Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Returning to ones roots
Read the follwing story from the NY Times Magazine. Describe the connection that is being established. Are there any connections you currently make, have made in the past or would like to make in the future with any extended family? Describe these events. What things are different? Have you learned anything from participating in such an activity?
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I think the connection that is being established is that no matter were your from it is always just good to get away from your normal life and environment and spend it some were else and a different side of your family.I think my connection to this story would have to be when i had wint to florida it was very different from what im normaly used to such as just walking outside and seeing friends or hearing gun shots. When i was out there, their were alligators and it was also very quiet unlike here. I also got to meet my cousins husbands n little cousins that i have never met. I have learned to appreciate every second with your family when you get away because you never know when you may see them again.
ReplyDeleteThe connection that is being established is that of learning from where you came from. The girl in the article, Amya Stewart, goes from New York City to Mississippi. Amya kind of has to step out of her familiar environment of Brooklyn and into the ways of the people in Silver Creek. One quote that can relate to this is that "Chinese takeout is replaced with soul food...". This means that she has to step out of her comfort zone and embrace things that may be unfamiliar to her. One of the things she has to adapt to is the dialect down there. She has to end things in sir or ma'am. By the way she says things because of where she's from, can have consequences in the South. What we kind of think is normal speak, to them it is having a smart mouth. I know that when I go see my extended family, I try not to say much because I really care not to know them all like that. But when I do go, I learn that they seem to be strong people and have a big faith in God.
ReplyDeleteI think that the connection is that you should always know where you come from. Myself as well as others that I am close with always seem to drift south for the summer. I remember spending the whole summer with my cousins and other family in the south. I didn't appreciate it then but as I grew up I appreciate spending time with my family and escaping the city life. There is alot different about the south; they talk differently, have different cultures, and appreciate alot more.My grandmother's entire family resides in a little rural town and her sisters tell my cousins and I countless stories. They speak on what life was like before integration. They tell tales of what segregation was like. Where you come from doesn't say where you are likely to go but it helps alot. It gives you a perspective of what it was like.
ReplyDeleteI like this article I could actually relate to it alot. It reminds me of how different things and life is up north versus down south. I remember the first time I went down south to
ReplyDeleteAlabama to visit my grandmom and grandpop I was about to go to second grade so I was really young. Everyone there just talked so properly and my grandfather told us that we need to answer him and any other adults using "yes ma'am, and sir". At first my cousin and I thought it was crazy because we didn't talk like that but then we saw other children down south and everyone did it so we didn't want to be disrespectful. Usually when we go down south we always gather around for a large family dinner which I like because I love the whole family gathering type of thing. It brings everyone closer together. Some of my family members aren't really close but this does make me think about trying to build a better relaionship with my extended family members because there's nothing in the world like family. The only time everyone comes close together is if someone in the family passes away like my nana. Everyone came over my house afterwards. Cousins and aunts I never even met. This didn't really change anything though but it was still nice to see everyone.
I feel that Amya going back down south to where her family came from has a great impact on her life. I feel it has a big impact on her life because she is getting a chance to go down south, which is where her ancestors are from, and learn about her roots and how her ancestors did things. One thing that i thought was also really good for Amya in learning her roots was that she ate soul food from the south and that is what her ancestors ate. Also this is great for Amya because she will be able to carry on what she learned and tell it to her kids. She might even still live up north and cook soulfood. The most important thing is that she had a chance to see her roots and a grave of an ancestor.
ReplyDeleteThe connection being established in this story is a physical connection between families that live in differnt parts of the country. In the past, I've connected with family of mine from Virginia, Akron and Detroit through family reunions. They're were a rewarding expirence, just to know that I have etxtended family is a blessing. In the future, I hope to connect with the family that I have in Arizona and California. I Want to learn how my family got spread out and how the different places affect they way we act as a family. When, I attended past family reunions, I learned that my family is huge and I don't know a lot of the people who are closely related to me.
ReplyDeleteThe girl from the sotry in theNY Times is very fortunate to have a close connection with her distant family down south, because I know when I go to North Carolina my family down there always has some story to tell and it just gives me a sense of what my family was like in the past. And this little girl is getting to do this at a young age which is great for her to be exposed to this as a child so she can share the history of her family with her children one day. Just like her mother's doing with her this also gives her a southern swagg to her. The difference from my situation and the girls is that she gets to spend an entire portion of the summer with her distant family but when I go to Statesville, North Carolina I only get to spend a couple days with my southern family. So having a relationship with your past is good so you can prepare for your future.
ReplyDeleteIn this short article, the writer uses 13 year old Amya stweart to make a connection between New Yorkers and Southerns. Many people in the south work hard every day. Many people up north use there i phone all day. The writer established a connection between the South and the North to show the difference there is between the two. Many families up north are usually not spending times with there kids because of jobs and other various activities. Families down south are most likely to be together because the type of work they do. The south is more of "Grind it out place". Working hard is what they are use to doing, it is part of there life. The North is more of a finises place, where everything is taught by technology. There is a huge difference in the kids as well. When the kids from the south come up north, they are use to running around on the from being a kid. But when they come up north you have more streets and a lot of cars. When I watch the kids from down south play, i was afraid that one day they would get hit by a car. I was like "wow" please don't let these kids get hit. Afterward they move back to Atlanta to run around on there farm.
ReplyDeleteBy reading this story, I believe the overall connection that was made is that no matter where your at in life, you have to take time off and just remember where you came from. The little girl in the story learned so much from visiting and it was probly one of her most memorable experiences. I can relate to this story because everytime I go out of town to visit family, it’s always a good time. The fact that your spending time with family that you don’t get to see on a daily basis makes it all worth it. I have family in South Carolina and Florida, and everytime I visit I feel just like the little girl in the story. It’s a totally different setting, with different accents, and different actions. I believe it’s good to experinece this change in lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteThe connection I have made from reading this article is that at some point in your life you have to take a break from your original life or city life and visit where your family originated from. You might be surprised by the two different life styles. Things such as the food, environment, and the way people talk to each other, how kids play, church, and simple things such as how you would answer someone else, would be different. It’s so important to know where you came from and to experience the past generations in your family. You’ll be surprised of what you can learn. All of my family lives in the city and basically has the same living style that I have; although I greet my grandparents differently. I wish that I could travel back and time and have a chance to experience that life that my past generations experienced. Knowing your past can impact you future.
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