Photo by Joanna Kosinska
This semester I was given an assignment involving my ethnicity. The stress hit immediately. All I knew was that I am strongly Irish and German, with an unknown amount of Spanish and Native American in the mix.
I was not looking forward to being the person that lists my .025 percent Native American heritage, especially considering I’m about as pale and white as they come. That small part of my ethnicity never seemed like something I could actively connect to, but I was seriously wrong.
Out of curiosity and after looking at major dead ends I decided to check out Ancestry.com. I had seen all the commercials and advertisements, why not?
I had some basic knowledge about my grandparents and great-grandparents that gave me a small advantage to finding more about my history. The further I looked into my family history it was like there was endless information to go through.
I was able to see old family photos and letters, census records, family documents and immigration papers. I learned that many of my mom’s older relatives first came from Spain to the Mexico/Texas area, then immigrated into the U.S.
I always thought the Spanish part of my family started to shrink closer to my generation, however my maternal grandmother was mostly Spanish. The Irish and German parts of my family just kind of overpowered the Spanish.
Being able to read letters that my great-grandparents had written to their (our) relatives gave me goosebumps. I received an insight to their daily lives that I otherwise would not have known. Pictures were available from anniversary dinners and family gatherings. I saw pictures of my relatives growing and creating their families.
Investigating my family was mostly to gain information about my ethnicity for a school project, but it gave me so much more. I sit at my computer and long for more information, wishing I could talk to them all and hear their stories. I gained a love for people that I had not known the names of two weeks ago.
Looking into my family’s past also brought me closer together with my living family. My mom has thoroughly enjoyed helping me go through all the hints and information – getting a little leaf on a person is literally the best. I’ve been calling my great aunts that are around to piece together my findings. My dad and grandmother have provided a lot of information for their side; everyone is pretty excited to see what I find out.
I have always been proud of where my family comes from, the minute part of Native American I may have in me (still trying to figure that one out) has an impact on who I have become, but having the knowledge of who these people were made everything so much more real.