http://news.yahoo.com/dna-study-seeks-origin-appalachias-melungeons-201144041.html Whites were effectively enslaved during the colonization of the eastern seaboard under the rubric of "indentured servants". People being people, they found mates among those around them, sometimes black slaves. Basically to protect their property rights they then claimed to be "portugese". The fact that african islamic occupation of portugal and spain meant they were Europeans but not "white" fortunately was lost on the morons who created anti race mixing laws.