Tag Archives: family heritage

How to Create a Genealogy Wall

Many years ago when I was visiting some aunts, cousins, etc in Queens, NY, I spotted something that I always wanted to try when I got older and had a family of my own. My Aunt’s house (one of my father’s six sisters, the one with the grandson who is a hollywood actor) featured some photographs on the wall behind the couch. While photographs behind on the wall behind the couch is as common in Queens as beveled mirrors, this one was different and inspiring. It featured a wedding portrait of my aunt and uncle of course, but also the … Continue reading →

The Family Name

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Adoptive parents have the right to change their children’s names when they are adopted. With one exception, our boys have the same first names that they had when they came to us. Their middle names were names that I associate with African American children. We changed them, but not for that reason. I did not want to keep names that I would not have given them myself. Some people may not like that and say that we have taken their heritage away from them. We have given them our family heritage instead. Caleb’s name was Caleb Jamal and Tommy’s name … Continue reading →

Your Heritage, Our Heritage

I’ve chosen to deal with “what are you/they?” questions by responding, “Our family is Irish, French-Canadian and Korean, among other things.” It is pretty obvious which of us are Irish and which Korean, and I know I can never really be Korean (no more than I as a fourth-generation Irish-American can be “real Irish” compared to my friends who are first and second generation). But I prefer to emphasize that our family is a united group which shares these cultures. My son gets dragged to the annual Lunar New Year Banquet, my daughters attend the St. Paddy’s Day Parade, and … Continue reading →