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People sometimes repeated those things to reassure themselves they made the right decision. In many cases the trade off was barely worth it giving up their culture, family, and everything familiar for a factory job in a lousy neighborhood. The immigration story I think gets too idealized not everyone found streets paved in gold and a welcoming culture.
I knew many people that came between 1890 and 1920. None regretted it. They all did very well in this country. No lousy neighborhoods. They all went to nationality churches, Ukrainian, Slovak, Croatian, Russian, Greek, etc. They all belonged to fraternal organizations.
I knew many people that came between 1890 and 1920. None regretted it. They all did very well in this country. No lousy neighborhoods. They all went to nationality churches, Ukrainian, Slovak, Croatian, Russian, Greek, etc. They all belonged to fraternal organizations.
Two of my great grandfathers returned to their country of origin after coming out to California and earning money one came out and mined for gold saved his earnings and returned in 1890. The other came out and stared a business sold it in 1912 and returned. Their families remained and did well financially however these men returned because they preferred the life they had in their country of origin. I consider ethnic enclaves lousy neighborhoods often with the older generations caught in a cultural time warp(the decade the original living immigrant population immigrated to the neighborhood).
People sometimes repeated those things to reassure themselves they made the right decision. In many cases the trade off was barely worth it giving up their culture, family, and everything familiar for a factory job in a lousy neighborhood. The immigration story I think gets too idealized not everyone found streets paved in gold and a welcoming culture.
The arriving generation, especially if beyond teen years, had their problems. A Jewish immigrant coming from shtetl village in Russia might have had little in common with already-arrived German Jews, much less Catholics and Protestants. Their progeny generally did quite well and were generally comfortable almost anywhere.
Can't say I feel any home sickness for a place I've never been, but I have felt a deep affinity for Great Britain for years now. In my families old papers and heirlooms is an old photo from the 1860's that shows the first Jones's of my family with information on the back written by my Grandfather. It's been many years since I've seen it so I don't remember their names now, but I remember the name of the village in Wales that they came from. I'm sure the spelling is wrong, but it was called something like Merthyr Tidwell. One of the items on my bucket list is to visit that village for a day or two and just walk around wondering what it was like then, and think about what may have made them want or have to leave everyone and everything they knew to travel to a different land to start over. Pretty amazing when I think about it. Plus, I believe I could spend days and days visiting all the museums and other historical sites that seem to be everywhere in GB
Can't say I feel any home sickness for a place I've never been, but I have felt a deep affinity for Great Britain for years now. In my families old papers and heirlooms is an old photo from the 1860's that shows the first Jones's of my family with information on the back written by my Grandfather. It's been many years since I've seen it so I don't remember their names now, but I remember the name of the village in Wales that they came from. I'm sure the spelling is wrong, but it was called something like Merthyr Tidwell. One of the items on my bucket list is to visit that village for a day or two and just walk around wondering what it was like then, and think about what may have made them want or have to leave everyone and everything they knew to travel to a different land to start over. Pretty amazing when I think about it. Plus, I believe I could spend days and days visiting all the museums and other historical sites that seem to be everywhere in GB
In my mind it is far easier to pine for a country that didn't massacre your compatriots.
I don't have a longing, but I do have curiosity. Interestingly, I have felt at home visiting other places where I didn't know at the time, but now know my family lived. That is possibly because they often lived in hilly or mountainous areas with rivers and trees. I feel comfortable there.
Like many here, I have a curiosity of, and wish the people and lands of my ancestors well, but I don't long for them.
Recently, I located on the internet documentation which showed me the location of the small farm my grandfather grew up on in western Ukraine. With the help of Google Earth, I was then able to see an aerial view of it. I would like to visit the farm, and think about what life must have been like for my grandfather to leave alone at age 18 and for the rest of his life in America swear he had been born here not there.
After my grandfather left, the Eastern Front of WWI came within a few miles of his village. He certainly would have ended up in one of the participating armies. After WWI, there was the 1920-21 Polish-Soviet war. In 1939, the Soviets came through and pillaged the place and 'disappeared' a few of the local notables. In 1941, the Nazis came through and Einsatzgruppened the local Jews. In 1944, the Soviets came back. In 1945 as part of the border adjustment, the Poles were expelled. There is no actual family left in the area.
Unlike Thinkalot's grandfather, my grandfather did not actually say, "if it was any good I wouldn't have come here," but that's exactly what he believed.
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BeauCharles
I was a ridiculous Anglophile in my teens and early twenties. Music, movies, TV - you name it. All I wanted to do was live in England where most of my ancestors came from several centuries ago. I finally got a work assignment there when my US company bought one in the UK and needed to unify their accounting systems. Spent nine months in London. When it was over and the plane touched down in San Francisco I practically kissed the tarmac. I was getting so homesick for better weather and Mexican food. I'm an American and a Californian. I don't feel at home anywhere else.
That's basically how I am. Mom's oldest sister was really into all things Scottish as their maiden name was McDonald. I even was an aid at our clan tent for two Highlands games. But when I did my genealogy it showed me that I was American of European ancestry, not European American. It's been 225 to almost 400 years since any of my direct ancestors were part of any European events, since then they've been part of America's history. I have a generalized affinity for Britain and British dominated cultures like Australia but I am American. For every 1 minute I listen to bagpipes I spend 1000 hours listened to American originated music like jazz or bluegrass. I eat more African inspired Southern food (grits, corn bread, fried chicken) than British. I think Europeans are generally amused that a thoroughly Americanized person feels a need to remain a hyphenated American.
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