>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 > > Here is her e-mail address: [email protected] Use it freely!! -Jeanne Wilcox