Melungeon people are a diverse and unique ethnocultural people who are characterized by our multiracial background.  This tends to include European, African American, and Indigenous, and Southeast Asian ancestry. It's important to clarify that while our Indigenous ancestors are an integral part of our history, we are not identified as a federally or otherwise recognized Indigenous Tribe. The first records we have mentioning Melungeon people in American history date back to the Cumberland Gap area of Appalachia, where we had settled and lived for hundreds of years.  Though this is the first documented cases of Melungeon people in the New World, Oral history dictates that we landed along the east coast before migrating inland.  In any case, our communities began developing their own distinct identity over time. In some regions, areas occupied by Melungeon people were referred to as Melungia, and they tended to be quite insular, meaning that families often married within their own community group, but not within their own bloodlines. This endogamous practice resulted in a rich and diverse mix of backgrounds among the families in these communities. Due to the amount of time spent in isolation within the mountains,  Melungeon people had an opportunity to cultivate our own unique culture, traditions, and way of life.  This played a large role in setting us apart from other groups. However, being a mixed-race community in the South presented challenges. Melungeon people faced significant hardships, including discrimination, oppression, and displacement. We also endured poverty and systemic attempts at extermination and cultural erasure, particularly from individuals like Walter Plecker and the oppressive laws he supported such as the Racial Integrity Act.