Email it to us! - kulturekids@yahoo.com |
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MIKE:
I have met many people with the same last name as I, only they had
different spellings. Later I discovered that my ancestors in Ireland,
could not read or write (having seen documents signed with an "X").
In fact, they could not spell their own last names, hence the many
different spellings.
KELLIE:
Grandmum in Australia used to peel tar off the street and chew it
like chewing gum.
ROYCE:
I had 2 uncles who were drafted in World War II. They had the same
mother, but different fathers (both parents were of a mixed racial
background). In World War II, soldiers were kept separated according
to race. There was one group for white soldiers and another for
non-white soldiers. Both uncles were in the Navy, but because of
their different complexions, one served with the white soldiers
and one with the non-white soldiers. |
NATALIE:
Thanksgiving is a big holiday in our house. Family and friends,
everyone comes to our house and my mother cooks a fabulous meal-traditional
American. We celebrate this holiday, because my parents lived in
the Ukraine, under Communism and escaped to America. My parents
know what America has given to them. When my parents came here they
had nothing, but because of what America is, they built happy, successful
lives for themselves. And because of what they went through, I know
how lucky I am to have been born here.
GEORGE:
My great uncle was a Zookeeper in Quebec in charge of Elephants.
When he died of a heart attack, one of the Elephants died shortly
afterwards of a broken heart.
MARGY:
My great grandfather's horse fell on him while jumping a moat in
Ireland. The story is that when the horse fell on him, he was taken
for dead and his body thrown into a ditch. When someone walked by
and saw him move, they realized he was alive. How lucky for me and
all his descendants!
PEARL:
My mother came to America and landed at Ellis Island. At the time,
she was living in an area of the city that had many immigrants who
worked all the time and were trying to get enough money to move
their families to this country. They could not get loans from regular
banks because they did not have any collateral and not considered
a good risk. So, my mother organized a "sou-sou". I guess
in the old country people had a "sou-sou". A "sou-sou"
is like a bank with people you know (from your neighborhood, your
friends and family) contributing. When people had extra money, they
would give it to my mother who would loan it out to others who needed
it. The borrowers would pay it back and it would be loaned to someone
else. Just like a bank! My mother helped lots of people buy houses,
start businesses, send their kids to school, etc... |
