8. Family Tree: Tracing One’s Roots and Family Experiences Questions
1. From what parts of the world did your family (or families) originate?
Father side was from England and Argentina. Mother side from Germany Russia Italy and
Colombia.
2. What motivated your ancestors to leave their homeland for a New World? When did they
leave? If your ancestors were always in North America, what was their life like prior to
European contact?
They never came to North America. My dads side they were looking for a better lifestyle. My moms
side they left Germany because of the World War and left to Colombia.
3. What hardships did your ancestors face in previous generations, either when they first
arrived or soon after contact? What did they do to overcome any hardships? Do they recall
any prejudice that was experienced?
My mom side suffered from the war. They had persecution due to being Jews with the holocaust.
When they arrived to Colombia they always kept it a secret so they wouldn’t suffer.
4. What did your ancestors do in the previous two or three generations? How did this
influence what the family does today?
We don’t have much information because most of them died in World War II.
5. What languages did your ancestors speak? What has happened to these languages in
your family today?
They spoke Spanish and German.
9. 6. What family traditions or practices have been performed over the years that
are special or unique to your family?
We celebrate holidays the Colombian way. Christmas, New Years and Birthdays. For
example Christmas we celebrate Christmas Eve more than Christmas day.
7. What do you know of the meaning behind your family name? How, if at
all, has it changed over the years? Do you know the reason for any changes?
My grandpa changed his last name in order to protect the family from the Jewish
persecution.
8. How are the experiences of your family similar to or different from those
faced by various immigrants or refugees today?
My family came out of a war while the people now a days come for a better lifestyle.
9. In what ways was this exercise easy or difficult for you to do? Under what
circumstances might an exercise like this be difficult for a student to do? What
might you do as a teacher to modify it in special circumstances?
It wasn’t hard thanks for my parents help. It would be harder if I didn’t have any help
from my family.
