The Kardashians are of Armenian descent on their fathers side. Their late father, Robert Kardashian Sr., was a third-generation Armenian-American, and all four of his grandparents emigrated from the Ottoman Empire to the United States in the early 20th century. Their mother, Kris Jenner, has a mixture of Dutch, English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. Kendall and Kylie Jenner share their mothers lineage but also have Caitlyn Jenners ancestry, which is primarily European with ancestors from English, Scottish, Irish, Dutch, and Welsh. Therefore, the Kardashians ethnicity is Armenian, and their race is white according to the US governments definition of anyone of European, Middle Eastern, or North African descent as white. However, the Kardashians have been criticized for cultural appropriation of African-American culture.