Many Americans look back on their ancestry to develop a greater sense of identity, rather than be mixed in along with the melting pot that composes this country. White Americans in particular claim ancestry in many different European countries spanning centuries of time before arriving in the United States. As I've mentioned in class, I'm mostly Czech and German (I think one of my relatives lived in the Alsace-Lorraine region in France too), and my family has only lived in this country for a few generations. I find this history fairly interesting, and someday might hope to travel to these areas (maybe to find my unknown twin?).
Do you guys think, though, that a sense of identity is strengthened upon knowing the origin of your ancestors? If so, how far back in time should we go to create this sense of identity?
As I said, it all intrigues me; yet even if I somehow look more like the folks in that region, I don't think it holds any special meaning in my heart as far as my "roots" or sense of identity is concerned. How do you guys feel?
I have to say I have very mixed feelings about this topic. There is no doubt that we all want to be sure of our identity. We all strive to know our ancestry, because we believe that in large part it is what defines us. We claim to be this and that and to have ancestry here and there.
ReplyDeleteBut I agree with your question. To what extent do we go back in time to discover our “identity”?
I have struggled with my identity for a while. And to be honest, I confuse myself more than I confuse other people. Usually, where you are born tends to mark who you are, correct? But I was born in Switzerland. I lived there almost two years. Does that make me Swiss? My mother is Bulgarian and my father is ethnically Armenian but born in Bulgaria. My maternal grandmother has roots in Mongolia, but what right do I have to claim Mongolian ancestry?
I often do not elaborate on my current ancestry to be honest (that of my parents’) unless someone calls me out and asks where my name is from because they’ve never heard it before. I feel that I have not participated or am not as educated as I should be on the two cultures. So I don’t even feel like I can claim them, does that make sense? I have grown up and have spent most of my life in North America and have adopted North American customs. My English is far superior to my Bulgarian and certainly far better than my Armenian. So to what extent do we have the authority to claim ancestry used to identify us?
I first wish to point out that I will only be addressing half of this post (the one I personally feel I "can"): about the ability of ancestry to strengthen one's identity.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion about this issue is mixed. The word mixed applies very well here, because I know I am of mestizo "mixed" biological descent. I was born in Bogota, Colombia, therefore, I am more than likely a combination of Iberian, indigenous, and maybe even some other roots. But due to the lack of medical and adoption records kept in Latin America, that is where my knowledge ends.
However, I have astutely studied the "roots" of my adoptive family and while I can trace their roots quite far back into Italian and Jewish history, it has not helped define my identity. For others, ancestry might help to clarify a geographical region or a tribe they are linked to, but how much that helps one to claim an "identity" is up to that individual.
My roots are short, my adoptive family's are large, but my sense of identity is only loosely tied to either one. I believe that our sense of identity is what we create for ourselves, and am not sure that we have the authority to claim the past of others as part of our individual identity. My identity has been formed by the people around me, most of them with whom I have no relation. I have seen many of my friends make ancestral ties and use it to help in forming an identity for themselves, but for the most part their identities come from their surrounding environment and the people within it.
Well, for me personaly, I think it is just fun to learn about my mutt roots. It's a fun conversation piece. However, I do not feel I can relate to one root over the other--I do not lean more toward my German roots rather than my Spanish roots--but it's just neat. There are internet sites where people can trace their family tree. I have a friend who has a French pirate in her ancestry and it's fun to talk about, maybe it makes her feel cool to say that. in the commercials they relate a person's creativity or fashion sense to an ancester--this is why you dress so fine!
ReplyDeleteI guess that for others it is more important to know their roots, for instance if they are adopted or want to learn more about why their family has certain traditions.
but for me, it's just fun.
I think that there is a certain extent to which our biological history plays a role in our lives. I can say this is true for me at least. My grandmothers parents came to the US from Poland, and my grandmother still has many traditions that are grounded in her Polish history. It is also very important for her to pass them on to us as her grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I would say that I think it depends on the family to decide how much these traditions and cultural beliefs play a role in their lives. For my family, this role may be greater than it is in other families. History and tradition can be very influential to some people. However, I don't feel that this is necessarily a "must do" for all families. I think that cultural history/traditions can be a way to keep in touch with your roots, but not something that must personally be done. Many families establish their own traditions, or don't have a strong ties to their cultural history at all. I agree that it can be more of a fun thing or personal thing, but it depends on the family whether or not this is vital.