Sorry for the long quote but it is needed for what follows. Lorna R Dunklee wrote: "Did anyone besides me read Ann Landers' column in today's (Sunday April 5, 1998) paper? She received a letter from "Louisville Mom" who wrote to complain about the fact that her children who were adopted from Korea were being asked in school to do a project on family history. The Mom was expressing the opinion that schools should keep out of such family information and should not be encouraging children to look into their family backgrounds. She went on to say that some children (those in foster care or from troubling family situations) may be embarassed by such a project. Ann Landers' response was as follows: "I'm glad you wrote. Your letter gives me an opportunity to speak out about family trees, lineage and other topics that should have no place in our schools. It is nobody's business whether a child's family came over on a slave ship or the Mayflower. Teachers should not be asking about family background. If I had to draw a picture of my family tree it would look like a shrub. My parents and grandparents immigrated from Russia, and beyond that, I don't have a clue as to my lineage, and I have never given it a moment's thought." Well guys--I think we should all clobber Ann with letters!!!!!! She obviously is looking at a person's interest in their lineage as something that would connote snobbery. She is implying that society would think there is something inferior about the child whose parents arrived on the slave ship compared to those with Mayflower ancestors. I think those who do not have a natural curiosity about their family history (no matter what that history is) have the misconception that those of us with an interest in genealogy do our research out of some sort of desire to feel superior to others. (MY ancestors arrived in 1727, just when did YOUR ancestors arrive--oh not until 1855--then I MUST be superior to YOU!) I think we need to set Ann Landers straight as to WHY we are interested in the pursuit of our family history--as well as the history of the times our ancestors lived in in general." So to this I add: If you want write to Ann Landers, here's her email address: [email protected] And if you want to contact Creators' Syndicate (the folks who publish Ann's column in newspapers around the world), try this email address: [email protected] Here's what I wrote: Dear Ann Landers, I started MY genealogy research when, as an 8th grader, I was asked to prepare a family tree. I did pretty well; even got an "A" on the project but, at the time, it was just another assignment. Years later I realized that the value of the assignment was not so much inlearning where MY ancestors came from but in learning that all Americans were immigrants and that one thing that helped to make this country so great was its diversity. None of my ancestors, so far as I know, came over on the Mayflower; none came on slave ships and none came through Ellis Island. Although I can trace my roots to kings, most were farmers and blacksmiths, teachers and preachers, in other words just plain folks. Family history is American history and world history, Ann. (I wonder why your grandparents left Russia and I suspect you do too.) My name is Dick Ross but you can sign me "Genealogist from the 8th grade." --Dick Ross