Homeward Bound through our Cultural Beginnings & Customs

[Passionaria]

My ancestors come from the lands of the midnight sun. Where Viking adventurers whisper my name, and the Sami who are last tribal White people on earth still wander as nomads. There are lush forests where magic is a foot, gypsies intermingle, coffee is worshiped, and Tango, is the most popular dance. We are people of Fire and Ice. I come from a very traditional Scandinavian family, Swedish and Finnish. My Mother grew up speaking Finnish at home and in her community. We heard it but didn't speak it.

We Scandinavians don't consider ourselves to be European, we are a people unto ourselves, with our own customs, beliefs, and ways of life. The Vikings of long ago, who are a fierce people, stole beautiful woman from across Europe, and other lands and brought them home, and got them pregnant, and made them their own. Breading beauty into their DNA. We have some of the most progressive humanistic politics on the planet, and are generally peaceful people, unless provoked.

My family moved to the Bay Area when I was very young, and I was raised in neighborhoods of Latino people, which evoked a deep love of those people and cultures. A place I still feel most at home in.......

More later,
Pashi

[Kätzchen]

I am fifth generation Cherokee (via my mother's side - Blue Ridge Mtn area of Tennessee) and my father's ancestral lineage is of German-French roots.


Once in a blue moon, I feel a connection to what might feel like 'home.'

[lipstixgal]

I'm second generation Italian and Greek but converted to Judaism about 2 years ago and love it. So therefore I am a Safardic Jew!! I live in a neighborhood that is mostly white with some hispanics around but it is basically white!!

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Passionaria

My ancestors come from the lands of the midnight sun. Where Viking adventurers whisper my name, and the Sami who are last tribal White people on earth still wander as nomads. There are lush forests where magic is a foot, gypsies intermingle, coffee is worshiped, and Tango, is the most popular dance. We are people of Fire and Ice. I come from a very traditional Scandinavian family, Swedish and Finnish. My Mother grew up speaking Finnish at home and in her community. We heard it but didn't speak it.

We Scandinavians don't consider ourselves to be European, we are a people unto ourselves, with our own customs, beliefs, and ways of life. The Vikings of long ago, who are a fierce people, stole beautiful woman from across Europe, and other lands and brought them home, and got them pregnant, and made them their own. Breading beauty into their DNA. We have some of the most progressive humanistic politics on the planet, and are generally peaceful people, unless provoked.

My family moved to the Bay Area when I was very young, and I was raised in neighborhoods of Latino people, which evoked a deep love of those people and cultures. A place I still feel most at home in.......

More later,
Pashi

What I love about this is pointing out how many ethnicities view themselves that can be so different than what a society throws upon them. What I have learned in life is that many have wonderful stories that have survived generations that so often, remain, untold. So, much gets lost and interpreted elsewhere.

Just thinking that I bet there are a bunch of members further down the immigration generational line that have a lot to say about home.. and my Jungian connection certainly recognizes their achtypes... our ancestors are everywhere!!

[Hack]

My ancestors came to the States just after the US Civil War and homesteaded farms in northern Lower Michigan. I'm 4th generation, I guess. My family has always lived in Michigan. In fact, my parents still live in my hometown, which is the town that they grew up in and the town that their parents grew up in.

Home to me is a little town...4500 people...mostly people of German and Polish descent. In fact, I am half Polish and half German. Home to me is a town dominated by a Catholic Church on one end of town and a Luthern on the other. A Catholic Church that begrudgingly accepted Vatican II, for that matter. Home to me is homemade kielbasa from a tiny butcher shop in Polishtown (aka the neighborhood my mom grew up). Home to me is polka bands at every family wedding. Home to me is hard-working, and hard-drinking, loud, rowdy people. Home to me is having 33 first cousins on my mom's side because she had 10 brothers and sisters. Home to me is a bowling alley/restaurant that on Thursdays has pierogi, bigos, golabki, golonka, czernina (duck blood soup) on the buffet. All you can eat for $6, I might add.

On the German side, we were indoctrinated on my dad's side of the family...my grandparents grew up in households that spoke both English and German. I know a little German that I learned as a child. My grandparents traveled to Germany extensively after the war to find their roots. They would bring us little gifts and chocolates, I remember. At Christmas, my grandmother made the best stollen. And sauerkraut with every meal, it seemed.

The culture of both the Polish and German community is still very alive in my little hometown. There is a town festival every August that has element of both cultures.

Jake

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Hack

My ancestors came to the States just after the US Civil War and homesteaded farms in northern Lower Michigan. I'm 4th generation, I guess. My family has always lived in Michigan. In fact, my parents still live in my hometown, which is the town that they grew up in and the town that their parents grew up in.

Home to me is a little town...4500 people...mostly people of German and Polish descent. In fact, I am half Polish and half German. Home to me is a town dominated by a Catholic Church on one end of town and a Luthern on the other. A Catholic Church that begrudgingly accepted Vatican II, for that matter. Home to me is homemade kielbasa from a tiny butcher shop in Polishtown (aka the neighborhood my mom grew up). Home to me is polka bands at every family wedding. Home to me is hard-working, and hard-drinking, loud, rowdy people. Home to me is having 33 first cousins on my mom's side because she had 10 brothers and sisters. Home to me is a bowling alley/restaurant that on Thursdays has pierogi, bigos, golabki, golonka, czernina (duck blood soup) on the buffet. All you can eat for $6, I might add.

On the German side, we were indoctrinated on my dad's side of the family...my grandparents grew up in households that spoke both English and German. I know a little German that I learned as a child. My grandparents traveled to Germany extensively after the war to find their roots. They would bring us little gifts and chocolates, I remember. At Christmas, my grandmother made the best stollen. And sauerkraut with every meal, it seemed.

The culture of both the Polish and German community is still very alive in my little hometown. There is a town festival every August that has element of both cultures.

Jake

I really enjoyed reading this! I have so little knowledge about Polish and German immigrant journeys, really, so this brings me so much more about customs and traditions for each.

I do have a friend from Poland that I am learning more from as she is first generation and her parents live in NY and very connected to areas of Polish people. she brought me some Polish chocolate recently as a gift for taking care of her daughter (my friend) post surgery. And I got to hear her stories of immigration and what it was like to be from Slovic roots under oppression. Her parents were killed in the camps during WWII. I just learn so much more by having someone tell me their story face to face.

I love hearing about family traditions and customs that get passed on!I love hearing my friend speak Polish with her Mom. For some reason, I just feel more at peace when I am around people speaking different languages. Guess its that home thing going on for me! Also, with all of the opportunity I had to speak other languages, I have no talent at it at all! My Italian and Spanish is horrible!