What did you learn about your family in your immigrant artifact research? Was there something in particular that stuck with you? After listening to (and sometimes tasting)presentations from your classmates, what similarities did you find? Was there a particular story that mirrored yours? Do you think immigrants today are different from your ancestors? Explain. Please post by Tuesday 11-2-10 for full credit.
76 comments:
Kyle Wilcox
To conclude our Artifact Immigration project I realized it was a great learning experience. I learned more about when, why, and how my family immigrated over from Germany. I also was able to learn a lot about the typical immigrant experience, particularly that of a German. Something that really stuck with me from the project was my discovery of what my family went through to get to America and the understanding that my family may not be here today without someone so distant from me. I noticed during the presentatios the myriad of similarities in our immigrants especially the reason for their settlement in America. It's evident to me that the immigration is very different today from what it was then, as to things like technology, economy, laws, popluation, and much more.
To correspond to Kyle's comment, it is a understatement to say we learned something..I learned about a significant part of my family that basically set the tone for who we are today. Learning about my familys immigration experience from Germany was amazing. Something that stuck with me was the fact that my great-great grandfather was the personal chef/baker to Queen Victoria of England. After doing this project, I can honestly say I feel closer than ever to my great-great grandfather even though I would of never known him! This project was a great classroom bulider I thought because listening to my classmates and what they shared and thought was significant to their immigrant experience made me feel closer to them. The overall vibe from the rest of the classroom for me was the fact that we have similar and different ethnic backgrounds...But we all have a story to tell...Just like history its self, a story.
-Mason W.
During my immigrant artifact research, I learned much more about my family and our ties to Italy through my grandma’s experience. As I was interviewing my grandma, I was able to hear stories that I wouldn’t otherwise hear regarding her immigration experience and life in both Italy and America. I learned about WWII and what my grandma endured in Italy- how her mother needed to make her underwear from her dad’s pants and how she only had one doll and one book. I can’t imagine what life was like for the poor; my grandma was part of the upper class, with a big house and maids, and she struggled. Along with her stories about Italy, I also learned more details of her emigration experience, including what age she was when she immigrated, who she came with, when she came, and why she came. All of these details stuck with me because they painted the bigger picture of the world I never experienced.
I found many similarities between all of our stories. Although everyone’s ancestors came from different countries in different time periods, for the most part everyone had similar experiences during their trip and life in America. No one’s ancestor was forced to come, and everyone came with some purpose and hope.
It is certain that immigrants today are different from our old ancestors. Although they all could be immigrating with the same intention in mind (ex: for economical opportunities), conditions are better and the process is more organized. Overall, immigrants today have a better experience than our ancestors.
Maria Dutsar
Class 6
The articfact immigration experience was something that was very beneficial. It allowed me to learn personally that you have to find out about your past and your ancestors or it will be lost. It was difficult for me to find out any information on my ancestors and i raelized that if i want any future generations of my family to know something that I have to tell them or it too will be lost. I also found it suprising that so many families immigrated to the United States not long ago at all, it really was somwhat shocking how it hasn't been long since some ancestors got the America while it feels like in your head that they were always here. I think that no matter how long ago or recent someone has immigrated to the United States that their reasons have remained the same. Many Russians came to America for better money and to escape communism, while many Mexicans todya come to America today in order to support their families. The main reasons that people have come to America, are coming to America, and will come to America is for a better oppurtunity whether it be financially, or in order to escape a bad government. Overall in some way everyone's immigration experiences are similar.
Hunter F.
Class 1
I agree with Kyle, the learning experience from this project was both exciting and knowledgable. It lead me to understand more fully on how we ended up here from Ireland, and the fact that if I had to go through what they did I'm not sure how I would have made it without losing hope. Some similarities that I heard from other classmates was that so many others came through Ellis Island in NY as well and that they all had to go through that long process to be able to enter the US. In addition they're reasons for moving to the US. Although, there were a few classmates who instead made a cheaper voyage, by sailing to Canada and than walking across the boarder, which I thought interesting to hear how far some people would go to get to the US. I also agree with Kyle on how nowadays immigrants are able to enter the US as long as they have a 'green card' and the law gives them more of a chance to exceed there stay if not to become a citizen.
I learned a lot about my family from this project. For example I learned about the place in Germany that my family came over from. Something that stuck with me was how my relatives changed their name because of WWI and how that war still affects my family. After listening to the projects I saw that many of the immigrants stayed on the east coast when they came here. Immigrants today have a much better time coming here, as the transportation is better, and we have programs to help them into our culture, however, the cost of coming is much higher.
I really enjoyed doing this project because I got to learn some interesting information about my family's history and other people's stories. I never really knew anything about my family history and this was a great time to learn about it. I thought it was very interesting how some students were first generation imigrants, it was cool getting to hear their story first hand. By doing this project I think we all learned alittle more about each and where we all come from.
Danielle Ford
Class: 4
After researching the typical Italian immigration experience, I found out that there was more to the reason for coming to America instead of looking for a better job. I found out that some of it had to do with the environment. Southern Italians moved due to earthquakes and volcanoes erupting. I found this very interesting and makes me wonder why my family came to America. The only similarity between my family and another was their place of origin. My family as well as Stephan's family came from Sicily. Moreover, I also learned how Italians were very into their religion and that's the biggest thing that related to my grandparents. My grandma relied so much on Catholicism which is a great reflection on Italy. Lastly, in agreement with Kyle, I think Italian immigration today is vastly different than immigration in the 1900's. It is easier for the immigrants in the sense of money, finding a place to live and finding a job.
Nicole R
Class 6
I learned some very interesting things about my family because of this project, some things I learned had nothing to do with my project but they still were fascinating and I'm glad I was able to hear these stories from my grandmother. I still am amazed by the fact that my great-great-grandmother came over here to the United States, didn't speak English, and was only fourteen years old! After hearing all of the presentations I noticed that a large amount of students have family from Italy or Ireland. I think Tyler's story about his relative was similar to my relative's story because they both came over to the United States when they were teenagers. I think that immigrants today are not much different from our ancestors. They come here looking for a chance to make money and have a better life. Now and then we have to deal with the issue of immigrants living in this country illegally and people seem to always blame immigrants for everything.
Troy N.
Class 6
While researching for the Artifact Immigration project, I found out many things I did not know before, such as the significance of certain things in India and why my parents brought them with them when they came to India, for example the Sari I brought. I also found it interesting to hear about my parents hardships in adjusting to living in America and how they overcame them, which was inspirational to me. It was also very interesting to hear all the immigrant stories of the students in our class.
Presenting my immigrant project and writing my essay has once again reminded me of how I am here today. It has reminded me that my family, in fact, has not always owned a nice house in a rich town. Without the hardships that my ancestors endured, I would never have such a privileged life. My mother grew up in a quaint house in "Town Plot" (the Italian neighborhood) of Waterbury with one sibling. My mother's father grew up in a large brick apartment building with his seven siblings, and his Sicilian Immigrant parents. Without them, Calogero and Catherine Ingala, coming to America, who knows what my life would have been like. Its very interesting to think about. With viewing other presentations, its so easy to feel more interest in some one who is present a heritage that you belong to, in a way you feel a bond with them. The things they share remind you of your own family in such an honest way. I believe that ultimately, immigrants are the same today as they have always been. Yes, the way they get to their new country may be very different, but they are always coming to generally the same reason. To start a new life. To leave the past behind, and create new opportunities for themselves and future generations. In short, immigration is about hope. The hope that they too can have everything they want in life and more. The hope that happiness will be granted to them, and all of the children for the rest of time.
Throughout our schooling, we have done several projects on immigration, however, I have never had the chance to research the "typical" immigrant experience, as well as listen to my classmates' stories. It's amazing to think that the migration of one person can completely change a family's history, I wonder if my family would still be in Italy if it werent for the migration of my great grandfather. As Kyle said, immigration is very different today then it has been in the past due to technology, economy, laws and more, however, is the reason behind immigration that different? People to this day come to America for more opportunities, and a better life, and isnt that exactly what they used to come for. Granted, people do come for different reasons I'm sure, but that is still a large deciding factor.
Katie P.
Class 1
Madeline Keane
In conclusion to our Artifact Immigration project I learned more about my family's past then ever before. Previously when I had done this project, because I was much younger, my Grandmother was guarded and never gave me the full information about her experience through Ellis Island and afterwards. Even though I am much older now then I was when I had done this project in the past and she gave me much more information, i still felt that she was leaving things out. I also felt wrong trying to pressure her. The most I asked her the more nervous she became. What this told me was that her trip was somewhat of a traumatic experience. Something that stuck with me was the fact that my Grandmother went over alone at age 18 to live with a relative she didn't know. Not only that but she was expected to work and earn her own living during times when the Irish were highly discriminated against. I was left with a very different image of my Grandmother. I always pictured her as the stereotypically helpless and weak Grandmother. But after hearing about all of her experiences and hardships, i have a new view of her. I also found that i had a lot of similarities in common with other classmates and their relatives. In our class, the majority of people were from Ireland and Germany and those are two of my ethnic back rounds. I also think that immigrants today are very different then they my ancestors. Today you still have to go through some work to move to a new country, but there is a completely different welcome. Back in the late 1800's to mid 1900's, many immigrants were unwelcome and treated very harshly. Today, there is less discrimination if you are from Ireland or other foreign countries. Although there is still some oppression and discrimination, it is no where near as bad as it was in the past.
Madeline Keane Period 4
By doing this immigration project, I found out a lot about my family's past. I agree with Mason, that it was beneficial in a way that it formed my family into what it is today. Through this project, I learned about my great-great grandfather's immigration from Ireland, and how he settled in Ohio, where much of my family still lives today. Something that really tuck with me about my family's immigration was that my my family's story was almost identical to that of the average immigrant from Ireland, coming over alone for a better life in the U.S. I believe that there were many similarities between the people in my class, because first off most of the immigrants came from eastern Europe, and a great number came during the late 1800's to early 1900's. I think this may also be a reflection of the area we live in because so many of these people immigrated to the same location.I also saw similarities in the reasons why our ancestors immigrated, like escaping hardships, and what they did when they arrived in the U.S. In a way, immigrants today are both alike and unlike our ancestors, because like our ancestors, they want to come to the U.S. because of it's promise of freedom, while unlike our ancestors, the journey to the U.S. is much easier for immigrants today, with new modes of things like technology, laws and transportation. In all, this project was very helpful in giving me information to my family's past and how we came to be where we are today.
-Erin T
While reviewing how i came to America, I did not particularly learn anything new, but it was interesting going over how I came to America. I had always been interested with my immigration story even before this project, and the project just added to my interest. After this project though, it gave me the idea that someday I should go back and see Romania, and try to think about how different my life would have been there. During the presentations, one large similarity was that many kids ancestors were from Europe as well. Also, a similarity between Josh and I is that we are both first generations here. In my case, my immigration path would not be very different from someone who was adopted from Romania today. But for most of the class, immigration has drastically changed from when there ancestors came over, to now. Now people are treated fairly upon arrival, and not left to fend for themselves once they are allowed into the country. Finally, today it is very difficult to obtain a US Citizenship. Immigrants today must take a series of tests to determine their understanding of our country, which can sometimes be very difficult for people who speak a different language and have never been educated on the history of America.
Pat Sullivan
Period 4
I didn't particularly learn anything new about my Polish heritage (or my other ancestral nationalities), but only because my mother is designated genealogist for my family, so I've basically heard all the stories before.
However, I did notice the similarities between the Polish traditions that my great-grandfather carried over to America and those of other Polish classmates. One particular tradition I found in common with a few classmates was the making of pierogies (Polish dumplings), and the apparent Catholicism, a dominant religion in Poland.
I agree with all the previous comments that said this was a valuable learning experience. I learned a lot about what happened to my family after they got here. All the artifacts that were brought in were fascinating and occassionally delicious, too. I noticed that a large part of the people in our class came over from either Germany or Ireland.
Stephen's story was interesting and similar to mine, though we never actually figured out whether we are related or not.
I think that immigrants today aren't much different from our ancestors. Many of them are still coming to America because they are looking for religious freedom, political freedom and economic benefits. Of course, there are differences in forms of technology and ways of transport, but as for the reason they decide to come to America is still the same general reason.
Colleen C
Class 4
My thoughts on the Artifact Immigration Project were the same as everyone else. It was a fun learning experience for me about learning about my great grandparents who I knew virtually nothing about and how events lead up to me being born here in America. It would be hard to envision ending up in a different country, but just one small event in my grandparents lives could have changed my whole existence.
The artifact was also special to know how old it was and how it was passed down in my family for generations. I learned a lot more about my family history by talking to my grandparents and how the artifact was kept safe for so long.
This project was much different than any other I have done so far and it was worth it to learn about my family. Immigration is much different these days with green cards and legal documentation. Without history there wouldn't be anyway to know about how we go here in America and the epic journey our ancestors took to find hope and a better life here in America.
-Stefan Hennessey
I really enjoyed this project. I learned a lot about the conditions my ancestors would have faced coming to America. I was suprised by how one sided my ancestory is, my family is almost completely Irish. There was only one other person im my class who was in the same situation. One similarity I found was the majority of people had ancestors from Germany, Ireland and Italy. I think that immigrants today are different than our ancestors. It seems to be much harder to become a citizen today with the tests. Also America doesn't seem to be as open to immigrants today compared to 100 years ago.
Alex Kelly
Class 4
After researching about the typical immigrant experience and my ancestors' immigrant experience, I have learned more than I ever have in the past. I have learned that my immigrants came to the United States in search of a better life and to avoid the poverty in Italy. Like Dana said, hearing about these stories really showed me who made me who I am today. If my grandparents never migrated over to the United States and worked their way up, I probably wouldn't be where I am or who I am today. There were two things that stuck out to me after hearing my ancestors' story. I found it astonishing that the immigration workers in Italy worked so fast that they changed her birthday on her identification card. I also found it interesting that my grandmother migrated to the United States twice: one with her family, and the next with her newly wed husband. The stories that were most similar to mine were those who had immigrants that had to pass through Ellis Island. However, I found that all the immigrants stories shared the common theme of coming to the United States to search for opportunity. I agree with what Troy said about how immigrants today are similar to our ancestors because they all still come because of the hope of a better life.
Amanda Stanton
Class 6
At the end of the Immigrant Artifact Project, I was shocked at how similar some stories were and how much some people knew. It was also really interesting to find out more about my heritage. It is interesting to think that my family name has been the same for so long when many names were changed when they went through Ellis Island. Equally as interesting were how similar some stories were. The reason most of the immigrants wanted to come to America was the promise of riches and success. I think immigrants today are very different but also almost the same as the immigrants talked about in the project. They differ in the way that nowadays most people come by an airplane ride that does not take several months as a boat trip. Also they differ because immigrants today have several means of communication and technology, like Kyle first posted. Such as cell phones, email and media. They have someone waiting for them on the other side where as our ancestors often had trouble locating their relatives and sometimes never finding them. Immigrants of today and back then are also similar. Many immigrants come to America to make a better life for themselves. Even if it means that a parents company got moved to the U.S., the family would still have to move in order to make a better life.
Meredith Bridges
Class 6
Julie Ficks Class 4
Through the immigrant artifact research, I learned that music will always be a dominant part of my life and always will be. No matter where my relatives came from around the world, no matter what culture, they were always enveloped around that notion of music as a vital part of living. All of my family members have discovered some unbethought part of themselves when they started playing music, and found each other. I agree with what Pat said about wanting to go back to the place where everything was catalyzed. I look at how my parents were heavily influenced by the Hawaiian culture with the Ukulele. This makes me think about how I would react and how much of that culture i would absorb. I've learned more than I ever have about my family and their practiced customs considering music, and compared it to mine. Everyone in my family, no matter how many generations ago, is similar in this sense. It's interesting
After researching my dad’s immigration experience and comparing it to the immigration of others, I found myself very impressed and proud of my dad’s experiences and surprised that it was somewhat similar to immigrants of the late 1800’s. I was proud that my grandparents were strong enough to adopt both my dad and his brother even though they only really wanted one child. I was also impressed and touched that my uncle wrote a letter to my grandparents, before the adoption was final, explaining to them how close he was to my dad, how he would always take care of him, and how they would never cause them any trouble. In writing the letter, he wanted to be sure that he and my dad would not be separated. I was really moved by the image of a young orphaned boy writing a letter to two adult stranger he had never met and, basically, begging them to adopt his little brother and himself together. I was also impressed to discover that my dad shared some similar experiences with Italian immigrants of the late 1800s. Both my dad and many Italian immigrants of the late 1800s experienced poverty in Italy and traveled to the United States speaking only Italian with the hope of a new and more prosperous future. Today’s immigrants, however, do not have to experience the difficulty of traveling by boat or going through the Ellis Island immigration station upon arrival.
Upon listening to the other students projects, I realized how unique my project was because only one other student had a parent who immigrated to this country. Nicole David’s mother immigrated to the United States from Canada, however, Nicole’s mom did not seem to experience poverty in her home land nor did she experience a language barrier upon arrival to the United States. Of course, tasting the delicious ethnic foods was great fun. The cupcakes and cookies were delicious. I especially liked the empanadas from Ecuador that Morgan Kirol brought to class. This meat dish was a little spicy and very flavorful. Overall, I found the immigration project to be personally insightful, historically interesting, and flavorfully fun.
Lisa Ferrari Period 1
Personally, I found that the Artifact Immigration project was a very benefitial and interesting learning experiance. I learned how my grandmother came to America and how similar her immigration experiance was to that of a person of a completely different nationality. It made me realized that throughout our history, we all have endured struggles to achieve the American dream. One thing in particular that struck me was how much the trip to America has changed throughout the years. Although I could not recognize one story which evidently mirrored my own, I saw how different immigrants are today than to that of my ancestors. People come to America today out of mere convienence compared to the hopes for a new life which many of our ancestors felt.
Morgan Kirol
Essentially, during our artifact project I learned how each person that immigrated to America has contributed to our modern society. With each different culture came holidays, beliefs, food, clothing, etc., that blended together to make American culture. Their experiences were arduous and from their endurance, we are lucky to benefit from their progress. Our society is a mix of races which has lessened discrimination, a holiday may represent what was once several different belief systems, and our cuisine is based from every corner of the globe. Particularly, this project taught me that each culture has shaped history within the United States and is still continuing with its current progress.
Similarities I found within the presentations were that most immigrants moved here in search of a better opportunities. Hunter mentions how his family moved here from Russia due to financial trouble, and that Mexicans are currently moving here for similar reasons. This trend of searching for wealth in America was common within many of my classmates' ancestors. From the information I gathered from both my mother and the internet, I can infer that my great-great-grandparents moved here with common goals.
Currently, I believe that many immigrants to America are still looking for the same financial support that people were looking for in the 19th and 20th centuries. The United States has the freedoms and opportunities that some other countries do not offer. However, current laws limit immigration so have the chance to move into America is much more difficult for modern immigrants than for those in the past. Many who desire to come to this country are rejected, unlike when my ancestors moved here.
-Jessa M. Class 1
I was able to lear the time period that my family came to america. Some of the things that struck me were the living conditions in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Most people had their ancestors come to america during the late 1800's and early 1900's. There was no story that was very similar to mine. I feel that imigrants today are different than old imigrants. Today, people can find a place to live that is nice, they can find a good paying job, and have a chance for opportunities.
I feel as if everyone has been saying how beneficial this project was, I almost want to go against the grain and say that I didn't like it. But unfortunately I can't do that because I truly did enjoy this project. It was unique in that it provided us with an opportunity to research something significant to us as individuals. Something that has directly impacted our lives and our families, something that we all care about. I'm going to be honest and say that my lineage ethnic background isn't incredibly exciting: I'm essentially all English. However, I discovered so many fascinating stories about my ancestors doing this project; I found stories about my ancestors as individuals, the kinds of lives they led and the kind of people they were. Even some seemingly insignificant details stuck out to me (for example, my first ancestor to come over gave up pipe smoking on the way to the US). They made the individuals, so easily viewed as mere historical figures in our families, seem real and alive to me.
There were many significant similarities between everyone's immigrant stories. As Maria mentioned, none of them were forced to come here and they all came with hopes and dreams of a better life. No one had a n ancestor story that mirrored mine exactly, but there were many that had ancestors that came over alone before their family (like Jesse Reuben Kemsley did). And though there wasn't anyone else who's ancestor came over to improve their health, many people's ancestors came over for religious freedom, something that became significant to my ancestor after moving to the US.
I would immigrants today are drastically different than those of the 18/1900s. As Troy discussed, a huge factor of this is just the negative view our society currently holds toward immigrants. We depict immigration as a crime, and thus immigrants are treated like criminals. With the English specifically, immigration has changed in that while there was a lot of immigration during the 18/1900s there is hardly any English immigration now.
As everyone above already stated, the immigrant project was very beneficial and informing. It allowed me to see and really understand where I came from and what my family went through to get here. I agree with Dana, I realized that we didn't always own these nice houses in nice towns, but that my grandparents came over with literally nothing and worked to be able to provide for their families. It was humbling to see how much hard work went in to providing for the lifestyle that I live today, and how difficult times were for my immigrant ancestors even after they reached America. I also got to see exactly why so many immigrants want to get to the U.S and why we're so lucky that we live here. The U.S is full of opportunity and dreams, if it weren't than the immigrants that moved here wouldn't be capable of achieving the lifestlyles that we live now, but they clearly did otherwise we wouldn't be living them. Hearing everyone's immigrant story was very interesting and I saw so many similarities between all of our ancestors. Most came to America with nothing, leaving everything they had back at their homeland. They risked everything to start over in the U.S, however it was worth it. Once here the immigrants were able to take control of their lives. They worked hard, perhaps harder than we ever will, to establish themselves and make money for their family, and eventually all that hard work payed off because look where we are now.
I agree with Maria that immigrants now are different than our ancestor immigrants, but only to an extent. Yes, the conditions in which they live and work now a days are ten times better than what our ancestors lived with, however they still come for the same reasons. Whatever compells an immigrant to leave their homeland is no doubt the same as what compelled them to years ago, whether it be polotics, economics, or just the want for a better life and opportunity. That has definitely not changed. Immigrants can still come to America with virtually nothing and seize the opportunity she provides, and work to become successfull. The one thing about America that will never change is her unbiased opportunities for all.
As many of my classmates have said, I think the immigration project was a great learning experience. I learned a lot about my mom and the Canadian side of my family that I hadn't known before. Also, just from talking to my mom, I learned about her grandparents and what they went through when immigrating to Canada. Now that I know all of this I really appreciate what my family went through to get to where they are today. What stuck with me is when my mom told me our Acadian ancestors went through an expulsion where they were persecuted. Also, I learned a lot about my mom's childhood as well as why she came to America. Many similarities in the class were that people had a lot of ancestors from Italy, Germany, and Ireland, three very large immigrant groups. Many of their ancestors also came by boat and traveled to Ellis Island. Although none of their stories mirrored my mom's, they mirrored my great grandmother's. She came from Greece and went through Ellis Island so she went through the same hardships as some other ancestors. Immigrants today are different and the same from our ancestors. They are still coming to America to look for a better life and more opportunities, but their method of getting to America is different. Also, a lot of the immigrants come from different parts of the world than our ancestors.
While researching for my immigrant artifact project l learned a few things I didn’t know before. I learned how slow the process is to come to the United States even though Mexico borders the United States. The paper work can take months to be approved, and not all cases are approved, many are denied. What struck me the most was when I was interviewing my dad and he told me he came to America when he was 26 years old. He came to an unknown land, where he spoke little English and he knew no one here. I thought that was brave to do, and he had a choice to stay in Mexico but he decided to do what he knew would benefit his family in the future.
After listening to my classmates’ stories I found some similarities to my family’s experience. Many relatives left because they wanted to live a better life, and they knew that they America would find that in America. I also found interesting how many males of the families came over first, worked and then bought over their families. I think that immigrants are in some ways similar to our ancestors because they want to come to America for the same reasons; they want freedom, they want to have better jobs than they had before, they want the best for their family. But like Kyle said “the technology, economy, laws, population, and much more” are different. There no longer is an Angel or Ellis Island where millions of immigrants passed through. There are different ways to come here, the biggest one is probably getting a visa, the technology is different. People no longer have to come in boats with unsanitary conditions; there are now airplanes that a lot faster.
Edith C.
Class 4
From my immigrant artifact research, I learned of the patience and persistence that my relatives possessed. Something that really stuck with me was my grandfather's young age. I had no idea that he immigrated the United States by himself when he was just 16-years-old with little money and initially no one to contact upon his arrival. I cannot imagine how panicked I would be in a similar situation now. I have a new respect for my great grandfather and also my grandparents and parents, knowing how far they have come from a modest beginning.
After listening to presentations from classmates, I agree with Kyle in the sense that many of the reasons for immigration were similar. It seemed that the primary motivation was to take advantage of American economic opportunity. Although many intended to make some money in the U.S. and then return home, it appeared that most relatives ended up staying in America. For instance, Eni described that her father intended for her family to earn some income and then return to Albania, but she does not see their move to the U.S. as temporary. Another similarity between classmates was the time of immigration. It seemed that most families came to the U.S. around the late 1800s/early 1900s.
I do not think there was a particular story that mirrored mine, but it was interesting to learn that Erin Begg's relatives who immigrated were Czech, which is similar to my family's Czechoslovakian ethnic background. Also, the pastry she brought in reminded me of Paska, the Slovak bread that my grandmother makes on Easter.
I think that immigrants today are both similar to and different from my ancestors. I imagine the process is similar from an emotional standpoint. Immigrants today must still feel that same wonder and intimidation of entering a new country and starting a new life. However, I think that immigrants are different from my ancestors in the sense that the process is much more organized and complex. Instead of requiring minimal paperwork and short examinations as in the past, today's is much more extensive and even expensive, involving green cards, visas, and more.
The Immigration Artifact project, like Kyle said, was a fantastic opportunity to explore the lives and immigration experiences of our families. When researching the past of my great grandfather, Joe Stern, I was enlightened to know that his story, his life before he arrived at Ellis Island and became an American citizen, was in fact a rather epic tale of sacrifice, courage and adventure. He, like many other immigrants to the U.S. from Russia, fled the Pogrom riots that plagued his homeland. After his mother and father were murdered in the vicious raids, he stayed to protect his grandmother. Eventually, she forced him to leave, so he could save himself, so he could look for a life of freedom and peace. It was when he left his grandmother's house that she was murdered, and Joe was left to escape the violence with his brother, his sister and a group of childhood friends. His quest towards America began when he, his siblings and companions raced through his village's underground tunnels, swam across a lake under artillery fire and made their ways towards emigrant ships leaving for America. The United States ended up being the home he had always looked for, a place without oppression and violence, the place he would find true happiness.
After presenting the story of my great grandfather to the class, and after listening to my classmates' various tales of their ancestors, I realized I was the only person in the class whose ancestor came from Russia. Thus, none of the other stories told were like the ones of Joe Stern, his siblings and companions.
Like Kyle said, it is evident that immigration in this day and age doesn't seem to resemble immigration in the past. For many of our ancestors, some of the main reasons to immigrate to America were to seek out better opportunities or to escape the violence of warring countries, oppression or failing economies. It seems to me that back then, many immigrants came to America out of necessity instead of pure desire. On the other hand, the most prominent reason for one to immigrate to America in these days seems to be to seek out better opportunities, not just out of necessity, but out of desire.
- Sage Musk
Class 6
As a conclusion to our Artifact immigration project, I agree with Mason in saying that "it was a great learning experience" is an understatement. I had previously believed that my ancestors had come to America many generations ago and no one in my family would have any recollection of how they immigrated here from Italy. It was unbelievable for me to learn that my mother's maiden name was a name that was changed on the way from Ellis Island, which is fact I probably would never learn if it weren't for this project. Before this project, I didn't even think of a recipe to be an heirloom. After tasting all of my classmates dishes they brought in, I now realize recipes are important heirlooms to many families. It makes me want to memorize some of my family recipes because I love to cook. I also noticed that many family stories were similar in that their family was looking for new opportunities in America. For this reason, I don't believe immigration today is too much different. Everyone, for the most part, comes to America looking to live a better life than they do in whatever country they live in now whether it be because of population, economy, government, or technology.
The immigrant artifact research project was very interesting to me because I learned a lot about my heritage. There were things i would have never bothered to find out if I did not do this project such as that my grandfather actually lived in Germany for 5 years. My middle name, John, was given to me from my grandfather, and now I will always think about where he came from and the struggles he must have faced coming over to America. As i listened to others stories i thought about all the similarities and differences in comparison with my own family. It seemed that everyone had their own, unique story. Immigrants today are not too unlike our own ancestors. The immigrants coming in are probably looking for better opportunities, jobs, and an overall better life than they had in their original country. Overall, this immigrant project was a very interesting and fun project because we got to know our family, and in a way, ourselves better than we did before.
Eni Musaka
By doing the immigrant artifact research I didn't really learn much about my families immigration to America, since I was the immigrant but I did learn a lot about how it was for other Albanian immigrants. After listening to my classmates stories I saw that a lot of immigrants came to America for the same reasons, either for political reasons or economic reasons. In addition I agree with what Alex said, that American's aren't open to immigrants today as they were 100 years ago. I think that is so true, but also ironic since unless you are a native American then your ancestors must have come to America from another country. So no matter how many generations ago that was it doesn't change the fact that many years ago your family didn't live in America but instead lived in Europe or somewhere else. Furthermore I think that today immigrants must go through a much longer process then immigrants did back then. In order to immigrate to America now you can't just get on a plane or ship and decide to live here, you must go through multiple interviews and tons of paper work.
I really enjoyed working on this Artifact Immigration project I felt that I learned so much about my family and heritage that I did not know about. It was very interesting talking to my grandfather on the phone and having him be so excited to tell me about the stories passed down to him about my family's trip over from Ireland. The artifact I chose was very meaningful not only to me but my entire family because of the significance its held for many generations. The Celtic cross showed the strong bond my family has between our religion and heritage. The whole project was fun and intresting to learn about others talk about their family's trip over to the U.S. and how it was similar and different from mine. I agree with both Kyle and Katie who said that immigration is much different now than it ever was with the new technology,laws, and econonmy etc.
Brendan DeAngelis Class 6
Surprisingly, I actually learned a lot about my ancestors through researching an immigrant artifact. I really did think I knew most of my family history, but it turns out that there is an entire branch of my family that I had never even knew existed. Specifically, I learned that when my great grandparents came from Germany to Ellis Island, both their names were changed into more Americanized names. This especially stuck with me because my family will never know the true identities and lives of them before they came to the U.S. and it is just interesting to learn what it took to become and live as an American. Like Kyle, I ultimately learned what they typical experience of an immigrant from Germany was like. From experiencing the presentations, I realized that most ancestral immigration stories are basically the same. Most of the presentations detailed that the immigrants came by boat from a foreign country looking for a better life and more opportunity, hoping to find that in America. I think the overall gist of most people's immigration stories (if they came from eastern Europe) mirrored mine. The stories contained people who wanted better lives, were registered at Ellis Island to be an American, their struggles to become a socially accepted American, and how they dispersed throughout America once they were actually settled. In some ways I do think that immigrants today are different from my ancestors, while in some ways i think they are similar. I agree with Maria. Immigrants today and immigrants in history both come to the U.S. for better opportunities such as a better economic status and less oppressive governments. However the two differ. Immigrants in history may have had a better life in America than where they were originally from, but life in America for immigrants at that time was awful and almost inhumane (i.e. poor living conditions, no sanitation). Now, I think that the standards of living for an immigrant are much higher and better. Some immigrants today may be poor and lack knowledge of American society, but they are definitely not put through the terrible costs of living like in the early twentieth century.
JoJo Wollman
Class 1
Just like all my other classmates said, this project was a great learning experience for everyone. In third grade, we did a similar project where we had to learn about our ancestors. Personally, I forgot about what I learned and it was good that I was reminded. I agree with what Hunter said, about how our ancestry can be easily lost if we do not continue to pass it on to future generations. I think that this project did not only help us to learn more about our famnily history, which was very interesting, but also to remember the importance of the stories that are told to us. Something interesting that I learned from this project was that my great grandmother was both similar and different to the typical Irish immigration. She took a boat to America, but she didn't have a horrible ride (other than one storm) and she had family here that helped her when she got here. Also, she did not have to live in the horrible conditions that most did, since she was a governess for a wealthy family. She was also Catholic like most other Irish immigrants. This is especially interesting because I am Catholic and it was probably passed down through the generations. This is an example of how my great grandmother immigrating to America has impacted me today. In general, I do not think that anyone's stories really mirrored mine, but there were definite similarities.
I think that immigrants today are similar to our ancestors, but not exactly the same. They are similar because they are taking the risk like our ancestors did in coming to America in the first place and they are looking for opportunity. They are different, though,because communication and transportation are more advanced, so it is not as big a deal to leave your family and friends because you can visit and talk to them easily.
To be honest, I really didn’t learn as much from this project as some of my other class mates might have. I already knew that my mother’s side came over from County Kerry in the early 1900’s, and my Great Great Grandfather, John O’Neil was the front of this migration. However, I did learn some specific details from my artifact. I learned what my Great Great Grandfather looked like (the picture on his passport), what he did for an occupation, and the fact that he was not married when he immigrated. I did find a lit of similarities between my story and others. For example, Maddie Dorso and I both had relatives that came through Ellis Island, and their names were changed. Even though we had different family backgrounds, the stories were still somewhat similar. I believe immigrants today are almost the same as they were in the past, because everyone is in the same position, looking for opportunity. The state of the immigrants may be different, and the system is also not the same. But the state of mind will never change.
Nora Murphy
Class 1
I felt that I learned a lot about my ancestors and what life was like back then from the Artifact Immigration project. The idea I got from it that really stuck with me was the fact of how lucky and all of us really are to not have had to gone through that process. In my ancestors case being forced to leave the only home you have ever known and to go to a new country because if you were to stay you would die of starvation. The biggest similarity that I found while listening to my class mates is how they keep there traditions even up until this day. In my family we always go all out on Saint Patrick's day and Rosh Hashanah. The was no one story that really mirrored my'n. I think immigration is very different today from what is was originally the journey here was far worse than the becoming a citizen and that has totally changed now.
Through my research about my family, I learned a good bit that I hadn't known before. I had always known that my grandfather had come from Holland after WWII, but I never knew the exact year, only the general timeframe.
I noticed that a lot of people's family members immigrated to the United States after wars in their home countries, as my grandfather had, or if their people were persecuted for some reason. I think that this says something about the United States, specifically that it is an accepting country.
I think that many immigrants today still come for this reason -- after all, there are still people being persecuted all over the world, and wars are still ongoing. However, there is something else now, as well. As quite a few of my classmates have mentioned many immigrants today come to the United States in order to find work -- a group that, while not uncommon before, now makes up a majority of immigrants to the US.
Now that our immigration project has ended, I now feel that it was needed greatly because it helped us understand things that maybe we have never thought of. During this project, I learned a lot about my family's immigration experience and how it was close to being a typical experience (I learned about that too). Something that really stuck with me from this project was how my family changed my last name from Chiello to Kelley in order to stop being stereotyped. I think this is a interesting story that my family has and it was cool learning about it because I had no idea that my ancestors did that. The presentations showed a lot of similarities like where people came from, what people came and there reasons for it. As for today's immigration, many of my classmates stated this perfectly. Immigration is different today because of technology, laws, population and many other factors but some factors like looking for a better life still continue today.
Andy Kelley
I learned a lot about my family when I researched my family artifact and history. First off, i learned that my grandfather was not the first member of my family to immigrate to America from Poland; my great-grandfather came to America first and then went back to Poland. I also learned the reasons why my family came to America in the first place. I did not know that they came by invitation and that they came in search of better job opportunities. The typical Polish immigrant experience stood out to me. I had no idea how bad the conditions were on the boat to America. People were packed in tightly and the smell was horrible. After listening to the presentations, I noticed that most of the immigrants came from Europe by boat. Also, i noticed how each family tried to bring their culture and traditions to America, for example a food recipe. I do not recall a story very similar to mine, but i do remember that Jake's family also came from Poland. I think that multiple stories mirrored mine because of the fact that they arrived to America by boat, just like my family. I think immigrants today are very different from my ancestors. First of all, immigrants today do not have to experience the hardships and difficult conditions of traveling by boat. In general, most immigrants today arrive by plane, which is a drastic change from the past. Lastly, today, immigrants are accepted in American society, whereas in the past, new cultures were discriminated against and segregated from the rest of society.
Jessica Haitz
Class 1
I found the Immigration History project to be very interesting as I found that many of our ancestors, whether the came to the country 20 or 200 years ago, all share many of the same stories and characteristics. The most common theme was the feeling that they could have a new or better life in America. This common thread is shared by almost all immigrants in all periods in history and from all parts of the world. I agree with Jess in that we all have our own unique stories but these are some of the timeless causes we can all relate to.
The artifact immigrant project was a great way to learn about immigration to america while connecting it with immigration of our own families. I know that for me personally it was a great experience because it made me realize the hardships that my family and other families had faced to make it to where they are today. Something that stuck with me was the fact that all of this happened not to long ago, around 90years ago. I always had a perception of thinking how much longer ago it was, when my grandfather was the first generation born in america, that is not very long by any means. I did not see many stories that mirrored mine, or were like to mine. The reason being my great grandfather migrated directly to Connecticut as opposed to coming through Ellis island, the only one similar to that was Rob Uhde's and his great great grandparents. Immigration today in my mind is different in some way, but the overall meaning behind it is the same. A lot of immigration is due to job's being moved around, but it generally all goes back to wanting a better life. That is true in America more now that it was in the 1900's. There are much more rights and laws about working and immigration itself. So in that respect it is completely different, but the overall reason for immigration to America hasn't changed. You see it everyday on the news with illegal immigrants crossing the border to have a better life. Not too much has changed.
Greg Frattaroli
period 4
The artifact immigrant project was a great way to learn about immigration to america while connecting it with immigration of our own families. I know that for me personally it was a great experience because it made me realize the hardships that my family and other families had faced to make it to where they are today. Something that stuck with me was the fact that all of this happened not to long ago, around 90years ago. I always had a perception of thinking how much longer ago it was, when my grandfather was the first generation born in america, that is not very long by any means. I did not see many stories that mirrored mine, or were like to mine. The reason being my great grandfather migrated directly to Connecticut as opposed to coming through Ellis island, the only one similar to that was Rob Uhde's and his great great grandparents. Immigration today in my mind is different in some way, but the overall meaning behind it is the same. A lot of immigration is due to job's being moved around, but it generally all goes back to wanting a better life. That is true in America more now that it was in the 1900's. There are much more rights and laws about working and immigration itself. So in that respect it is completely different, but the overall reason for immigration to America hasn't changed. You see it everyday on the news with illegal immigrants crossing the border to have a better life. Not too much has changed.
Greg Frattaroli
period 4
I can't say enough about this project! I agree with the majority of the post's and think that this project was an intriguing way to dig into family history. The more I dug into my families past, the more interesting it became. I think projects like this really help you get into history because, in some way knowing you're somehow related to a person who came over to America from another country so many years ago, makes it easy to connect to it, and exciting to learn about. The main similarities I noticed about my Polish side was that all the other Polish families had a tradition of making pierogies. Although I didn't do my research on my Irish side or German side, but I also noticed similarities. The majority of the German families immigrated around the same time my great-great grandparents did in the early 1900's. Also, I wear a claddagh ring because of my Irish side, like Will spoke about. Looking at immigration today compared to when my family immigrated, I do think there are differences. For one, there were a lot of immigrants in the early 1900's because it was during one of the largest waves of immigration to the US. I do, however, know that immigrants today may also have to leave their home country for political reasons or because of hopes for a better life in America, even if they don't have to most money, or a secure life for them once they get here. Over all, I really enjoyed this project and thought it was a great learning experience.
Allison Blume - 4
I was surprised that the majority of people had either German or Irish backgrounds. I'd also like to think that those were the majority of the nationality. From this project, you start to understand why people look the way they are, but there is also the fact that we all look very similar. Often, you don't learn what lots of normal people were like back in the old days of the 1900s, so it's interesting to see what was important to most people of that time. It's also very cool how knowing about your family can change your view on the people of the time, or how you act now. Learning about this more in depth, really shows the culture of the country, let's say Germany, and how they were proud of themselves, and they were unique, and not everyone was like the Kaiser.
Like Nora, I did not learn a lot about my family in my immigrant artifact research. It is not that I already knew everything I found, rather, there was not much for me to find out. This project actually made me realize that I should’ve taken advantage of the time I had when my grandparents were alive, because now I will never know essential parts of my heritage. Nothing really stuck to me more than I had already know because the information I received was pretty generic and not personal. Unlike many of my classmates who still hold traditions, my family does not do anything like that. Perhaps it is because all of my ancestors came over so early, but I honestly don’t know why we haven’t kept any traditions. The only similarities that I found with other classmates is the fact that many people were of German and Irish decent, like myself. With that being said, some of the stories could’ve been exactly what my ancestors encountered, I just wouldn’t know. This project opened my eyes to the history that I want to find out, but may never be able to recover. I think immigrants today obviously have different experiences in coming to America, but are generally similar to my ancestors. Most everyone is still coming to America for a better life, job opportunity, etc. Not everything has changed!
Lauren B.
Period 4
Through the artifact immigration essay, I learned that my grandfather accidentally bombed my grandmother and her family. This really stuck out to me. I can’t believe that she had a piece of shrapnel stuck in her leg for her entire leg that was from the plane of my grandfather! One thing that I really wonder about though, is how my grandmother and grandfather spoke to each other. I would assume that she had to have spoken English however; she had lived in Italy her entire life and never visited America until she moved with my grandfather. Another thing that surprised me was that her immigration to the United States was like many others in my class. For example, Skyler’s grandfather immigrated to America because of WWII just as my grandmother did. Overall, I learned a lot about my family’s immigration as well as the typical Italian immigration.
I learned a little about where my family came from. Much of what i learned about my family had nothing to do with this project. My grandmother could only tell me stories from after they immigrated to the states. i was dissapointed that we don't know a lot about where my family came from. I thought it was interesting to hear the stories from my classmates.i noticed a few similarities between the other irish immigrants in the class.
Shannon M
Class 6
This project really taught me alot and I really learned alot about my family's indepth history. I would have never learned about the Russian Jews persecution in the late 1800's. I also learned that my Great Grandfather walked across Europe to get to the United States. Tiis is hands down one of the coolest things i've had the fortune of learning. In my opinion this was a really cool and informative project.
While researching the story of my family immigrating to the United States, there were some interesting parts that I will not forget. I thought it was cool how my family didn't really come from German or French decent but they came from a town on the border of the two countries called Alsace Lorraine. Also, I was not aware that the majority of Germans settled in Minnesota while my relatives settled in Manhattan. Those were the two major facts that have stuck with me.
I don't believe that there was a specific story from one of my class mates that was identical to mine. There were many people who have relatives that came through Elis Island and settled in New York but the other details were different then mine.
I do believe that immigrants today are different then my ancestors. I think that the way people get into the United States in 2010 is so sophisticated and filled with technology and safety checks. But then again, things have to be that way now because there would be threats to our safety of us in the US. if those things did not exist. In the past, when my ancestors immigrated here from Alsace Lorraine, there was nothing needed besides their luggage and perhaps a passport. They needed to go through no metal detectors or take tests to become legal voters or anything of that sort. Everything is different now. Our society here is so much more complex and critical then it was 100 years ago.
Alyse Brautigam - class 4
Before this project I knew NOTHING about my family history my past, or my immigration story. I had always assumed that I was German but I had no reason to believe that. Now after this project, I now have proof of my historical background, and I understand my immigration story. To start my search, I called my grandparents on my dad’s side, and found out what they knew and went from there. I then spent hours researching my ancestors on Ancestry.com, and found out when my great great grandfather and his parents came over to the United States from Germany. I found out a lot of interesting information about who I am and who I descended from. Interestingly enough I could not find one ancestor that has not come from Germany, and the Mais name has been passed down since before 1800. The thing that has struck me most was just to learn the names of those that came before me, after not knowing anything for so long. Last year in biology, our class did a genetic pedigree project that was a essentially a family tree that traced back to our grandparents. It taught us nothing and we all did not enjoy the project, while this was full of a lot of useful information that taught us about ourselves.
Stephen M.
Class 4
Through doing the immigrant artifact project I learned,like many others,that my family may not have had a struggle coming over but brought with them many great traditions. I learned that a lot of things my family does on certain days come from my great grandma’s Swedish traditions. I was surprised to find out that many things in my house are in fact artifacts from my great grandmother. When I was little I knew my family had traditions and that they were very important but I never really knew where they came from or why we did them. But as I’ve grown up I have come to realize that they have much deeper meanings.
It was really interesting to listen to all the different experiences of everyone in the class. I never knew that there was so much difference in the experience each ethnicity faced. I think immigrants of today are much different from my ancestors. My great great grandma had to pack up and basically say goodbye to her whole family just so she could find a better life. She could also only take a few special possessions with her. Today things are so much different. Communication is much better so now when one family member leaves there is still a way to keep in touch. Also people can take so much more with them. Overall the experience is much easier for most people. This project was a great way to learn about immigrations and the people in the class.
From the imagration project we did i learend about stuff that i never new about my faimlys imagration. I learned more about how my faimly got here and what they did when they were here. There were two similaritys to my imagration. One was Allys and how she had parogies and how my faimly eats thouse all the time. And the other was laurens and how she was from russia as well. The presentaion i thought was the coolest was Frats and how he has a town in Italy with his last name, and the sauce he brought in was very good. Today i think imagration is diffrent from when my faimly came in because now it is more saught out. When my faimly came to America there were alot of other people pooring in and laws were not so strict about who is allowed and who is not. But now laws are very strict and it is a very big proces for a person to get into america.
Overall i think that doing this project gave me a lot more information of where I am from and how I arrived here. I think that a lot of peoples immigrant stories were similar to mine, in the sense of what they had to go through to get here. I feel like immigrants today go through different experiences than my ancestors because I think that getitng here is much easier, along with also being accepted by people here.
When we were assigned this project I actually considered just lying and saying that I was Italian, because it would be infinitely easier to research than Peru. However I thought it would be much more interesting to talk to my Grandpa about his fathers run-in with the U.S. Border control. What stuck with me the most was how desperately my great-grandfather wanted to come to the U.S. and his reasons for wanting to come. Just the fact that he wanted to leave his country because of how dangerous his homeland was. My immigration story wasn't like any other story, other than the fact that they all left in search of a better life. I agree with Hennessey in that this was a project that helped me learn about my great-grandfather who I previously knew nothing about.
Carson Leon-Gambetta
When we were assigned this project I actually considered just lying and saying that I was Italian, because it would be infinitely easier to research than Peru. However I thought it would be much more interesting to talk to my Grandpa about his fathers run-in with the U.S. Border control. What stuck with me the most was how desperately my great-grandfather wanted to come to the U.S. and his reasons for wanting to come. Just the fact that he wanted to leave his country because of how dangerous his homeland was. My immigration story wasn't like any other story, other than the fact that they all left in search of a better life. I agree with Hennessey in that this was a project that helped me learn about my great-grandfather who I previously knew nothing about.
Carson Leon-Gambetta
This project, like said many times before, really opened everyones eyes and helped us realize that there really isn't just us...there is a past that we represent, that we grow off of and extend into the future. From my one Irish ancestor coming over in the late 1880's, over a hundred descendants were allowed to be born and that is just one thing to be thankful for besides the culture and the food. Regarding present day immigrants, they are aboslutely no different then my ancestors and everyone elses who came. All immigrants were and are treated as the lowest level of society. They are always blamed for problems be it true or not. But one thing I learned fom this project is this country will move on from having issues with Hispanics like it did with the Germans, Italians and Irish and we all will be accepted. That's just the way things fall into place.
T. Hough Period 6
I personally was rather surprised by the information that I learned about my ancestors. As opposed to coming into the United States through New York, as did many immigrants over the years, my great great great grandfather and grandmother came through New Orleans. I was also interested in the fact that they came despite the unbelievably horrid treatment on the boat, what with the fact that they had nothing to eat but salted meat and feted water. However, out of everything that I heard the one thing that stuck with me was that my great great great grandparents actually met and fell in love on the boat despite the deplorable conditions. It is quite remarkable that anyone could have found love on one of those ships.
I have to agree with Jessa Mason on the fact that most immigrants came to America in search of better opportunities. No matter the specifics, it seems that all immigrants come to the United States for a better life. It is with that detail that almost all of the immigration stories are similar. However, in comparison to mine, most of the immigration stories didn't share any similarities beyond that. Most immigrants went through New York, while mine went through New Orleans. I do remember some love stories however. While I can't remember whose they were specifically, I do know that, like my ancestors' story, they occurred in the United States.
I think I have to agree with Hunter on the fact that the immigrants of the past are not as different from those today. Over the course of history almost all immigrants have and are coming to the United States for a number of reasons. Some come as an escape from politics. Others come for financial reasons. Immigrants have even come to the United States out of, as Sage has put, pure desire. For these and many other reasons, immigrants throughout history have come to the United States.
Unlike Lauren B. i was able to learn alot about my ancestors immigration experience. My grandma only immigrated to the united states in 1966 and therefore experienced a much diferent journey than immigrants of the earlier time period. Because i am only he third generation of my family in America i was able to talk with my grandma about exactly how her journey was, and see what she brought over with her (Which was alot by the way). I liked this project alot however because although my grandma has aways been around for me to talk to about her immigration experience, i have never asked her about it. i new vague details that my mom had told me but i didnt really care about her story. But this project opened my eyes to my heritage and how my ancestors affect not only their own lives, but mine, and the future generations of my families lives as well. Lauren B pointed out that she never bothered to talk to her grandparents when she had the chance and how she regrets losing their stories and a piece of her heritage. I feel that this project really helped me discover that i shouldnt waste time away on pointless things, and that i should really take advantage of the time i have with my grandma and be grateful that we still have a lot of our heritage and background intact. I really enjoyed learning about my grandmas most pried possesion that she brought with her from Germany. She was only 18 years old and when she left with her American husband, she brought with her a jar of dirt from her hometown. I felt this was important because thi jar of dirt represents our culture and where we come from. She still has the dirt to this date, and i imagine it will stay in my family for awhile.
The only real similarities that i found between my immigration stories and my classmates was that alot of people had German and Irish backgrounds as well as me. However when i think about it i can find that many of my classmates ancestors came over to start a new family and new life, and in a way it is very similar to my grandmothers story.
I believe immigrants today are different from our ancestors for obvious reasons. There is new tehnology, more security, the journeys are safer, quicker, and healthier, and everything is much more orgnized kept under close accurate records. However like Maddie said, the immigration reason are still the same as they were so long ago. People continue to come over for better jo oppurtunities, money, family, all of the same reasons. and in that way t makes immigrants today and the immigrants that were our ancstors seem as close to eachother as twins; like they are happening in the same time period.
Erin Cunningham
period 4
After researching my family’s immigration experience, I learned a lot about my past and how it has made my family who we are today. I discovered that most of my ancestors on my mom’s side emigrated from Czechoslovakia, compared to only the mere few I had previously heard about. I also learned that many of my family traits come from this culture. We are very family oriented and came from generations of people with a strong Catholic faith, which is not unlike the thousands of Czech families that came to America. What stuck with me the most was how different my family’s culture was from different immigrant groups in America at that time. Rather than segregate into their own separate communities, Czechs were very involved with and were eager to integrate into American society. I find it almost ironic to see how much they wanted to become Americanized back then, when today my family tries to hold on to as much of the Czech culture as they can.
After listening to others describe their families and the experiences they had, I was able to make many different connections between the different cultures. Looking through the eyes of all our predecessors, I was able to see that America looked like a fantasy, a whole different world, a place to start anew and do something great with their lives. Everyone, no matter where they came from, left their homelands to seek shelter, to seize new opportunities, to use the freedoms and privileges that came along with life in America. One story that was particularly similar was that of Hannah Maret. Like me, her family came over from Czechoslovakia as well. I was surprised because I don’t meet many people who are Czech like I am, and it was exciting to see that her family, like mine, still participated in our culture’s traditions.
I think that immigrants coming over today have a much harder time than immigrants coming over when our ancestors did. Today, it can take sometimes up to a decade to even be considered for settlement in the US. Immigrants must then deal with visas, green cards, and citizenship tests. It’s not as simple as it used to be- getting a quick check up and signing a few papers.
Erin Begg
Class 6
I believe that the Immigration project really helped me become closer with my family and my family's past. I interviewed my grandparents in order to collect information on my family's immigration, and it has helped my grandparents and myself become closer. Also, it really made me realize how crucial my family's history is, because without my great grandmother, I would not be here today. I am extremely thankful that I get to live here, and it was wonderful to have an experience like this. It really helped me discover my past, and my family's history in the United States. I also loved how we were able to research the "typical" immigration, because it allowed me to compare my family to the typical story. Overall, it was a large personal growth.
Jake T.
The immigration project was quite an enjoyable and informative experience. To research my family's immigration, I spoke in detail with my great grandmother. I feel that my great grandmother is the epitome of the American Dream. The most interesting aspect of my family's migration was their everlasting motivation and desire for a better life. After starting from the bottom of the economic hierarchy, a combination of hard work and ambition lead to their success. This story was very similar to the migration of the average Italian immigrant. Researching this aspect of the project was interesting as well due to the similarities that many Italian families share with mine. While I did not hear any relationship between the hardships my ancestors faced compared to any of my classmates, I did notice how culture is just as important to some families as it is in mine. I connected most with Greg when he talked about his family's sauce recipe brought over from Italy. My family also has many recipes that have been carried down generation to generation. My great grandmother made an interesting point concerning illegal immigration when I was discussing her immigration with her. She told me about the fears and hardships of her journey. The family had to endure a month long journey on a boat (that was in poor condition), participate in long stressful testing (in broken English) and assimilate into American culture after years of living in Italy. She finds it unfair that people are immigrating incorrectly and taking advantage of people, like her, who have completed the process correctly. This project allowed me to take my families history to a level of comprehension I have never known before.
As most of my classmates have already stated I can agree that I learned a lot about my ancestry that I did not no prior to this project. I had always known where I was from but never really new the story behind it. I found out why my great great grandfather had left Ireland, how got to the US, and what he did once he got here. Seeing how hard he had to work to get here and the work he had to do once he got here really stuck with me. Some similarities that I saw when kids talked about there Irish immigrants is that Christianity was often involved. For example, my great great grandfather built built churches once he arrived and Brendan's artifact was an Irish Catholic cross. Other then that there is not really a story that was similar to mine except most people came looking for a better life. Lastly, I think the biggest difference between my ancestors and immigrants today is now people have more of a plan when they immigrate. It seemed in some stories people came over not knowing even where the would sleep. Now people are more prepared when the move to a new country.
Rich S
During the research on my family's immigration experience, I realized how little I actually knew about my family. When I talked with my grandmother I learned not only why my ancestors immigrated to America, but also how difficult is was for them. I was really suprised that both my Great-Grandparents came from Ireland and happened to meet up in Chicago and get married. I was also shocked to learn how poor they were growing up. Both of them had to get jobs as mere children. It was intresting how many of my classmates relatives came from Ireland but also how there were some first generation immigrants in our class. Sage's ancestry story was similar to mine in the aspect of the sheer determination and effort it took for our relatives to get here. I think that immigrants today are quite similar to my ancestors. I agree with Lauren Bauer in saying the people today who immigrate to the United States do so in search of freedom and oppertunity, the same as 100 years ago.
I believe that the immigrant artifact essay was a very good way to make ourselves aware of our own family's immigration to the United States and how that connects to our lives today. Something I learned about my family's immigration was that three generations ago was when my family's immigrant moved to the United States. This is important because it matters what background that person had coming to the United States during that specific time period. There were basically no similarities between my family's story and others' stories in the class because the immigration experience for Canadians was much different because they simply just had to cross the border, instead of transporting by boat.
Like Skyler said, the United States is an excepting country, therefore many people immigrate here for that reason. This is definitely a main reason today and in the past why people came to the US. Often because there is war and unpleasant occurrences in other countries. I think that the immigrants from today though are a little bit different from my ancestors though because they are more advanced in technology. This gives them advantages over my ancestors when they came in the US. Today though, immigrants coming from Canada have most of the same technology as we do here in the Unites States.
I, personally, didn't learn much about my family from this project, my family is very in touch with our historical background and my parents make sure that both my brother and I know most everything about our history. And yes, there was one thing that stuck with me, not a specific artifact, but a way of living. What stuck with me is how my family managed to keep all of the Polish traditions that were put in place even over the hundreds of years since they were created. Also, quite a few people from my history class shared a very alike story to mine; a Polish immigrant ancestor traveling over to America in the early 1900's. No, there was no specific story that mirrored mine, seeing as mine was somewhat unique- my great grandmother was already a citizen so she came through Canada instead of Ellis Island for instance. And yes, immigrants nowadays are different than immigrants back then in some ways. However, I feel as though there are many ways in which immigrants today are also very alike to our ancestors because they can be held at a specific location upon arrival, work can be difficult to find for some immigrants, much documentation is needed for a legal trip over to America- illegal trips are common in coming to America as well, and what I see as most prominent in today's time that is most like so many years ago is the racism that is involved with many of the immigrants coming in from these multiple countries.
Justina
Before doing this project, I didn't know much about my family history. I just never took the time to really learn it. After talking to my parents and grandparents, I discovered so many stories I never knew anything about. Such as the story of my great grandfather working at a scissors factory before managing a farm. One thing that really stuck with me was that I learned that my great grandfather came from a very poor family in the Ukraine, but was able to succeed in creating a better life for future generations in the US. The one prominent similarity I found, like Kyle said, was that many immigrants had similar motives for migrating to America. All wanted to create a "better life" for their families. Many of the immigrants had different reasons for leaving their home countries (political, financial, etc). But they all chose America as their destination. Of all the countries in the world, they chose America because it was the land of opportunity. Every immigrant came here with the hope of improving their lives in one way or another. I think that immigrants today are both similar and different than my ancestors. What I mean is, there are some people who come here with the greatest intentions of creating a better life for their family; they want future generations to have freedoms that they themselves never had. However, there are also those immigrants that take advantage of America's opportunities by coming here illegally and not bothering to want to become citizens. My ancestors came to America to be Americans. I feel that this is the primary difference today.
So to conclude, I really enjoyed learning about my ancestors, after all, they made me who I am today.
Justina Paproski
After our Artifact project was completed, I had some time to reflect on how I felt about it. At first I thought my ancestors had it easy coming to America compared to the typical immigrant experience. But after finding out what they had to go through to get into America, I respect their story a lot more. To think that they were one of the families that only got in on the project because of sheer luck makes me wonder what would have happened if they stayed in Ireland. And the multitude of diseases that were on the ship they were on made the journey exponentially harder. I think the immigrant story that mirrored mine was Sage’s story about the Russian family escaping from an unstable country. The urgency of getting out of the situation in the home country that was resent in Sage’s story was also present in mine. The fact that both families came to America based mostly on luck was also an interesting coincidence. Both families also had to use unorthodox and creative ways to smuggle into the country. Finally, the fact that both families were both persecuted because of religion also mirrors together. I feel that although most immigrants of today do not have struggles as bad as the ones in the 1800s – 1900s did. In the first immigrant booms, you had Italians who were escaping an unstable country and Irish who were escaping a famine. The Russians even had to endure both at the same time and for some, also genocide. By contrast, a lot of countries that have immigrants to the United States just have an economy that is not doing so well at the moment. However, there are some countries with justified immigrants like Mexico which is having a huge drug war problem and Columbia whose country is very unstable.
I really liked this project because I was able to tell everyone in the class about my experience as an immigrant and I've been an immigrant twice too. I didn't really find any similarities from any of my class mates because only one other person was a first generation immigrant. The closest presentation to mine was Pat Sullivan because he was the only other first generation immigrant but he was much younger when he came here. I am a first generation immigrant so I don't think in 2010 it's much different then 2005 because I came from Canada and no Canadian is a threat to America.
I found the Artifact Immigration project interesting because I took the effort to look deeper into my family's past rather than just knowing where we came from. I never knew who came over and what time, and where they came into. My family came from Ireland which I always knew, I never knew however that my great great great grandfather came over with his siblings. I found it interesting how similar many of the story's were as Maria said. I completely agree with Kyle and Sage to the fact that this project was great because it gave you a chance to look deeper into your history and helps you see things you've never heard of before. I was surprised of all the different artifacts brought in. I was lucky to even find a recipe for bread I thought. I found it really to to see real artifacts that were brought over, including clothes, instruments, and other toys. It was cool to see the simliarities in peoples stories, but as Ben said, each person has their own unique story. While the overall outcome may be similar, going to America each person had their own complications, and interesting conflicts included. And lastly, I agree with Lauren, not everything has changed because there are still people coming to America to find better lives and better jobs, and who knows they might be under similar circumstances to all of our families. There wasn't exactly a story the same as mine because my great great great grandfather came over very early. But there were other people who had ancestors from Ireland coming over. I think immigrants are similiar but not the same now days. This is because conditions may be a little bit better in terms of factories and or other laboring jobs. Also, entering the country is different, there may be no Ellis Island but there are still customs that you need to pass through.
Doing this project was a great way to learn about my family. My grandfather tells my cousin and I about his past and what life was like. He tells us about coming over and then marrying my grandmother. I did learn that my great grandmother had to stay at Ellis Island because she was pregrant with my grandmother. I did not know that before. I loved sharing the food with everyone (and I hope that everyone loved them). The two breads are some of my favorite foods that my family makes.I wish that I could have made some of the other foods like kusa (yellow squash stuffed with meat and rice) or grapeleaves (which are stuffed grapeleaves filled with the same meat and rice mixture) and I think that my all time favorite food is call kibbee( which is lamb with cracked wheat in like a little patty) but these foods were kind messy. Anyway I love making these foods with my grandmother and of course eating them. When my family came over they took the same route has the general population that were coming from the country.
It was really cool to see where everyone else came from and what they had from their family. Everyones was very unique since everyone had different heritages and each of their families was different. I really enjoyed this project and learning more about my family.
Grace McKinley
Class 1
After researching my familie's immigration experience and artifact, i had a new understanding about the long trip over on the boat. I also realized why my artifact of all of my great grandmas recipes is so important to my family today. Without the italian recipes written down, they would have been lost forever. One thing that i learned that stuck with me was how awful the boat ride experience was. I couldn't believe that after a long week on board, the health inspectors in America sent people who were sick back to their country. After listening to the presentations, i found that the most popular country of origin was Italy, just like my family. Also, many people came in through Ellis Island by boat like my family. In general, almost all of my classmates said that their ancestors came by boat. Although no one's stroy mirrored mine exactly, Dana's story was probably the most similar becasue her family aslo came from Italy around the same time my family did.
I definately think immigrants today are different than our ancestors because transportation is much more advanced today. the entire immigration process is much more orderly than it used to be. Also, in today's society, immigrants are treated like any other citizen, and have an easier time finding a job and making money.
Our immigration project taught us much about immigration experiences, through both our families as well as others. I learned a lot about my family's immigration experience and how it was really a tough feat to encounter. I learned a lot about other typical italian immigrants experiences and how most of them emigrated to large cities in order to find work and a way of life. I also agree with Mason's statement regarding the fact that when you heard others immigration stories we all realized that we have something in common and that brought us closer together. Something that really stuck with me is that my grandfather worked hard his entire life with a physically stressful and hard job, not making very much money, just to survive. Now we have so many privileges we don't even understand how hard life used to be.
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