BASIC COURSE INFORMATION
As an online course, the writing that we do in English 305 is substantially
different from a face to face course. As such, it is imperative that you
understand the course style from the start. Nearly all of your work in this
course will be posted on the course blog. EACH WEEK YOU WILL HAVE THREE BLOG
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. A BLOG ENTRY,
2. A READING, AND
3. A WRITING ABOUT
THE READING.
Your reading and writing on the blog must be completed by
the Friday (by midnight) of the week in which the reading falls. You have all week each week to complete the reading and writing for that week, but there are no late assignments accepted, so be sure to be disciplined about the
work from the start.
Let me re-state that point; if you do the assigned
work before or during the week it is due, you will receive full credit. If you do the work after the Friday of the week it is assigned, you will get zero credit for that week.
I am of predominantly African-American decent, so my ancestors first arrived to this country unwillingly in the 1600s. Although, I am Arican-American woman, I also have some Choctaw Indian as well as French ancestry as well. This mix comes from my Dad's side of the family, who orignated from Louisiana and has quite a bit of Creole (Spanish,French and African "mix") heritage. My mother's side of the family has some Native American ancestry as well, but I am not as familiar what tribe that is. I feel that my ancesters have given me a sense of pride and determination that I greatly appreciate. I have learned from my grandparents that many Black people made significant contributions to this country. My great-grandfather Boston (his real first name) was a brick mason an worked everywhere from The Hoover Dam to Alaska. I feel that everything I accomplish would be to make my family , both gone and present, proud of me.
ReplyDeleteI found it pretty interesting that you have a family centric view. Being born in a broken family has made me less caring about what my parents think of me. Consider me a bastard child, but my concept of family honor is sparse. It might have had to do with the abuse I had growing up as a child, but persons of asiatic descent would probably consider it normal.
DeleteWow! You've really done your research when it comes to your family history. I haven't really discussed with my family about exactly where they came from as far as origin and ancestors. I'm mexican american and other than knowing the birthplace of my parents, that's all pretty much know. I admire that you are so well educated about your heritage.
DeleteMy family's origin has always been shrouded in mystery for some reason or another. My mother had met my father some time around 1970 and decided to have me towards the end of their marriage. My mother is of Vietnamese descent but was born in France, as apparently they were being chased out of Vietnam by the communists before they were born. I know very little of my father's side, as my mother has not usually mentioned much about him. He is of Vietnamese descent as well, but I do not know much about his family. Personally, being raised in a Vietnamese household by Vietnamese parents has been that of a second generation typical asian-american. Being pressured to excel in academics with the threat of corporal punishment and the like. My personality has much to do with my cultural upbringing. While I do not necessarily agree with how I was raised, it has psychologically shaped my thoughts, actions, and behaviors.
ReplyDeleteWow! very interesting. But like you state what has happened to you has made you the person your are. Great Post Daniel.
DeleteMy grandparents went through several obstacles to ensure that they created better opportunities for themselves and for their future families. They all believed they could achieve this by moving to the United States. I am extremely proud of my ancestry’s ability to transfer their lives and families to America. As a mestiza, I am of Mexican and Pilipino descent. My mother arrived in the United States in 1970 from Mexico. Her father, my grandfather, came to the United States through the Bracero Program. He was one of the many impoverished Mexicans that left his family behind and ended up working in the fields in California. He and my mother’s older brother worked and saved money until they had enough to bring over the rest of their family. On my father’s side, my grandfather came from the Philippines in the early 1900s, in hopes of having a better opportunity to find work. He was able to find work for a while but then the nation plummeted into the Great Depression. However, he eventually found work and then enlisted in the army and went into combat in World War II. My grandparents greatly struggled and worked hard to come and stay in the United States. They came with aspirations of excelling and creating greater opportunities for their children. Their hard work and determination has instilled in me the desire to be a better person. I strive to excel as they did in everything I do because I know how much my grandparents suffered to make sure I had a better life.
ReplyDeleteNot too many people know about the Bracero Program and the harsh conditions that many endured. It's wonderful to see that their sacrifice has a successful outcome with such a hard working student like yourself.
DeleteMy family arrived to the United States approximately when my parents were in their teen years. Both their parents were still in Mexico. I am Hispanic and both my parents were born and raised less than half their lives in Mexico. My mother moved to the United States when she was fourteen years old, she came with her brother and two cousins. My father arrived to the United States from Mexico when he was about sixteen years old. He came with two sisters and two brothers, his mother stayed behind. They migrated to the U.S. to look for a better life and thank goodness they did. Where I come from dictates who I am because I know how much my parents suffered to get to where they are today and I want them to be proud of me because they did it so we could have a better future. I am the first graduate in my family and I did it to make my parents proud of me. I also want my siblings to look up to me as a role model; if I could do they could too. My parents have thought me to be independent because they were forced to grow up too fast. I am who I am today because what my parents made of me.
ReplyDeleteWhere I come from has a lot to do with who I am today. I am proud and happy to be where I am thanks to my family.
Similar to your parents, my mother also came to the United States early in her childhood from Mexico. She also struggled and had to work extremely hard to get to where she is today. My parents and grandparents have done so much to make sure that my sister and I could have better lives and because of this we strive, just like you, to be the best we can be. Thanks for your post.
DeleteMy dad came to the United States in a young age as well as your parents. Since a young age he had to work to help out in the family since he is the oldest. I understand where you’re coming from when you say you want to make you parents proud, because just like you I want to do the same. I am determine to achieve this because I am an only child and I want to strive for the best, so one day I can give back to my parents for everything they have done. Just like you want to be a role model I want to do the same for my cousin, I want to be someone she could look up to because I am the first person to attend college from the family.
DeleteMy father first came here from Mexico during WWII. He was part of the "Bracero Program" which was an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico to contract Mexican laborers while the American men were at war. He was able to work here for years while my mother and her first five children stayed in Mexico. Eventually my father was able to bring them to California to stay permanently. I am the youngest child born in California. Where I come from has had a huge impact on who I am. My dad was the epitome of a hard worker. He would leave for work before sunrise and come home after sunset. I rarely saw him on the couch vegetating. Both my parents had incredibly difficult lives and growing up I always knew of the sacrifice that they went through to give us a better life in America. Knowing my family history made me an extremely grateful and hardworking person. I often talk about where I come from to my daughter. I hope to instill in her the values that my father passed on to me.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a lot of courage to move to a new country. The adjustment period is not always easy. The sacrifice that parents make for their children, I think, is too often overlooked.
DeleteThat's very cool that your dad came here because of the Bracero Program. I learned about this in one of my history classes and remembered thinking how brave these people were to come to a new country just to be able to put food on their family's table. That's good that you want to pass down the values you learned from your father, because not many people know what hard work really is.
DeleteYou have such amazing parents. I could not help but think of the sacrifices your parents have made. I can relate to your story since my father came to the United States first too. I have always admired their hard work and dedication for the family. I agree with you on passing our values and work ethics to our children. I will say we have been blessed with the parents we have, because of them we are who we are today, and I know I would not change a thing about it.
DeleteMy family on my Mother’s side is predominantly German and Scandinavian. Generally speaking, my ancestors arrived in the mid to late 1600’s and slowly made their way cross country eventually residing in the Southwest and later in California. I can only trace my Father’s ancestry back three generations. It is likely my last name was different then what it currently is. I don’t know where they came from or when they arrived. I am several generations American and do not know much of the customs of the countries my ancestors came from. I know my attitudes and beliefs are shaped by the normative values that are persistent within the dominant American culture and that my worldview is shaped by the social, political and economic structures associated with those values. The historical experiences and societal values intrinsic to each culture is what affects the individuals within that culture. Our relative position within that society, as well as the society itself, is what shapes who we are. We become the sum total of our societies experiences as well as our own experiences. Our choices and the choices of others dictate how others see us and how we see ourselves. We are conditioned by the normative experiences of society as well as our personal experiences. The relation of who we are to where we come from is inexorable. It is rooted in our subconscious, not the Freudian subconscious, but the routine everyday thoughts and practices that make up our experiences. We are subject to our surroundings and the effects our surroundings have on our lives. We are subject to the norms and values of society and the structure society creates. We are also, however, rational creatures that are capable of acknowledging the role our society plays and changing those aspects of society with which we disagree. In short we are affected by where we come from, but where we come from does not predetermine who we are.
ReplyDeleteIs it the German side that made the name change? I believe that my family had slight name changes and variations in pronunciation on my Predominantly German and Austrian side.
DeleteMy father arrived to the United States in 1975, around that year he was just approximately around 14 or 15 years old. He arrived to Coachella with my grandparents and his siblings from Mexico. My grandparents decided to come to the United States for work. My dad attended high school for his freshmen and sophomore year, he didn’t finish his education because when he was going to start junior year he went right to work. My father went to work with his parents as farmer workers in the fields.
ReplyDeleteIn 1978, he and the rest of his family moved to Delano, California to work in the roses and till this day my dad, still works in the roses. My mom didn’t come to the United States till 1988, when she was 21 years old and she came with my dad after they got married. Even though my mom was born in Mexico, her mom, my grandma is an American citizen. My ancestry is Spaniards and French from both my fathers and mothers side. Not only did my dad work in the roses but since it is temporary after it was done, he and my mom would go work in the fields picking up grapes. Where I come from dictates who I am because I am expected to have a better future and more opportunities than my parents had. I appreciate more all the sacrifices they have done so I don’t have to end up working in the fields like both my parents. I also want to make my family proud and the way I have been raised has influence me in the way I think and behave.
I’m a Coptic “Christian Egyptian” decent. My family never came to the states. I am the first one of my family to immigrate to another country. I legally came to the United States, via green card lottery, when I was about twenty three years old. It was extremely hard for me to leave a big family and many friends back in Egypt and move to a new country that is different in everything, language, culture, and norms. The cruelest period was the first few months during which I was longing so much to everything, my family, friends, streets, and home. Little by little, I started to learn the language and make more friends and relations that made my new life a lot easier. I had struggled a lot during the first couple of years working in restaurants as dishwasher. Few years later, I went back to Egypt in a swift mission in which I got married to the one I have loved for years. Then we came back together and established a new Coptic American family. We have three kids so far and the fourth is expected to arrive in July. My dream was to study and become a physician but it was financially impossible. However, with my wife continuous encouragement, I went back to school to study biochemistry, and after about six years of studying, I am graduating this quarter with bachelors in biochemistry. It is so difficult to work study and support a family at the same time, but I am thankfully very happy and satisfied with what I have accomplished.
ReplyDeleteYou are setting a great example for your children. Nothing is impossible. You came to a strange place all alone and made a great life for you and your family. You should be very proud of yourself. I’m sure your children will tell your story full of pride when they are asked to write about how their parents came to this country.
DeleteMy family on my mothers side arrived in the United States 3 generations ago. So, sometime in the early 1900's. Both of my grandmothers parents came from Germany. I don't know much about my father's side except that he is a Native American whose tribe possibly came from Canada. Honestly, though, being half from Germany doesn't dictate who I am at all. Being native american doesn't really either but it does make me want to find out about which tribe in particular I am from. What does dictate who I am is that neither of my parents went to college or even graduated from high school and that is my goal: to graduate from college. This is extremely difficult to do at the moment because my husband and I currently have 2 boys with twin girls due in July in addition to taking in 2 foster children. School is definitely not easy to squeeze in with everything else but it has to be a major priority in order to make our lives better. I went to school previously for 2 years and had to stop due to not being able to get financial aid and am just getting back to it this year. After this year, I have just 2 more to go and I can start a new phase in my life. So, not having much in my childhood has dictated that I demand more from myself to give more to my children than I had growing up.
ReplyDeleteMy mother's side of the family arrived to the United States in the early 1800s from Ireland. As far as we could trace back, my mother is mostly Irish with very little English in her. At one point she had a grandfather that came from Whales. My father is mostly Irish as well, and from what we can tell, his family arrived from Ireland in the late 1700s. For me, where my family came from has very little to do with dictating who I am. I am proud of the person I became and I contribute that to what kind of people my parents are and how they raised me. Neither one of my parents had a lot of family the family they did have were scared all over the United States, with the exception of each of their parents. We never saw any of the other family. As a child, my heritage was never spoke about. I don't believe there was a reason why we didn't, I just remember my parents and grandparents telling me I was Irish. Perhaps if we recognized or spoke about our heritage when I was young I would have a different view. I belief that I am who I am today because of my values and what kind of person I want to be.
ReplyDeleteMy family is a pretty good mix of different ethnicities, so much so that we're still not quite sure all the different backgrounds involved in my dad's side of the family. My mom however, traveled first to Canada in the early sixties, after being born in Edgeware, England. From Canada my mom, along with her mother and father moved to the United States in the late sixties. From there, my mom and grandparents took the right steps in earning US citizenship. I love the fact that my mom was born in another country. Still to this day, she teaches everyone in our family about some of the cultural items she group up with and has exposed us to new and interesting foods, new customs, and what she calls "The English Way of Doing Things." It makes me extremely proud of my mom to know she came from another country, gained her citizenship in the right way, and became the first person in her family to earn a college degree. I am extremely proud to be an American, but I am also very proud of my English background.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThat is soo awesome! I love hearing of stories where people come to America and succeed in obtaining the "American Dream". I also believe it is very important to hold on to those cultural traditions, never forget who you are and what you had to go through to become an American. I personally do not know much about my family's hertiage, and I find it really sad. I wish I knew more, but at least I have my husbands side who are proud Italians and will never let you forget it. I am glad he can pass that down to our children and let them feel pride about their hertiage and have knowledge about where they came from. Thanks for your post!
DeleteI personally do not know when exactly my family came to America, both on my mom and my dad’s side. Really, I do not know hardly anything about my mom’s family history. I do know that there is Irish on her side, and other than that her parents came to California from Kentucky. That sums it up on my mom’s side (I really should look into it further). On my dad’s side, I only know about my grandmother’s history. I do not have any information about his dad’s side, but with the last name Harvey I am going to guess English? However, with his mom’s side (my grandmother) I believe it was my great grandparents who came over from Germany. When? I couldn’t tell you, but I know that they moved to Iowa and had a farm, which inspired my father to become a farmer here in California (tree fruit). I do know that there is also Irish on my dad’s side, and from what I have known I am made up of Irish and German, but mainly Irish. Where I come from does not really dictate who I am because when it comes down to it, I am just plain American. I am in the melting pot and personally am probably just a plain ol’ mutt. All I know of if my German and Irish heritage and even though I know there is more in me, I do not have any clue what it is. So when people ask, I proudly say Irish and German, mainly Irish. I think with each generation it gets watered down so much that really how can my family say anything other than American? So since everyone has some sort of heritage because it is America after all, it gets to the point that I will just opt for saying I am a mutt.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you to a certain extent because I truly believe it depends on the family and how rooted they are to their culture. In one aspect we are all watered down from our family's original cultural background but what is truly American? See, I find it confusing to consider myself American. Mainly because my parents are not Americans they are Central Americans thus I think that is why my cultural background is not as watered down. However, when I have kids I do believe in teaching them of their family's cultural background. And I do believe cultural background is important because it influences how we see things just like Latin culture have a collective identity with their family. I mean I am American but I also consider my family's culture, values and beliefs very important.
DeleteOh, I am not saying everyone is watered down. I am saying my family is watered down. I completely agree that it is important to keep your family's cultural traditions. I just do not know much about my family's backgroud. My husband and I try to teach Italian pride to our children, even though they have hardly any Italian compared to their Irish hertiage. However, my husband has more knowledge of his family's culture and history, so I like to support his heritage. Thanks for your post!
DeleteI have no knowledge of when my family moved to the United States. I was moved into foster care since a very young age. I know I am German and French but that is as much as I know. I grew up in a Mexican household and lived a very different life from which I could have lived. Growing up in a Hispanic home dictates who I am today. It has taught me different values and beliefs that I would have learned other wise.
ReplyDeleteAlthough you don't have a story of your biological family but would you consider that Mexican family your family? It just seems interesting. Also, in the end, did you mean to say, "It has taught me different values and beliefs that I would NOT have learned otherwise". Are you trying to say that you carry some of the values of the Mexican family you grew up in?
DeleteMy mother's side of the family came from Managua, Nicaragua and came to the United States due to the civil war that killed my uncle when he was only 16 years old. My grandmother did not want to risk any her other sons to be forced to fight and then they came to San Francisco to start a new life all over. On my father's side my grandparents had came from El Salvador because of their civil war and also wanted to be safe and start new lives in the United States. My mother's side came into the United States illegaly and then worked really hard to obtain their papers to become citizens. My father's side came with Visas and then had recieved their citizenships. However, I take their background with me because I am proud of my family's Latin culture. El Salvador and Nicaragua are both of the Central Americas and have some similar aspects and others aspects that differentiate them from one another. I incorporate those aspects with myself even though I was born in San Francisco, California. Thus, I have acculturated myself and I love mixing the cultures. I love embracing my English with an accent or talking in Spanglish. I love to dance Spanish, Hip hop or mostly any type of music. Also, coming from a Central American family I make it aware for others to be culturally aware that Central Americans are not Mexicans. There are different Latin Cultures like there is different backgrounds for whites because some are Irish, Scottish, British, French and German. Taking pride in my family's culture and mixing it with the American culture has helped me be open to every other culture and customs and to look at each custom with open eyes and no judgment in mind.
ReplyDeleteMy grandparents came here from Mexico around the 1960s. Coming from a Mexican family does influence how I was raised a great deal. In my family there was the stereotype that the women do the housework however because my grandparents acknowledged that we were in America they were a bit lenient on this rule when it came to how the grandchildren were raised. My grandparents and parents played a big role in teaching me how to act and how you treat others. Coming from a Mexican family you learn just how important family is, because of this your taught by everyone that your priorities and loyalty are with your family. I was raised to believe that no matter what is said and done your family will still be there for you after everything. This close bond with your family means that you will always have someone there in the background cheering for you, whether it be your grandparents, parents, siblings, or even cousins. When someone is going down the wrong road you’ll still have someone there for you. Even though I’m pretty Americanized, in comparison to my aunts and uncles, I still believe that family is very important and I hope this belief passes down to future generations.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about family always being important. I've been to many weddings, and I can tell that there is a great deal of family bonding in the Mexican culture just by the way they act with each other during weddings and parties. The grandparents are always the one that everyone seem to respect. Before my grandparents died, they were "viewed" as the leaders of our family. Great Blog.
DeleteI completely understand your blog as I am also Mexican American but family is the most important thing. We were taught to respect our elders. There was an understanding between my mother's 11 siblings that disciplining any children in our family was acceptable. Which meant when our aunt's or uncles told us something we better listen. Our grandparents were definitely at the top as was my great-grandfather when he was alive. The love and respect is something I will definitely pass on to my own child.
DeleteMy family predominantly German from what I understand. I do not know when anyone arrived here. I know that my great grandma on my mother's side was part French. Her maiden name was Cronier. Her husband, my great granpa, was mostly Austrian. His last name was Groover. There was some sort of speculation that there might be some relation to a certain dictator of Nazi Germany, but I refuse to believe this. My mother's dad was German and I don't know what. His father's name was Reichle and mother's name was Barber. On my dad's side it gets a little fuzzy because I never knew his parents. My grandmother on my dad's side had some Native American and German. Her maiden name was Prater, but I am not sure of what origin that is. On some side there is Black Dutch, but I can never remember which grandma. Lastly, My father's father was Irish and German I believe. His last name was Dillon. I am not aware of how this small bit of information dictates who I am. I do want to visit these countries to find out more. It also makes me want to try certain foods. I do not know much about when or how my family came over, but this has sparked my interest. I now feel the urge to write my remaining grandma.
ReplyDeleteMy family and I first arrived in the United States in the 1990s from Mexico. My father's side arrived here around the 1980s. For my mother’s side, most of her family lives in Mexico. Only one of her eight sisters lives in Los Angeles, Ca. I believe she has been here since the early 1980s. Coming to the United States as a child was a challenging and interesting transition for my siblings and me but it allowed us to become part of two cultures. Coming here with no residential benefits or resources, my parents found themselves taking any job available and often were the positions that nobody else was interested in. As farm-workers, my parents had to wake up very early and worked really hard and long hours. I recall my parents coming home from work tired, hungry, and sometimes frustrated from working long hours and under such hot weather. I would at times feel helpless because I wanted to help but did not know how. I would always keep myself from asking them for things so they would not feel pressured to work harder than they already were. Due to the lack of resources because of our residential standing, my parents felt pressured to work twice as hard as anyone else did. As a result, my siblings and I learned that we should always work hard before relying on any resources available through the community. While being a witness to their work ethics and dedication to our family, I learned so much from them. I learned the importance of being an honest and loving individual, being a hard worker, and being dedicated to the family. I also learned the meaning of the word "appreciation," there is not one day that goes by that I do not feel thankful for my parents and all their hard work throughout the years. I have learned to appreciate all the things life has to offer and be thankful for what I have.
ReplyDeleteAppreciation is the best feeling. I can relate to you about parents working hard. My mom was a single mother raising 4 kids and she was burnt out a few times because she'd work so much to ensure our needs were met. I was like you, I never asked her for anything. I'd wait for her to ask me. Great Blog.
DeleteWithout delving into ancestry.com, I can only recall a few "family legends" about where my family came from. My mother's family are more recent immigrants. My great-grandmother's family was French Canadian, and my great-grandfather was German. I know that they settled in the mid-east, and settled in California to escape the dust bowl. I know that my great-great-grandfather was a travelling salesman and my great-grandmother was left to raise her siblings after her mother died of the Spanish flu.
ReplyDeleteMy father's family is from the southern United States, but there are conflicting stories as to when they settled there. However, I have been told that I have a grandmother (not sure of the number of "greats" attached to that) who was part of the "Trail of Tears" relocation. Maybe one of these days I'll have the initiative to register online to find out the real stories!
My mom came to the United States in 1989 from Philippines, and then the rest of my family arrived to the United States in 1992. My mother was a nurse recruit from the Philippines and the agency who recruited her brought her to the United States to work for a hospital company. After 3 years, my siblings and I followed. When I first came here, everything was different. The streets were clean, people had different hair colors, and the food was great. When I started school, that’s when I knew I was “different” from everyone else. I was the only Asian girl in class who couldn’t speak English, and looked different. I suppose you can say had the typical little Asian girl “look.” The black hair, slanted eyes, and light complexion. Kids made fun of the way I looked. I remember during one lunch hour, I was eating at the Cafeteria, and I used a spoon and fork to eat my food. Well apparently, it’s only the “fork” you’re supposed to use so everyone laughed at me. Everything I did at school dictated who I was. As I got older, I got used to the Filipino-American culture, and my grandmother would tell me, “Ay Nene, you are so Americanized!” Before, I would eat dinner with her, and I’d eat with my hands only so she can see I’m still the same Filipino girl she took care of. Eating with our bear hands is normal in the Philippines. At my house, you’ll see a picture of “The Last Supper” right by the dining table because it’s traditional for Filipinos to have that in their home. A lot of what is decorated at house also dictates who I am.
ReplyDeleteBoth my parents are from Guanajuato, Mexico and came to live in the U.S in the late 1980’s. My dad came to California when he was in his teen years and came to live with an aunt. His sole purpose of was to work and save as much money as possible. A couple of years later he became a legal resident and he went back to Mexico to visit family. In that visit he met my mother and they got married a year later. After they got married he brought her to the U.S. as well and they began their live together here in Bakersfield. Where you come from dictates who you are because it helps shape the traditions and beliefs that you will carry on. For instance, I grew up speaking Spanish first and have always been exposed to my parent’s beliefs and principles. Each culture is different and that is why there are many traditions within this country.
ReplyDeleteI am not completely sure of my heritage or when my ancestors arrived in the United States. On my mother’s side, my family is of Irish descent. I believe my great-great grandparents emigrated from Ireland. For many years they lived in Oklahoma, but moved to the central valley during the dust bowl. My grandparents and my mom were born in Taft, and much of my family lives here in Bakersfield, Taft, and especially Maricopa. Some of my family still lives in Oklahoma; the ones who decided to tough out the dust bowl instead of going across country. On my father’s side, things are a bit more complicated and mysterious. I know that my grandfather is very Anglo-Saxon. However, my grandmother is of Middle Eastern descent, most likely Iranian. My family does not talk about that, and my grandma has bleached her hair for as long as I’ve been alive, and she even got rhinoplasty to look more Caucasian. My dad, my aunt and uncle all have very Middle Eastern features, especially dark hair and skin. Although I am at least half Irish, I take more after my dad’s side and was born with dark hair, and if I stay in the sun for any period of time I get a dark tan. I would definitely like to explore my dad’s side of the family. I am very interested in that part of my culture.
ReplyDeleteI feel pretty embarrassed that I haven't dove much into my family history, as much as most of you. I am of Mexican decent. Both my parents come from some place in Mexico. They came to the United States at an early age. Their parents and children were the first in their family to come to the US. I know on my mom's side there is some spaniard blood, which isn't uncommon among the people I know. My mom's side of the family have colored eyes and light skin and hair. They mostly have blue eyes. I was unfortunate to skip that trait. My dad's side of the family have dark hair and a darker complexion. I could say I have half and half of my parents' family traits. I wish I knew more about my families' history and what better time to look into it than now.
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't feel embarassed look at it as an opportunity to explore your heritage. Are your grandparents still alive? If so I'm sure they would have more information for u. Sorry you didn't get the colored eyes my dad has green eyes and my grandfather has blue and it skipped me too. I had high hopes for my daughter to have them but nope she got brown eyes too. Haha Oh well.
DeleteMy parents are both originally from Mexico. My father is from Mexico city and my mother is from Chihuahua. They both came to the United states at a very young age. My father is very intelligent and enjoyed school but had to drop out in the 10th grade to work in the fields to contribute to his family which included 10 siblings. My mother is one of 12 and did manage to finish high school despite the struggle of not being allowed to do homework at home because my grandmother believed homework was housework. We were raised with the culture of Mexico. Our grandparents all of them do not speak English. Beans, rice, and homemade tortillas are our staples. I am proud of my family their struggles, our traditions, and our commitment to stay connected.
ReplyDeleteI’m kind of embarrassed to say that I don’t know much about my parent,s history. I never even meet my grandparents from my father’s side. Both my parents are from Mexico, I’m not sure of the year that they came into this country but I do know that they came here at a young age. I think it’s kind of funny that both my parents where the first ones from their family to come here. My mom was only about fourteen, she came here is search of work. My mom is from a very big family, eight girls and two boys, and they did not have money to send them to school so since she was one of the oldest siblings she came here and she found work. Once my mom settled some of her sisters followed her here and she had to work and take care of her sisters. I’m not sure at what age my dad came to this country and I’m not even sure why he came here. Unlike my mom’s parents, my dad’s father had lands to farm in Mexico and he had money to send my dad and his siblings to school so I don’t even know what persuaded my dad to come into this country. I do know that my parents meet her in California and got married. My parents were very fortunate because they have always had steady jobs with good benefits. They came here in search of a better life and I do believe they got it. I’m very thankful my parents chose to search for a better life because they gave us a pretty good one.
ReplyDeleteOkay I am going to try to articulate myself as well as I can, my family history gets confusing. Starting with my moms family, my mother is half Hispanic and half black (I use the term black because I do not agree with the term African American). Her father (my grandfather) is Hispanic and all I know about him is that he is from South America. Her mother (my grandmother)on the other hand is black, she is from Memphis, Tennessee and came to Bakersfield in 1945. My great grandmother was also born in Memphis Tennessee, this is the furthest I get when it comes to my mothers family history. Why and how they came to Bakersfield, I do not know. My mother and her siblings never asked about the family history it was not until my generation that questions were being asked and I was eight years of age when my great grandmother died, so I never had the chance to ask her about her mother and so on. Okay now lets go to my fathers family. I do not know anything about his mother except that she is from Bakersfield and she is black. His father is half American (Caucasian) and half black. This is where it get confusing and I tend to get things mixed up. So my fathers father is partly European, but I can never remember what generation traveled from Europe to America. I should really look into this. Family history is very important. Thanks for the question!
ReplyDeleteMy family arrived in the United states from Mexico in the early 70s and the early 1980s. My mother was originally from the state of Durango and my father was from Guadalajara Jalisco. My parents being from Mexico affects me a great way. Even though I am American I still feel a sense of pride for my Mexican heritage. I have been to Mexico many times and I really enjoyed my time down there. Since my parents just arrived in the US that makes me a first generation Mexican American. I am bilingual and I will always have Mexican culture in my life. I'm glad that my parents spoke to me in Spanish as I was growing up because this has helped me learn two languages and it has prepared me in life so that I can communicate with many different people of different cultures. When I have kids of my own I will someday pass on my Mexican culture on to them so that they can be proud of their heritage.
ReplyDeleteThis assignment caused me to realize that I really don't know much about my family history. My maternal grandparents both died before passing on any information about their backgrounds, though I know that my maternal grandmother was born in Mexico before moving to the states as a young girl. My paternal grandfather left his family while my father and his brothers were very young, and no one knows much about him to this day. My paternal grandmother on the other hand was the last of fourteen children, who's mother died in childbirth and father was an uninvolved alcoholic. Her father was involved somehow in the Mexican Revolution led by Emilio Zapata in the early 1900's up until Zapata's assassination in 1919. At that point, my great grandfather was asked by his father to go to California and find his uncle who was here. So, he and my great grandmother came to the states and had two children in Mesa Arizona starting in 1925, before moving to Hanford, California to look for farm work. The proceeded to have 12 more kids, two of which died young, and my family has remained in California since then.
ReplyDeleteMy family is of Irish descent and my great-grandfather, Jon O’Neill, arrived in the United States from Canada in approximately 1920. He had been born in Canada to a farmer’s family, he had saved enough money to come to the United States and buy some land. He settled in the San Joaquin Valley, in the Fresno, California area where he purchased several acres of farmland and a tractor. He worked the land planting cotton and eventually started a cattle farm. John was a shrewd businessperson and learned to make money from all that the San Joaquin Valley had to offer. His company holdings eventually included a beef company, several cotton companies, and a television station. His parents had emigrated from Ireland to Canada before he was born and instilled a strong work ethic that included the belief that you must work for what you want, it will not be handed to you. I value that ethic and live by that value because my father had taught it me; I believe that many people come to the United States with that belief.
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