---------- > From: JYoung6180 <JYoung6180@aol.com> > To: PADUTCH-LIFE-L@rootsweb.com; PADUTCHgenONLY-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Ann Landers Column, April 5, critical of genealogical research > Date: Sunday, April 05, 1998 4:06 PM > > Did anyone besides me read Ann Landers' column in today's 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. > > I can't remember when I have gotten this worked up about something I read in > an advice column in the newspaper but Ann Landers has clout--and is in a > position to impact on the thinking of others. Therefore, it is our > responsibility to correct this misstatement of fact. > > In the first place, schools should not, and DO not, mandate a family history > research project--at least they don't in New Jersey where I live. I would > assume a similar situation exists elsewhere. Students in New Jersey schools > are given a list of projects to chose from with family history research being > one of the choices (and even within this topic the children can chose to study > a famous person or anyone they choose--it does not have to be their own > ancestry). Family history reseearch is a popular choice from the list of > topics as curiosity about one's history is a natural thing for most people--no > matter what that history is concerned with, and regardless of whether that > history takes us to Colonial America, Europe, Asia, or Africa. The history is > still there--no matter WHERE your people came from! We all studied history in > school with each of us prefering an emphasis on the history that we were most > interested in based on our family and ethnic backgrounds--that is also natural > and even desirable. Are we so shallow and rooted only in the present day that > we do not even give a thought as to the accomplishments and sacrifices of our > ancestors? How can any student be expected to have an interest in, and > understanding of, history if they are not encouraged to associate those events > of long ago with thoughts of what it must have been like to have lived through > them--and with the knowledge of the fact that their own forbears did just > that. Whether it be the remarkable tribute to the strength of human character > that kept the slave families alive through the generations of our American > past, or the survival of the Jewish people in more recent times; or the > sacrifices made by my own German ancestors who set sail into the unknown in > the mid 1700s to come to a new home called Pennsylvania by means of a perilous > sea voyage. What was the driving force behind all of the actions of these > peoples? In my opinion it was to seek a better life for themselves and a hope > for the future of an even better life for their descendants. To take the time > to find out who these ancestors were, to learn their names, dates, and what > their lives were all about, is an extremely important part of teaching our > next generation of Americans, wherever they came from, and no matter what > their background, to have respect for themselves and those who came before > them. What better lesson could there ever be for today's, or any day's, > school children. > > OK--now I will get off my soapbox for today. Anyone who would like to copy > this to any other list has my complete unrestricted permission to do so! > > Joan Myers Young > > > > ==== STEWART Mailing List ==== > "My" Stewarts are described in "Oak Leaves A Family History of the Descendants of Daniel Stewart of Appin, Argyll, Scotland 1751-1819" > > > >