Why it is Important to Understand your Ancestors Ethnic Group
By Wendy Melton
Learning about your family’s ethnic background is important for a variety of reasons. To
some, it may just be the curiosity of wondering why your family has certain traditions. Family
traditions often stem from a practice or celebration native to one’s homeland or ethnic culture.
Religion plays a big part in this aspect, but each family adds its own special flair or nuance that
makes its particular celebration unique. Family’s may gather in large groups and then continue the
celebration or event in private. Tracing these traditions back through a family’s lineage can bring to
light many interesting characteristics.
In certain cultures, traditions and ethnic or cultural information is passed down from
generation to generation through storytelling. Native Americans are well known for this. Up until
the beginning of the last century, no written records or histories were kept by tribal groups of Native
Americans. As white settlers moved West, many tribes were completely wiped out, leaving no
history of their traditions or culture.
Other tribes lost much of their heritage and language as whites imposed their beliefs and
practices on the Natives, in turn, prohibiting them from practicing their religion or speaking their
language. As a way of preserving their heritage, elders told stories of their ancestors to the younger
generations in the hopes of preserving the culture. Native language was also taught in this way. The
importance of these practices is immeasurable considering how much native lore, language and
culture has been lost over the past two hundred years.
Recent generations of Native Americans, both full and mixed bloods are returning to their
respective tribal lands to find out about their history and their culture. In this way, traditions and
language are taught to upcoming generations so that Native culture will continue to live on and
ancestors will be remembered.
Knowing one’s ethnic background is also important when it comes to certain medical
concerns. Tay-Sachs disease and sickle cell anemia are two illnesses that are found predominately in
certain ethnic groups. Tay-Sachs is a disease that is generally found in Askhenazi Jews or people of
Eastern European descent. Sickle cell anemia is another ethnic specific disease that is mostly found
in individuals who are of Mediterranian or African descent. Certain South American and Caribbean
cultures are also susceptible to the disease. If a person is adopted and has no clue about his or her
ethnic background, they may be unaware of the risks of these two diseases.
Researching your ethnic background can answer many questions about family, traditions and
health concerns. It can be enlightening and exciting to discover aspects of family history that
otherwise may have gone by the wayside.
Prompt: In one paragraph, explain why it is important to understand family
background. The paragraph must be at least five sentence, must contain textual
evidence from this article, and must follow the “Quote Sandwich” paragraph
structure.
Quote Sandwich
Use the organizer to arrange each part of the paragraph. Please utilize sentence
starters!
Claim:
Top Bread (Phrase introducing the quote):
Meat&Veggies(The quote):
Bottom Bread (The analysis)
The Final Product
Using what you came up with in the Quote Sandwich organizer, now put it all
together written as one fluid paragraph. Each piece should go one after another.