Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't think ancestry is meaningless at all, regardless of how "mixed" we all might be (and that is not entirely true anyway, it depends so much on where your families "landed", where they went after, and when).
I am continually surprised at how often my understanding of my ancestry ties in to other things I am learning. When I am learning about an author from the 1700's or stories of the Irish poverty of that same time, watching a movie that includes historical tidbits, whether it be about the Civil War or the Revolutionary war or New Orleans and the Mississippi steamboats, because of my study of my own family history, there is so much more understanding and richness in these experiences for me.
I am forever thankful to those ancestors who actually wrote down little stories and auto-biographies, or recorded the oral traditions that had been passed down for generations. There are only a few that I have found but they are priceless. Obviously they (those ancestors) did this because they wanted future generations to know where we come from and what their lives were like.
I don't see why it is "better" if your ancestors actually passed down and kept alive certain cultural traditions, vs someone who comes from a family where at some point it went by the wayside. Sometimes it is just that the ancestor who would have been the tradition-keeper died young, and that is the only reason you or I aren't celebrating specific cultural things at this point in time. What is wrong with re-connecting with and learning more about the cultures your people originated from? I do think it makes those who came before us seem more "real", when I find out where they came from and then take time to learn about those various places in detail.
My maternal lineage in the U.S. goes back something like twelve generations (my first European ancestor to arrive in North America came from England in 1687), in addition to Native American ancestry from about 6 generations ago. I like to think that I have pretty deep ancestral roots in this country, which, as far as I'm concerned, simply makes me an American, however "acultural" that may sound.
No, there's nothing distinctly or objectively English, Scottish, Irish, German or French about me (other than my ethnic appearance, I suppose), regardless of the fact that such terminology described the nationalities/cultures of my ancestors; therefore, I'm always puzzled when I hear other Americans espousing "I'm German," or "I'm Irish, Scottish, Italian and Swedish," etc.
In the case of most Americans, we're long separated from not only our ancestors themselves, but also their traditions. Chronology changes things--a lot. Why can't we just embrace it already?
I don't think we are all mutts. America isn't as nationally focused as other countries. We legally enforced segregation for a century, and we like to place people in "racial" boxes as opposed to ethnic categories. For example, a British citizen can be either Irish, Welsh, Scottish, or English - by country; yet s/he can also be Indian, Nigerian, Caribbean - by ethnicity. You get my drift? Yet they are still British by nationality.
America isn't like this. We downplay ethnicity and lump people together by "race." White people, for example, loose their ethnicity of Italian, Irish, German, etc. African immigrants post Civil War, became, black Americans/African-Americans. Some families keep their "ethnic" label as a mini-protest to this. I understand their frustration. Culturally, they are split. America doesn't push all of its citizens to be "American." We have Chinatown's, Little Korea's, Little Italy's, etc. And it is completely okay for members of these communities to retain their culture and nationality, but not their ethnicity.
This is what makes Americans unique. Regardless of our nationality, I think more Americans should move towards embracing their ethnicities and stop labeling ourselves as only black, white, hispanic, or asian. These four racial groups are narrow in scope. No other country does this.
I love my heritage! I'm so glad I started researching it. It changed my perspective on race for the better. So, no we are not all mutts. We are all ethnically diverse as well as Americans.
My maternal lineage in the U.S. goes back something like twelve generations (my first European ancestor to arrive in North America came from England in 1687), in addition to Native American ancestry from about 6 generations ago. I like to think that I have pretty deep ancestral roots in this country, which, as far as I'm concerned, simply makes me an American, however "acultural" that may sound.
No, there's nothing distinctly or objectively English, Scottish, Irish, German or French about me (other than my ethnic appearance, I suppose), regardless of the fact that such terminology described the nationalities/cultures of my ancestors; therefore, I'm always puzzled when I hear other Americans espousing "I'm German," or "I'm Irish, Scottish, Italian and Swedish," etc.
In the case of most Americans, we're long separated from not only our ancestors themselves, but also their traditions. Chronology changes things--a lot. Why can't we just embrace it already?
I don't refer to myself as being English or Scots, but coming from them. The Scots-Irish heritage which is predominant I will claim since its left a huge imprint on who I am. I was taught from being a child to not let problems defeat you and keep trying, and considering the lives I know, including both grandmother's and great grandmothers, they understood. I didn't have a label but I did too. I consider this an inheritance as much as any object might have been.
I think we need to be Americans, lose the hyphen, but also take pride in our own origions as it relates to ourselves and what we take of the lessons to enrich our own lives. Learning more of where they went and what happened to them and how they passed this on to the next generations is valuable. It's the kind of tradition which matters. And if one chooses to honor some other traditions, then its a rememberance.
We all fit into many 'groups'. Readers, TV addicts, gamers, sci-fi fans who are part of fandom, techies, sports addicts, fashion slaves, ... you can go on, and they all help define us to the people around us. Our choice of embrasing a heritage or not is just as much a part of this above list and part of all the things which blend together into us.
It occurs to me, rereading this thread, that one of the reasons people care about ancestry is because it fulfills one or both of two basic human psychological needs.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow was famous for determining that there is a natural ranking to the things that motivate people, which he elucidated in 1943 as The Hierarchy of Human Needs. His theory is that people are motivated first by physiological needs... hunger and thirst, the need for sleep and warmth... and that until they have satisfied those needs in at least a fundamental way, they can't even consider the next level of need... which is safety and security.
Once these needs have been provided for, however, humans next turn their attention to their social needs... for love and friendship and family. And for many people, ancestors are considered a significant part of the family. Many cultures support this view with traditions and customs like visiting family grave sites. Genealogy can play a significant role in helping people feel connected to a group in history that is larger than themselves.
Then the fourth level in Maslow's ranking is esteem. Once you feel secure that you belong to a group, your position within the group and the recognition of others becomes a natural progression. Here again, genealogy can play a significant role if it gives you a sense of pride or perhaps "bragging rights" with others.
Obviously the study of one's ancestry is of great importance to some people, but is of little or no consequence to others. Part that may relate to how much you associate the study of your ancestry with your own Third and Fourth Level needs.
Anecdotal, but interesting to me is that my father had a very highly developed circle of lifelong friends, and a very active social life, including a high ranking within the group from which he derived his sense of self-esteem. And he had almost zero interest in the past and his ancestry. I think that is because his needs were already so well satisfied that he didn't need anything else.
This was an old post on this thread but it really spoke to me. I think there is a lot of truth to this. In my own personal case, I have always been interested in history, so that is a big part of it, but I think that another part of it is the fact that I grew up in a small family. What extended family I did have was spread across the globe and not a part of my daily life. My 2 male cousins grew up in Guam and the Philippines due to my Uncle's career. My mother and her brother were very close growing up and I imagine if they'd lived in the States and near us it would have been different but it wasn't. My maternal Grandma was in Washington D.C. for most of my childhood (and we were in Texas) because her husband was Air Force and worked at the Pentagon. We kept in touch with letters and cards and visits but it was not the same as having a Grandma "in town".
The brother I grew up with is nine years older so he was married and moved out by the time I was in 4th grade, and I had four half siblings from my fathers 1st marriage that I never met until my father died when I was 30 with the exception of one that I spent a few days with as a child (and he was an adult). Having a father and a Grandfather and other family members in the military kind of ensured that we were always on the opposite side of the country from everyone else, I guess.
My mother grew up in a small town with plenty of extended family in town and I think, hearing her stories of her youth, I always longed for that. She went to her Great Aunt's every day after school, spent time with many cousins, spent summers with Aunts & Uncles. I imagine that longing is a huge part of what drives me to research my family history. I think there's something to the idea that it is a desire to "belong". I have friends of course, but it is different somehow.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaded
I don't think we are all mutts. America isn't as nationally focused as other countries. We legally enforced segregation for a century, and we like to place people in "racial" boxes as opposed to ethnic categories. For example, a British citizen can be either Irish, Welsh, Scottish, or English - by country; yet s/he can also be Indian, Nigerian, Caribbean - by ethnicity. You get my drift? Yet they are still British by nationality.
America isn't like this. We downplay ethnicity and lump people together by "race." White people, for example, loose their ethnicity of Italian, Irish, German, etc. African immigrants post Civil War, became, black Americans/African-Americans. Some families keep their "ethnic" label as a mini-protest to this. I understand their frustration. Culturally, they are split. America doesn't push all of its citizens to be "American." We have Chinatown's, Little Korea's, Little Italy's, etc. And it is completely okay for members of these communities to retain their culture and nationality, but not their ethnicity.
This is what makes Americans unique. Regardless of our nationality, I think more Americans should move towards embracing their ethnicities and stop labeling ourselves as only black, white, hispanic, or asian. These four racial groups are narrow in scope. No other country does this.
I love my heritage! I'm so glad I started researching it. It changed my perspective on race for the better. So, no we are not all mutts. We are all ethnically diverse as well as Americans.
You make some excellent points in this post! I live in an area with a high Hispanic population, primarily people with origins in Mexico. All of those people that I know refer to themselves casually as "Mexican" and no one questions this or bats an eye. Even if their ancestor from Mexico was generations back and they don't speak a word of Spanish.
Yet many of these people are also of mixed heritage (including my eldest son and my spouse and stepdaughter)... no one is telling them "Oh you aren't Mexican! Just because your GGG Grandfather came from Mexico doesn't make you Mexican! You are American only!"
Generally, how they choose to identify themselves is accepted without question. Well, if others deem they "look" right anyway. My son is often told he looks "too white" to be "Mexican" and "too dark" to be "White". WTH?! He has a better understanding of and identification with Mexican-American culture though, because of where and how he has grown up, than my spouse who grew up in Iowa and believed all her life she was half Scottish/half Native American, until she was an adult and learned that her father's family originated in Mexico (she didn't grow up knowing him). But he also feels, he says, strong connections with our Scottish and Irish ancestry, and that should be okay to say.
For so many people I know here locally, whether or not they refer to themselves as "Mexican" depends entirely on whether or not their parents stayed married and if not, it depends on which parent they grew up with, because so many are the product of a person of Mexican descent on one side and some combo of French/English/German/Scottish/Irish etc on the "other side".
That's the thing about finding connections is they aren't just stories anymore. You know real people lived it and you have a connection.
This bit is something I can really relate to. When I do genealogy for myself or others, I always try to include some references to what was going on in the ancestors' world - here or somewhere else. I personally find this to be an important bit of input - environmental genealogy if you will - locating someone in their place & time. It's not just interesting, it makes history personal.
Americans may be 'mutts' in terms of blending, but we all have histories that brought us to 'me'.
I don't think we are all mutts. America isn't as nationally focused as other countries. We legally enforced segregation for a century, and we like to place people in "racial" boxes as opposed to ethnic categories. For example, a British citizen can be either Irish, Welsh, Scottish, or English - by country; yet s/he can also be Indian, Nigerian, Caribbean - by ethnicity. You get my drift? Yet they are still British by nationality.
America isn't like this. We downplay ethnicity and lump people together by "race." White people, for example, loose their ethnicity of Italian, Irish, German, etc. African immigrants post Civil War, became, black Americans/African-Americans. Some families keep their "ethnic" label as a mini-protest to this. I understand their frustration. Culturally, they are split. America doesn't push all of its citizens to be "American." We have Chinatown's, Little Korea's, Little Italy's, etc. And it is completely okay for members of these communities to retain their culture and nationality, but not their ethnicity.
This is what makes Americans unique. Regardless of our nationality, I think more Americans should move towards embracing their ethnicities and stop labeling ourselves as only black, white, hispanic, or asian. These four racial groups are narrow in scope. No other country does this.
I love my heritage! I'm so glad I started researching it. It changed my perspective on race for the better. So, no we are not all mutts. We are all ethnically diverse as well as Americans.
Completely agree with this. I'm a first-generation American that grew up with a strong ethnic/cultural identity as opposed to racial. The awareness of ethnicity is something I really appreciated in England. Canada seems quite similar as well. The U.S. tries to force certain groups within color labels and attempt to conveniently attach ethnicity/culture to color (ex. labeling a Haitian as African-American due to color). I love my heritage too and will pass it on to my children. To me, ethnic diversity is...American.
I don't believe the study of one's ancestry as an American is meaningless. You could not invent a more pertinent and customized view into historical events. The ancestral search not only enlightens you to the ethnic stock you sprang from, but the various cultural, economic, social, and religious motivations that fueled your ancestors movements, sacrifices, and labor.
Each generation usually has a war and/or an economic change that defines the people who experience it. Racial strife can fortify the character and resolve of the people that are victimized by it. Or it can suppress them. Either way, just as any socially stratifying factor, forces them to evolve into something that barely resembles their ancestral persona. Great personal gain or cultural successes over adversities (and adversaries) can redefine a people from what they previously perceived of themselves.
For good or ill all these factors and more, epidemics, climatic changes, natural disasters, all change groups and individuals through the years. And all are evidenced in a thorough ancestry search. I really enjoyed how the cauldron of time and circumstance made my grandparents and my parents who they were. That genetic basis and the events I experienced made me who I am. The study of genealogy provides a lot of "aha" moments for why people do what they do, or go where they go. An objective and thorough foray into ancestry research can be a great teaching tool for tolerance and objective decision-making in life's many scenarios.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
