Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» Families who've lived in America for generations can't appreciate what being a FIRST GENEREATION AMERICAN means. Are you one like me?
I'm multiple generations Aussie (all eight of my great-grandparents were born in the colonies that became Australia) and one branch of the family goes back 40 thousand years at least (archaeologists aren't quite certain exactly how long ago the aborigines got here - current guesstimates are anything up to twice that). My wife is first gen on her mother's side. My mother-in-law was born in England of Welsh parents. They emigrated in 1947, when she was ten years old.
40 THOUSAND years R for your people? WOW WOW WOW! Wow! Seriously that is STUNNING! As for your wife? Clearly Maureen knows exactly what I'm talking about! Something we have in common. Getting back to your pedigree! FORTY THOUSAND YEARS? I guess you are the most awesome person I've ever met. Having that long a history is VERY VERY VERY IMPRESSIVE to me. Thank you for telling us that. I had no idea anyone alive today could trace themselves back to FORTY milleniums. I'd take my hat off to you if I were wearing one. Geez what a nifty thing that is to know. Happy Thursday! :)
We can't, the native Australians never developed writing. All we have are the stories from the Dreaming, and precious few of those - the genocide perpetrated by the European settlers (both active and passive - smallpox wiped out thousands) and suppression of the most ancient extant culture on the planet meant that most of it has been lost. Archeology, however, has determined that the First Australians arrived not less than 40,000 years ago - and most likely 50-60,000. 80,000 is possible. One great-great-great grandmother of mine was of those people. I don't consider myself to be Native Australian - 1/32nd doesn't really count and I don't identify with the culture. We've not even been able to determine to which First Australian Nation she belonged.
That is true of many cultures R. Stories the elders pass down to the young ones to be remembered so they can pass them down too. Verbal history. Geez. As far as I know I'm 100% Armenian but I can't trace back any further than my grandparents. You know why? I NEVER ASKED. NOT ONCE. NOT EVER! So my parents are gone and my grandparents are gone. I've checked out the Ellis Island registers from around about the years they emigrated but I don't even know THAT year or THOSE YEARS for sure. Added to the difficulty? The spelling of names. For example my maiden name is OHANESIAN. It means JOHNSON. OHANES is john and ian means "son". But some Armenians spell it Hovhanesian Hovhanessian and probably other ways too. I'd need the specific year they arrived and the specific spelling and I don't know either one of those dates. It's my fault and I can never get a do-over. Years ago my son and his then fiancee were in Utah on a trip and they stopped in to a MORMON research center for checking out their ancestry and I couldn't answer the questions he asked. I never felt like such a failure in my entire life. SIGH. I'm gonna keep beating myself up about that till I die. Doesn't matter. I failed him and that's that. Anyway getting back to you what do you identify with? If there are 32 pieces of you which section is most abundant with the most pieces? I did not know your people suffered a genocide as did my people and the Jewish people. I wonder. Has every group of people suffered genocide at the hands of "the enemy" including white people? Gonna ask. Thank you for your informative reply :)
Mostly Irish. One Canuck great-great grandfather, the native Australian I mentioned above, one g'g'g' grandfather from parts unknown (he called himself "John Smith", 'nuff said) and the rest were all Irish.
Begosh and begorra R! Do you enjoy the luck of the Irish? You know when I was a kid on St. Patrick's Day in School i"d write my surnmes as O'Hanesian! Irish for a day. I still think it. I alway do my duty on St. Paddy's DAy. We have corned beef and cabbage. I like the flat cut which usually nice and lean compared to the butt. What's beat a corned beef on rye slathered with mustard? Oh boy. We're going to the market today. I'm gonna look for a nice flat cut package of corned beef. There's no law that says I can't fix it in August! Thank you for your reply. So you're part Canadian too. Another favorite country of mine!
Ever had an Irish depth charge? Drop a shot of Jameson's Irish Whiskey into a pint of Guinness. I don't do it often, but at least one is the order of the night on March 17th. My surname is French, via Canada.
This post was edited by Slartibartfast at August 1, 2019 7:55 AM MDT
I am 2nd and 3rd gen Swedish and German. (Each Grandfathers' sides) 9Both my Grandmothers' sides can be traced back to the revolution.
I think all citizens can love this country...some choose not to and choose to. I love my country and believe it is the best country. If that makes me -whatever--phobic....then so be it.
Jim is German and Irish. You can trace back to the Revolution? I wish I could trace back but I NEVER ASKED QUESTIONS WHEN MY PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS WERE ALIVE. Talk about being stoopid dumb that was me. By the time I figured out I'd like to know they had all passed away. I regret not being more inquisitive all the time. But in such a case there are no do-overs so I will never know. About loving this country. How do you know who loves and who doesn't? Does never questioning mean you love a country more than those who do? Seriously? I shall have to ask. Thank you for your reply m2c and Happy Thursday to thee!
This post was edited by RosieG at August 1, 2019 7:52 AM MDT
If you want to find out more on your ancestry. Try using Ancestry.com and Rootsweb. That is were I got most of my information. And a Church of Latter Day Saints website...had a lot on one Grandmother's side which was strange to me...we are not Mormons.
Slartibartfast 