0.25
Otter Tail County	17.93	2.91	0.48	0.02	0.32	2.46	0.15	0.13	0.69	0.53	0.59	0.08
Becker County	16.04	2.31	5.90	0.03	0.13	1.29	0.09	0.13	0.09	0.52	0.09	0.04
Richland County	18.36	1.96	2.55	0.12	0.28	2.51	0.50	0.05	0.16	0.77	0.08	0.09
Norman County	22.52	1.28	1.61	0.00	0.54	3.60	0.21	0.03	0.46	0.62	0.03	0.02
Wilkin County	19.47	2.29	1.27	0.02	0.05	2.68	0.32	0.13	0.38	0.25	0.10	0.05

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Clay County		66.70	148.02	54.53	85.58	87.10	3.25	23.33	187.90	52.59	106.58	28.36
Minnesota		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		158.77	67.91	393.55	637.16	287.50	280.84	221.03	302.20	231.15	83.72	304.22
Cass County		81.90	122.31	78.73	82.21	61.11	24.08	31.67	53.03	61.35	155.53	36.19
Otter Tail County		114.20	50.26	52.87	61.21	62.43	23.45	20.82	194.96	16.27	21.41	12.37
Becker County		90.73	621.30	54.60	25.53	32.78	13.60	21.60	26.12	16.03	3.40	5.73
Richland County		76.73	268.94	257.95	53.12	63.76	78.35	7.82	45.43	23.64	2.85	13.06
Norman County		50.16	169.54	0.00	103.61	91.34	32.00	5.16	128.78	18.86	1.16	2.30
Wilkin County		89.72	133.80	34.25	9.20	68.12	49.53	20.75	107.24	7.79	3.49	6.93

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Clay County		42.01	217.98	13.86	13.43	30.29	1.16	10.55	62.18	22.75	127.31	9.32
Minnesota		62.98	147.26	25.41	15.69	34.78	35.61	45.24	33.09	43.26	119.45	32.87
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Cass County		51.58	180.11	20.01	12.90	21.26	8.58	14.33	17.55	26.54	185.78	11.90
Otter Tail County		71.92	74.01	13.43	9.61	21.71	8.35	9.42	64.51	7.04	25.58	4.07
Becker County		57.15	914.93	13.87	4.01	11.40	4.84	9.77	8.64	6.94	4.06	1.88
Richland County		48.33	396.05	65.55	8.34	22.18	27.90	3.54	15.03	10.23	3.40	4.29
Norman County		31.59	249.67	0.00	16.26	31.77	11.39	2.33	42.61	8.16	1.38	0.76
Wilkin County		56.51	197.03	8.70	1.44	23.69	17.64	9.39	35.48	3.37	4.17	2.28

Ancestry Report Part II
Description	Total Population	Canadian	British	Dutch	French	German	Italian	Polish	Scandinavian	Scotish/ Irish	Spanish	Other European

Clay County	67,234	264	2,067	547	1,026	12,647	459	913	17,726	2,880	127	1,738
Minnesota (in 000's)	5,840	30	206	47	91	1,106	69	128	850	336	11	201
National (in 000's)	343,251	1,350	18,069	1,828	3,642	24,708	9,027	4,667	5,969	20,625	1,140	9,563
Cass County	202,694	806	5,900	910	3,707	44,834	1,561	2,384	46,070	9,865	598	5,672
Otter Tail County	61,191	202	1,813	552	826	15,856	319	1,155	16,589	2,831	140	1,315
Becker County	35,546	279	1,127	365	599	7,876	168	508	9,194	1,443	106	810
Richland County	16,721	52	328	138	192	5,200	68	259	3,342	572	103	509
Norman County	6,336	16	115	37	92	1,182	22	50	2,526	201	9	126
Wilkin County	6,297	14	115	51	81	1,875	27	115	1,521	282	4	189

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Clay County	14.75	0.39	3.07	0.81	1.53	18.81	0.68	1.36	26.36	4.28	0.19	2.59
Minnesota	10.33	0.52	3.53	0.81	1.56	18.94	1.18	2.18	14.55	5.75	0.19	3.44
National	7.83	0.39	5.26	0.53	1.06	7.20	2.63	1.36	1.74	6.01	0.33	2.79
Cass County	13.87	0.40	2.91	0.45	1.83	22.12	0.77	1.18	22.73	4.87	0.30	2.80
Otter Tail County	17.93	0.33	2.96	0.90	1.35	25.91	0.52	1.89	27.11	4.63	0.23	2.15
Becker County	16.04	0.78	3.17	1.03	1.69	22.16	0.47	1.43	25.87	4.06	0.30	2.28
Richland County	18.36	0.31	1.96	0.83	1.15	31.10	0.41	1.55	19.99	3.42	0.62	3.04
Norman County	22.52	0.25	1.82	0.58	1.45	18.66	0.35	0.79	39.87	3.17	0.14	1.99
Wilkin County	19.47	0.22	1.83	0.81	1.29	29.78	0.43	1.83	24.15	4.48	0.06	3.00

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Clay County		75.78	87.00	100.97	98.06	99.33	57.85	62.20	181.16	74.44	98.48	75.23
Minnesota		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		75.91	148.97	66.10	68.18	38.01	222.87	62.28	11.95	104.42	173.19	81.08
Cass County		76.74	82.37	55.72	117.52	116.80	65.26	53.87	156.18	84.58	153.81	81.43
Otter Tail County		63.71	83.84	111.96	86.74	136.83	44.18	86.46	186.28	80.40	119.28	62.54
Becker County		151.48	89.72	127.44	108.29	117.00	40.05	65.46	177.73	70.55	155.47	66.31
Richland County		60.02	55.51	102.43	73.79	164.22	34.46	70.95	137.33	59.45	321.15	88.58
Norman County		48.74	51.36	72.48	93.31	98.51	29.42	36.15	273.94	55.13	74.06	57.87
Wilkin County		42.91	51.68	100.52	82.66	157.24	36.34	83.65	165.97	77.83	33.12	87.34

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Clay County		99.83	58.40	152.77	143.83	261.32	25.96	99.88	1,516.21	71.29	56.86	92.78
Minnesota		131.73	67.13	151.30	146.67	263.08	44.87	160.57	836.96	95.77	57.74	123.34
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Cass County		101.09	55.30	84.30	172.38	307.28	29.28	86.51	1,307.12	81.00	88.81	100.44
Otter Tail County		83.93	56.28	169.39	127.23	359.98	19.82	138.83	1,559.09	77.00	68.87	77.13
Becker County		199.55	60.23	192.82	158.83	307.81	17.97	105.11	1,487.48	67.56	89.77	81.79
Richland County		79.06	37.26	154.97	108.23	432.03	15.46	113.93	1,149.43	56.93	185.43	109.26
Norman County		64.20	34.48	109.65	136.86	259.16	13.20	58.04	2,292.75	52.80	42.76	71.38
Wilkin County		56.52	34.69	152.08	121.24	413.66	16.30	134.32	1,389.10	74.53	19.12	107.73

Ancestry Report Part III
Description	Total Population	Chinese	Filipino	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	South Central Asian	South East Asian	Other Asian	Middle Eastern	Other Ancestry	Unknown

Clay County	67,234	42	119	13	46	326	129	56	234	1,017	4,510	11,836
Minnesota (in 000's)	5,840	31	14	4	16	30	56	50	96	21	564	931
National (in 000's)	343,251	4,461	3,010	793	1,541	1,913	5,452	1,643	1,229	1,931	47,322	51,000
Cass County	202,694	578	674	54	694	714	2,558	312	845	769	14,738	31,785
Otter Tail County	61,191	129	42	27	41	20	52	51	5	78	3,484	10,548
Becker County	35,546	29	25	17	27	42	10	55	2	32	2,958	6,096
Richland County	16,721	29	4	0	31	0	0	6	7	3	1,115	3,247
Norman County	6,336	7	4	4	2	1	9	5	1	11	419	966
Wilkin County	6,297	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	0	277	1,267

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Clay County	14.75	0.06	0.18	0.02	0.07	0.48	0.19	0.08	0.35	1.51	6.71	17.60
Minnesota	10.33	0.54	0.24	0.08	0.28	0.51	0.97	0.85	1.64	0.36	9.67	15.94
National	7.83	1.30	0.88	0.23	0.45	0.56	1.59	0.48	0.36	0.56	13.79	14.86
Cass County	13.87	0.29	0.33	0.03	0.34	0.35	1.26	0.15	0.42	0.38	7.27	15.68
Otter Tail County	17.93	0.21	0.07	0.04	0.07	0.03	0.08	0.08	0.01	0.13	5.69	17.24
Becker County	16.04	0.08	0.07	0.05	0.08	0.12	0.03	0.15	0.01	0.09	8.32	17.15
Richland County	18.36	0.17	0.02	0.00	0.19	0.00	0.00	0.04	0.04	0.02	6.67	19.42
Norman County	22.52	0.11	0.06	0.06	0.03	0.02	0.14	0.08	0.02	0.17	6.61	15.25
Wilkin County	19.47	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.03	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.05	0.00	4.40	20.12

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Clay County		11.59	75.26	25.62	24.38	95.74	19.87	9.74	21.23	424.61	69.40	110.45
Minnesota		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		241.10	372.94	306.03	160.04	110.04	164.48	55.98	21.85	157.89	142.64	93.22
Cass County		52.90	141.40	35.30	122.02	69.55	130.69	18.00	25.43	106.50	75.23	98.39
Otter Tail County		39.11	29.19	58.46	23.88	6.45	8.80	9.75	0.50	35.78	58.91	108.15
Becker County		15.14	29.91	63.36	27.07	23.33	2.91	18.10	0.34	25.27	86.10	107.60
Richland County		32.17	10.17	0.00	66.07	0.00	0.00	4.20	2.55	5.04	68.99	121.84
Norman County		20.50	26.85	83.64	11.25	3.12	14.71	9.23	0.96	48.73	68.42	95.66
Wilkin County		0.00	0.00	0.00	11.32	0.00	0.00	0.00	2.91	0.00	45.51	126.24

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Clay County		4.81	20.18	8.37	15.24	87.01	12.08	17.40	97.17	268.93	48.66	118.48
Minnesota		41.48	26.81	32.68	62.49	90.88	60.80	178.63	457.65	63.34	70.11	107.27
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Cass County		21.94	37.91	11.53	76.25	63.21	79.46	32.16	116.39	67.45	52.74	105.54
Otter Tail County		16.22	7.83	19.10	14.92	5.86	5.35	17.41	2.28	22.66	41.30	116.02
Becker County		6.28	8.02	20.70	16.92	21.20	1.77	32.33	1.57	16.01	60.36	115.42
Richland County		13.34	2.73	0.00	41.29	0.00	0.00	7.50	11.69	3.19	48.37	130.70
Norman County		8.50	7.20	27.33	7.03	2.83	8.94	16.49	4.41	30.87	47.97	102.61
Wilkin County		0.00	0.00	0.00	7.07	0.00	0.00	0.00	13.30	0.00	31.91	135.42

Sources: STI: PopStats, Circa April 2025

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