LAST WEEK, WE ASKED YOU ABOUT YOUR FAMILY HISTORY. IN OUR POLL, WE WANTED TO KNOW WHO THE LAST IMMIGRANT IN YOUR FAMILY WAS, AND MOST OF YOU -- 73% TO BE EXACT – SAID YOUR GREAT GRANDPARENTS, OR AN OLDER GENERATION, WERE IMMIGRANTS.
NOW, LET’S FIND OUT WHAT YOU ALL HAD TO SAY ABOUT YOUR IMMIGRANT ANCESTORS AS WE OPEN OUR INBOX!
JOY FROM MARYLAND ELEMENTARY TELLS US ABOUT HER GRANDFATHER, WRITING: AMERICA IS A MELTING POT OF IMMIGRANTS AND AMERICANS. I, AM A DESCENDANT OF IMMIGRANTS. MY GRANDPARENTS WERE FROM CHINA. MY GRANDFATHER WAS ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE TO LEAVE FROM CHINA DURING THE WORLD WAR II.
EMERSON FROM WESTWOOD ELEMENTARY KNOW A LOT ABOUT HIS ITALIAN GREAT-GRANDFATHER, TELLING US: THE LAST PERSON IN MY FAMILY WAS MY GREAT GRANDFATHER. HE CAME OVER WHEN HE WAS AROUND 30 YEARS OLD AND WAS BORN IN SICILY, ITALY. THAT IS A SMALL ISLAND BY ITALY. HIS WHOLE FAMILY LIVED THERE. HE WENT THROUGH ELLIS ISLAND AND THE BOAT HE RODE IN WAS CALLED THE ARGENTINA. HE MOVED TO CLEVELAND BECAUSE MOST OF HIS FAMILY WAS ALREADY THERE AND ALL SPOKE THE SAME LANGUAGE AS HIM.
KARIM FROM ROXBORO IS ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO THE IMMIGRANTS IN HIS FAMILY, WRITING: I VOTED IN THE POLL THAT MY PARENTS WERE THE LAST TO BE IMMIGRANTS, BUT REALLY IT WAS MY OLDEST SISTER. THEY CAME TO AMERICA FROM MOROCCO. THEY CAME TO AMERICA BECAUSE THEY WANTED MY OLDEST SISTER AND THEIR FUTURE CHILDREN TO HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY IN EDUCATION AND THRIVE TO BE THE BEST VERSIONS OF OURSELVES.
CLAIRE FROM SHERWOOD ELEMENTARY HAS A WEE BIT OF O’ IRISH IN HER HISTORY, EXPLAINING: MY GREAT, GREAT GRANDMA WAS BORN IN IRELAND BUT THEN MOVED TO THE UNITED STATES IN HER LATE TEENS. A FEW YEARS LATER SHE MOVED TO CANADA. I THINK THIS IS AMAZING TO BE SO YOUNG AND TO MOVE TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY. I WOULD BE KIND OF AFRAID OF TRYING TO FIND A JOB AND HOW PEOPLE WOULD TREAT ME. I AM GLAD SHE SAFELY MADE IT TO AMERICA LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE!
CONNOR FROM KENSINGTON INTERMEDIATE SHARED HAS ANCESTOR’S IMMIGRANT STORY WITH US, WRITING: MY GREAT GRANDFATHER GEORGE WAS AN IMMIGRANT. HE TRAVELED BY SEA FROM GREECE TO ELLIS ISLAND IN THE 1920'S. HE WAS ASSIGNED A JOB ON THE RAILROADS IN BOSTON. YEARS LATER HE ENDED UP IN CLEVELAND AND OPENED A SUCCESSFUL DINER.
THANKS CONNOR – AND THANKS ALSO TO JOY, EMERSON, KARIM, AND CLAIRE FOR DIGGING INTO YOUR PAST TO BRING US THOSE INSPIRING STORIES! WE CAN ALL LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM THE BRAVERY OF OUR ANCESTORS.