Comments on: US Census 2010

By: Mick Regan

Mick Regan — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:44:09 +0000

Hi Judy,

Nicely written, and what a fantastic idea the time capsule is. Very special.

By: Judy

Judy — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:51:23 +0000

My father’s family took two attempts to make it in America, the second arrival just three weeks before the crash of 1929. His father would only live ten years after and die in his thirties. All of this history makes us who we are, and grounds us in the blood , sweat and toil, that those before us gratefully experienced to provide a better life for future generation. On my son's 13th birthday we travelled to Ireland, to walk the steps of days gone bye. We buried a time capsule in the town where my mother's" McNamara's" came from with the plan that when he has his own children, he will return and put new items in the capsule, hopefully starting a tradition which brings all of our future children back to the country of their heritage, letting them know who they really are.

By: Judy

Judy — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:49:19 +0000

My Irish heritage is very important to me. As a child, it was just "normal" to go to the Irish Catskills for vacation and listen to Irish music with the family, however as I started to lose my parents my Irish heritage became "huge" because it connected me with them. Starting my ancestral research about three years ago, I feel I have come to know them so much more because I see and understand the events that shaped my grandparents, and parent’s lives. The hardships of my grandmother, losing her mother in childbirth, poverty and emigration, being "all alone " in this new country.

By: MickRegan

MickRegan — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:29:52 +0000

Hi Monica, and thanks for dropping by.

It's always good to hear from across the pond and your point about appreciating ones roots is spot on. It seems fairly common that we put more importance on this as we get a bit older (and wiser!), so great to hear you're own heritage will be handed down the generations.

Wisjing you a happy new year and all the best,

Mick.

By: Monica

Monica — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:36:27 +0000

I think part of the issue here is the nature of the Census itself. While as a genealogist, I deeply appreciate what past census have provided me, I'm sure I'm not alone in my hesitation to reveal too much of myself to the government. The United States census has reached a level of politicization unheard of in previous generations…not sure heritage is going to matter near as much as my political affiliation. Community surveys aren't much better, however people may more freely discuss details of their private lives to interests other than the government.

As for the importance of my heritage, it is something I deeply treasure and appreciate. The more I learn of my history, the more awestruck and grateful I am for those who came before me. I come from Scots-Irish borderers, desperate famine immigrants, 19th century Bavarian and French immigrants, and even some English Cavalier founders of First Families of Virginia. Each piece of history of these families constitutes a unique perspective, and they are all amalgamated in …me. (Of all people!) I don't know that one can truly appreciate the depth of one's blessings without first understanding what those who came before endured.

I cannot explain why I most singularly identify with my Irish heritage. Like most other Americans, I have varied influences. I didn't even realize there were many Irish in my background until I was well into adulthood. When I was young, my grandmother told me her grandparents were famine immigrants, it just really didn't register with me until I was much older. Once I started researching genealogy, I sought to increase my understanding of it by adding Irish history, along with a more general history of Roman, ancient Celtic, and British, Welsh, and Scots history. The pieces make much more sense this way.

So for me, in a nutshell, my heritage is more important than ever. So much that I am passing on my understanding of this heritage to my children.