When researching other ethnic ancestors, your best bets to finding other who are researching the same locations and surnames are http://www.rootsweb.com and http://www.familysearch.org. At familysearch.org you can download information sheets on the areas you are researching. For example, if you are researching Sweden, you can download an information sheet that explains Swedish genealogy in general and it gives you the basics on this type of research. There are also common phrases in Swedish that you will find in records. This way when searching through all of those microfilms, you will know what to look for. Your Scandinavian ancestors my have used patronyms, so look for surnames ending in --son or --datter. Eastern European countries used --ovici, --owicz, and others as patronyms.

When it comes to heraldry (coats and arms) in Europe, be aware that coats of arms are not transferable from one person to another. The only exception is that an unmarried daughter may use her father's blazon until she marries. Those companies that offer you your family's coat of arms are something to be wary of. These items are specific to an individual and not a family. Irish heraldry is somewhat different as individuals have seemed to have adopted the coat of arms for their surname. Although this is actually an improper use, it seems generally acceptable. Many Australians can trace their ancestors back to England. The UK sent many "undesirables" to Australia. This does not mean that you ancestors were actual criminals (like thieves, rapists, and murderers) – it could also mean that they were political dissidents and were deemed enemies of the state. Many of the so called "criminals" that ended up on a ship to Australia were political prisoners or those being convicted of practicing religions other than the Church of England.

What about Asia? How do you know if you had ancestors from the Far East? It may be more of a reality than you would think. Did you know that there is a Jewish population in Shanghai China? During WWII many people were looking for a way to escape the Nazi regime. With travel becoming increasingly difficult and the US and other nations tightening their borders to restrict immigration, many people headed east. Later they attempted to enter the US, some were successful some were not. Many went to Argentina or Canada instead of the US.

So when researching your ethnic background, be sure to read up on the area you plan to study. Find out why people left (famine, war, religious, or political prosecution, economic troubles, etc.). You will also need to research what may have been required to leave that country. Was an exit visa required? Did a bond need to be posted to prevent those in debt from skipping out on their financial commitments? Knowing if these documents were difficult to obtain may help you. Sometimes people left the country illegally. You will find that those avoiding mandatory military service usually let in a hurry. Also look to see where others from the same town immigrated to. This will help you tremendously because people from the same towns tended to stick together. Be sure and check out the websites mentioned above to be sure you have all the information you need on your ethnic ancestors.