Exploring Your Heritage
(Page 1 of 2)Author: Jesse Honn
Publication Date: 01/29/2007
Heritage. That word carries a lot of meaning and different connotations for different people. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines heritage, in part, as "something that is passed down from preceding generations" or "the status acquired by a person through birth; a birthright" ("heritage," 2007). Your heritage includes a lot of details, information, people, places, ideas... You get the picture. It is both important and sometimes complex. Your heritage is a unique part of you.
Now that we have a more concrete idea of what heritage is, let's overview some ways that you can explore your heritage. The following list is by no means comprehensive, but it does include many important sources for exploring your heritage:
- Living family members
- Information about ancestors
- Written stories
- Books, videos, photos, and other media
Living family members are listed first above because they are an extremely important source of information when exploring your heritage. In fact, they have much more than just information to share. Family members have interesting life stories, funny anecdotes, secrets of the past that no one else knows, and much more. Your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or just about anyone who knows about you and your family can be excellent sources for exploring your heritage. Try sitting down with them sometime and asking them about their childhood memories or funny stories, and I bet you will be mesmerized by what they have to say. (Continued...)