I identified some of countries or places where my ancestors were from in class on Thurs. but like Able, it is very wide ranging. It doesn't make me who I am, though. While I know where my family lineage lies, I don't know much about my family history. My great grandmother, told my grandfather's stepfather, he needed to get rid of this baby or she would leave. My grandfather was three years old. He grew up in an orphan home for the next ten years. At thirteen he ran away, eventually working as a lumberjack here western WA. I don't know anything more about my great grandmother than that. Sure, my grandfather's life shaped him into who he is, and his lessons have help shape me to who I am.
My Great grandmother, my grandmother, who eventually married the aforementioned grandfather, she was an orphan also. Her younger sister was adopted by a "well to do" family, who allowed my great grandmother to stay with them, but never adopted her. Again, beyond countries of origin, I know very little family history. Who am I? I think there are two levels we need to identify. First, the individual level. Our experience in life defines who we are on the individual level. The second level is human. If we continue to identify more closely with some sub classifications on some level in between individual and human, for example; Christian, Muslim; Jewish, American, Arab, Chinese, White Black, Indian, Native American, You get the point. but if we continue to put these other categories before the human level, we will never see change for the better.
That acceptance that we are all people, equal. We all deserve to be free from hunger and disease, We all deserve to feel safe in our homes. We must be as concerned with our human level as we are with individual level
Thank you for input on your blog, you make some interesting points about the level of human and individualism. We need to learn from both entities to come a better understanding of who we are as human beings.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand what you mean by "That acceptance that we are all people, equal. We all deserve to be free from hunger and disease, We all deserve to feel safe in our homes. We must be as concerned with our human level as we are with individual level" However this hasnt always been the case. Our past as you know is rife with injustice for the mass majority and It was only for the select few that has been able to reap the rewards of those conditions, as well the select few made sure that it was only for them. Our society has created this situation and expects the oppresed to forgive those transgressions of the past because its the present, however the memory is still fresh for them, and it continues to affect there daily life. My family was never oppressed and so I can never understand the historical trauma that is suffered. I understand that we cannot focus soley on the past other wise we lose sight of the present, but we must be mindful of the past as we step into the future.
ReplyDeleteI wish we could tell that to the whole US and have them understand. I completely agree with you about the two levels of classification. If people could see eachother between these levels, it'd be the beginning of understanding between every race, ethnicity, etc.
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