This set of thoughts and questions is meant respectfully. I am aware that it touches upon sensitivities, and I apologize in advance for any feelings I may hurt. My intention in posting it is to invite sincere conversation about a subject of deep importance to many in this group. I don't have the answers to several of these questions and would be interested to hear the views of those who disagree with me:Lately I have been wondering about how we approach the issue of Sephardi ancestry, in a few dimensions:1) Intellectual neutrality: it seems reasonable to conduct genealogical research from a standpoint of trying to find reviewable evidence that so-and-so preceded so-and-so, as far back as one can go. If this leads to Ashkenazi ancestors, fine, and if to Sephardi ancestors, fine. If this reveals only some Sephardi ancestors long ago, such that there has been no recent emotional or spiritual connection to the Sephardi world, fine, and if it exposes an extensive Sephardi heritage, fine. Just follow the evidence and see what can be learned about our past. If a preconceived notion turns out to be difficult to maintain, just park it as speculation until real evidence shows up, and the less it can be proven, the more speculative it should be considered. Such intellectual neutrality is expected of all academics, whose work can otherwise be dismissed as biased or lacking in interpretive methodology. Yet we have hosted many conversations in this group in which an argument is made that the slightest Sephardi ancestry story, no matter how thin the basis or absent the evidence, should be cherished and used as a major thrust of inquiry, if not being held onto as the most likely option. Research should guided by assuming that there simply *must be at least one Sephardi ancestor even long ago, no matter how unlikely. In the rare instance where a lone Sephardi ancestor or small group of them can be identified, this somehow proves that a distant descendant now "is" Sephardi even if their connection to the Sephardi world, or even to organized Judaism of any kind, is slim. I hope not to judge this approach any more than to say I find it unconvincing; rather, I am asking about it simply to understand it better since we have seen it a lot here. Why do people hold on so tenaciously to Sephardi origin stories, or even respond with hostility to people who don't believe them when there is no evidence?2) Significance of having a Sephardi ancestor: what is the appeal of being able to positively identify a Sephardi ancestor? I imagine that the answer is different for many people, but I am particularly interested in those who do not have any living or recent memory of connection to Sephardi Judaism or any Judaism. Some have shared that it feels good to discover this ancestry - why is that?3) Citizenship in Spain or Portugal: for those who have an Iberian ancestor but no living connection to Sephardi Judaism or any Judaism, what is the appeal of returnee citizenship? I actually get the pragmatism of the EU passport, but I have a feeling that some who do not need this benefit still wish for returnee status on a symbolic level. Why?