It All Starts with Family

In your worksheet (download at the bottom of this page), answer the questions below:

• When did you first realize what your ethnicity was?
• When did you first learn about your cultural heritage?
• How did these experiences make you feel?
• Do you feel like you are aware of your ethnicity and/or cultural heritage on an everyday basis? If yes, how does this effect your day?
• Think about a story you have heard about your family, either immediate family or generational, that has informed you about your ethnic and/or cultural identity. How does this story make you feel?
  Does this story make you feel happy, sad, ashamed, proud?

How can we look at history through a personal lens? We learn about history in school, but sometimes it can feel disconnected from who we are today.

This is why learning about our personal histories of heritage is important. It teaches us how the stories of those in the past have influenced and shaped our present selves.

Consider this graphic that illustrates how many unique stories each of us are connected to:

In your worksheet (download at the bottom of this page), answer the questions below:

• Have you ever thought about this connectedness before? How does it make you feel?
• Do you feel like you know your own history?

With this new knowledge and curiosity, consider having a conversation with a family member about your ethnicity or cultural heritage, or those of others close to you. See what new information you can learn.

Look around your house for artifacts that might have a story connected to your heritage or ethnicity.

Consider sharing your artifact or photo of the artifact and its accompanying story with a family member, friend or peer.