Over the past week in our US History Class we have watched a series known as Faces of America. This four-part documentary type series is hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates, a major scholar, writer, and presenter of the modern era. Through using research and genetics, Faces of America takes people such as Mike Nichols, Kristi Yamaguchi, Yo-Yo Ma, Stephen Colbert, and many others and tries to puzzle out their family history. Intrigued by its topic, I learned that it is possible for us humans to puzzle out our histories through doing some research. Through learning our family history, it is possible for us to learn diseases and other things that we may to be prone to. When you first get examined by a physician of any kind, especially those who deal with the heart, they ask if you have any family history of heart problems before the age of 55. Through learning this physicians can be more aggressive on treatment and can lower the risk of you dying of heart-related problems before the age of 55. We all hope to live long, and through learning the history of our family we can live even longer I believe that Faces of America is providing a stepping stone for people alive today to learn their family heritage. Besides its scientific benefits, we would all like to know where we all originated from. I am intrigued of where my family is from and where it originated. Through my parents knowledge I have learned that my grandparents came from all different parts of South Asia, when all Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India was united under one Empire. Some from near the Himalayas, others from the South. But all I know is where they came from, there are still many unanswered questions. Through seeing that it is possible for men and women from a vast array of races and backgrounds able to find their heritage, passing many different barriers, it makes me wonder if it is possible for me to find my heritage through doing some informational research.
America is a nation full of immigrants. Through knowledge and history, we find that no one is originally from this country. Many people, whether it be today, in the late 19th century, or even before that (rather than slaves) left their home countries to come to the US for a better life. Most of them took lower paying jobs in industry here in the US to make sure their kids had a better future. They showed selflessness in putting their families before themselves, and that is a personality type that we should all have. We should be able to think about others before it comes to us, and selflessness does not come by itself. It comes with courage, bravery, and a heart full of love. If we just add the element of selflessness in our life, we can get the whole bundle and be successful.
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