Laura Menzel Blog #2: Where are you from?

When I first read the prompt for this week, "Where are you from?", I must admit, I gave a little groan.  Mostly because I had been asked a similar question in a class setting in 8th grade.  We learned about Alex Haley's Roots (I am very excited for Dr. Haley's guest lecture) and our assignment was to write a poem about our family's heritage.  The lesson was that we cannot get to where we are going or even know where we are going until we understand where we came from.  This was part of Alex Haley's inspiration to research his heritage and produce Roots.  I love Roots, and I enjoy hearing other people's stories about how their family came to the country, but for me, there was little to tell, and what I think I know is clouded with uncertainty.  My mom guesses her family side of the family was originally Scotch-Irish.  My dad's side of the family is Polish and, I thought at the time I was doing the project, German.  My paternal great-grandmother was also one-quarter Cherokee, so there is a minimal amount of Cherokee blood in me as well.  With a shaky story at best of my family's journey to America, I began to wonder if heritage really mattered.  Couldn't I say I was American and be done with it?  At what point do you accept that so many different ethnic groups have blended over such a long time that you can't keep track of them all and become simply American?

Perhaps feeling a little dejected after hearing my classmates' rich stories of heritage, my 8th grade self decided to reject the necessity of heritage and declare my American-ness.  A few years later, I received more of the cultural story I was looking for.  After my grandfather died, my grandmother found my great-grandfather's birth certificate among his things.  It was written in Russian and the name was Mensal, rather than Menzel.  My great-grandfather and his family immigrated to America when he was a baby, and had always told his children they were German.  They in fact lived in Russia.  At the time they were immigrating, it was more difficult to get in to the country if you were from Eastern Europe than if you were from Western Europe.  They changed their name to Menzel and passed for German.

After watching Twilight:  LA, I reflected on how ethnic and racial differences are the source of so much misunderstanding and misguided anger.  I thought of how unified languages, such have Esperanto, have been proposed to ease if not erase our differences.  I hope for peace in the world, but I don't think ignoring or erasing our differences is the way to do it.  This brings me to one the The Office episodes, "Diversity Day", in which Michael Scott claims he is "color blind"  and does not see race.  I think this reflects the approach to diversity some people have.  They are afraid to tread on any toes so they ignore the subject altogether.  (That's not to say that we should embrace all stereotypes either, as The Office clip shows).  I think the best way to approach diversity is to appreciate, understand, and celebrate our differences.  Once I came to this conclusion, I had a new appreciation for the heritage exercise in 8th grade.  My heritage may not be rich or detailed, but it is part of what makes me, me.  And your heritage makes you, you.  I don't think knowing your entire history is necessary to move forward, but it is certainly something to be celebrated.