Coming to America!
- Leslie Ryan
- Jul 3
- 2 min read
Happy Independence Day!
Don't you love listening to patriotic songs while watching fireworks? Without fail, every time, I get chills and teary eyes when I hear Neil Diamond's "(Coming To)America" from "The Jazz Singer."
I can't help it when I think of our ancestors braving long ocean crossings, coming with little or nothing, not speaking the language, and daring to start new lives in this "Sweet Land of Liberty!"
I saw a really interesting map the other day showing "Largest Ancestry by U.S. County" based on the 2010 US Census. The Census Bureau began asking about ancestry in 1980. From their site, "Ancestry refers to one’s ethnic origin or descent, “roots,” or heritage, or the place of birth of the person or the person’s parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. The intent of the ancestry question is not to measure the degree of attachment the respondent had to a particular ethnicity. For example, a response of “Irish” might reflect involvement in the community or a memory of ancestors several generations removed. A person’s ancestry is not necessarily the same as his or her place of birth.
Ancestry was asked in the 1980, 1990, and 2000 decennial censuses. Since then, ancestry has been collected on the American Community Survey (ACS). When someone reports more than two groups for their ancestry, only the first two are tabulated."
Bearing in mind, this is what people are telling the Census Bureau without necessarily having proof, but in 2010, German was the largest "White" category (all the RED counties!), English and Irish were the next highest.
I was fascinated by the little GREEN box way out in West Texas, which is Loving County. In 2010 there were 82 people, 39 households, and 20 families in 50 "housing units" in the county. Most of them felt they were Irish!
Okay, clearly, I am outed as an ancestry/genealogy geek, but I think this is so interesting! As you have learned about your ancestors have you also been able to learn about how and why they chose to come to America? When did they come? Before or during the Famine like mine? During times of War? Did they come searching for gold in California or Alaska? Were they brought here against their will? Were they here already when the Pilgrims first arrived?
Here's a great quote from FDR for America's birthday celebration, "Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists."
What a great country they built for us! Below is a really nice video someone put together on YouTube to Neil Diamond's "America" with images of immigrants Coming To America that I hope will encourage you to keep seeking the truth about your roots! Let me know if I can help!
Have a safe and happy 4th!
Leslie Ryan
Further reading about the Census and ancestries:
No compensation is received for any links or referrals herein.
No copyright infringement is intended.
