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Originally Posted by earllogjam  It doesn't matter to me. It may be a source of pride and identity for some people but I always thought those who need to know their family tree do so because of some deep insecurity in who they are today, feel lost, or have too much time on their hands. I don't need to know my relatives are descendants of the French Aristocracy to give me any more pride in who I am today. What does having a famous great grandfather whom I never knew relate to me and my life? How is my self worth or identity tied into people who are long dead and gone? Am I supposed to act and feel superior because I have a certain last name? Hogwash.
I never really cared much for the benefits of geneology outside of genetic disease screening. It just seems like a way of perpetuating nepotism, false pride, and inequality in our society.
My mother is Canadian and my father is American and my heritage is Heinz 57. I think I'm part Irish, Dutch, German, Swedish, Croatian, French, Russian....you name it. I have no affinity for any of these countries or long dead relatives from the Old World. I consider myself American and that's all that matters for me. I never knew my grandparents and all living relatives don't really know the family history beyond one or two generations. It never keeps me up at night. |
There's some truth in what you say about people feeling overly important knowing that they descended from some famous person. However, I find your attack on genealogy to be incredibly vicious and very ignorant.
That said, I'm currently working on my family history and it has been incredibly enlightening. The one thing that has run through my mind through the entire process is this, "Those who ignore the past are destined to repeat it."
I've found out a great deal not only about my parents but also their parents. Things that have helped me understand why they did or did not do certain things. It's helped me tremendously in understanding who I am.
Beyond the personal aspects of my family history, I've learned a phenomenal amount of history and have learned that there are many myths surrounding immigrants to the US and their reasons for emigrating. Given the current poisoned attitudes towards immigration, it's been incredibly enlightening.
Not wanting to know the past is like ignoring who you ultimately are. We are the products of human beings caught up in the whirlpools of history. That history has a tremendous impact on who we are. The idea that Americans can somehow shrug off that past and emerge as "new" and unburdened creatures is sheer ignorance. We are tied inextricably to those who came before us.