Sometimes we walk around unaware of who we really are and who we represent. Other times, we feel so confident that who we are is the best thing there is. But do you really know what there is to know? What goes beneath your family line and descendants history?
Do you carry a little Hispanic, African America, Native American, Italian, Portuguese or even a little other ethnicity in you?
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It is important to recognize your roots as well as taking those roots and leaving a legacy of who you are today for future generations.
I've provided 5 ways to start unraveling your roots.
It never hurts to know!
1. Find the meaning of your name (first or last name)!
There are many search engines on google that allow you type in your first or last name to find out exactly where the origin that your name came to be. Some websites may even include a list of personality traits that you may have, but it's best that you do not focus your attention that much because some may not even be true.
2. Ask parents about your family history or why they chose your birth name.
What better way to ask about your history than asking your parents? Many times they can provide information relative to the generation they grew up with. Find out!
3. Ask grandparents.
Ahhh, the sweet loving grandparents. Sometimes they hold they key to our ancestral past. The majority of grandparents have been around in the early 1900's or around 1920's-1930's. They can have information about any family member who might have come from a different country and gotten married to somebody from the family, etc. Somewhere along the lines, you may have another race in your history. For example, you may think your history included all whites, but you could have had a Spanish, African American or even Native American in your family line.
4. Read books or go online to find about more about your name/history origin.
There are thousands of resources where you may look that will be a great help to find information. Many can be genealogy books, websites and you can even go to libraries. For example, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a tremendous public library in New York. They have millions of names in thousands of genealogical databases including Census and Vital Records, birth marriage, death notices, Military and Holocaust records, Native American records, and more. Basically, this is a library version of Ancestry.com.
Also, some libraries have different sections for genealogical names for Hispanics, whites, etc.
5. Lead your life to leave a legacy behind your name
Live your life to be a memorable, ambitious and humble life. Martin Luther King Jr. led a legacy behind his name because of his actions for the African American Civil Rights Movement and for being known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. Never aim for the minimum life in order to "get by".
AIM BIG.
LIVE BIG.
So that your future generations can be like, "Wow!!, he/she was in my family line?"
