The chracters recent ancestry and current nation of residence are the same. Howeverm the character has strong ethnic ties to and takes great pride in his more distant ancestors country of origin.
No significant societal gains, either technological, sociological or artistic are being made, or have been made in recent memory. Your culture has remained essentially as it is for generations. Rulers tend to emphasise maintaining the status quo.
Destitute: These people are considered the dregs of society. They own no property, and may have no fixed home. Some perform no real work and are often unemployable. Others are in bond to a master and live at his whim.
As an adult you joined a rebellion against the local ruler, if successful you are outlawed, if it failed you escape, with only friends and family knowing your involvement. (Work with your DM to detirmine the details)