Researching my name I learned that Kathryn means “Pure”, free from anything of a different, lower, or tainting kind; free from irrelevant matter. The meaning of my middle name Elaine is, “bright, shining light”. My last name Voskuyl has a very interesting meaning, “foxhole”. I asked my parents and relatives about our heritage and where our last name came from they all said that the origin of our last name is Dutch. When my grandfather from my father’s side was still alive, he began to tell me his story that he was born in Holden and he lived there for a short period of time. He then started telling me his experience in leaving Holland to move to America with his sibling or member of the Voskuyl family. They traveled in the early 1900s by taking
a ship from Holland migrating to Lake Michigan wanting to live in America. Unfortunately before the ship reached it’s final destination the ship caught on fire. Only twenty-three people survived out of the 200 people. Luckily, two of the twenty-three people that survived were my grandfather and the second Voskuyl family member. When my grandfather got to America he legally changed our last name spelling. When I ask where I got my first name, my father explained that it was his sister’s middle name, Nancy Kathryn Voskuyl. I also once asked my mother why she agreed on Kathryn and her answer was interesting. She said I was also named after Katharine Hepburn. My middle name Elaine came from my mother’s side of the family. I was told it was my grandmother’s middle name on my mother’s side, also my mother’s middle name, and actually my godmother’s middle name too. The questions I would want ask my family would be, who was that second person that joined my grandfather to America from Holland. I would also like to learn more about my mother’s heritage and where her Maiden name Duncan came from and where she got her first name Janet.
Native American’s find symbolism in many everyday items and colors are no exception. They believe that yellow is a conflicting motif, on one hand it denotes happiness, joy, and contentment but on the other hand it is the color of cowardice, deceit, and hurt. Michael Dorris, the author of A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, coming from a Native American background, most likely considered this while choosing the title for this bestseller. It is overflowing with hidden meanings for the color of yellow, especially in Rayona’s section.
Ehrenreich points out that she has seen “one group after another… stand up and proudly reclaim their roots” but for those who come from a mixed background, it is nearly impossible to discover their roots (477). Unfortunately, many people’s family trees are twisted and inaccurate, containing many flaws known only by those who are wronged, but believed by the children who read it. For example, some female immigrants, upon moving to America and marrying a white man, changed their names and accepted the white cultural as their own. With no birth records on hand, it was assumed, when recorded, that the said female was White. The same happened frequently to the Native American people, who accepted English culture as their own. There is a whole line of cultural background completely wiped from one’s tree. These cases, which are quite common, can only be disputed either by the person who is recorded, who is presumably now dead, or hearsay by family members who claim it to be another way. Regardless, it is nearly impossible to prove. Therefore, claiming to know one’s heritage is likely false, due to the frequent inaccuracies in records, and gives no assurance to anyone on their true
In the article “The Name Is Mine” by Anna Quindlen, she explains her story about her name, why she chose to keep it, and why it has such meaning to her. As a result of keeping her maiden name, there were many positive and negative aspects that went along with it.
People study history because they wish to strengthen human connections. The same can be drawn about the pursuit of genealogy. Whether it be connections to nobility, to a specific ethnic group or a specific event in history, there are diverse motivations to study genealogy According to Francois Weil, “Genealogy provides a powerful lens to understand personal and collective identities.” In essence Weil’s Family Trees: A History of Genealogy in America is a study of American identity over a span of four centuries through a discussion of genealogy and family history.
Joy Foster was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 9th, 1951 to Wynema Baker and Allen W. Foster. She is an enrolled member of the Creek tribe, and is also of Cherokee, French, and Irish descent. Descended from a long line of tribal leaders on her father’s side, including Monahwee, leader of the Red Stick War against Andrew Jackson, she often incorporates into her poetry themes of Indian survival amidst contemporary American life. In 1970, at the age of 19, with the blessings of her parents, Foster took the last name of her maternal grandmother, Naomi Harjo. As she often credits her great aunt, Lois Harjo, with teaching her about her Indian identity, this name change may have helped her to solidify her public link with this heritage.
Words can be on a much grander scale. The Popol Vuh is a story originating from modern day Guatemala with its oldest excerpt dating back to the early 18th century. The most recent translation is by Allen J. Christenson in 2007. The Popol Vuh follows the Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque and their epic tales. The mythological story ripe with symbolism is often coined as the “sacred book” of the Maya people. Symbolism in the Popol Vuh is important because it explains life and death, satirizes human behavior, represents the creation of the Maya, and it depicts the importance of maize.
Her name had been passed down from generation to generation before Dee received it. Obviously the name had great importance in her family. Her mother could trace the name back to the civil war and connect it with specific people in her family. Alice Walker write's "you just don't understand," she said , as Maggie and I came out to the car. "what don't I understand?" I wanted to know. "Your heritage," she said".She criticize her mother about not understanding their heritage though, she places her heritage on those quilts instead of continuing the family name that was handed down to her.
One example of a different interpretation of one’s heritage is when Dee discusses the reason why she changed her name from Dee to Wangero. In the story, it states, “‘What happened to “Dee”?’ I
Dee was named after her aunt Dicie and before that it was her grandma and her grandmother’s mother. The name was a name that stuck to their families heritage. Dee did not understand the value of having that name. when her mother approached her and said “Dee (313).” Dee quickly corrected her mother and said “No mama, not Dee, Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo (313)!” Dee told her mother “I couldn’t bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me(313).” D...
For immigrant, minority, or English learning student, name has historical and hereditary significance. They may have stories behind their name which are suppressed when they are regularly compelled to adjust to an “Americanized” setting. However, that transition forces students to take name that do not define them. Yee Wan moved to United States from China when she was 17. When she enrolled to a school at United States, she was forced to change her name-- she had to decide whether to keep her native name or change to American name so that it would be easier for her teachers to pronounce her name. Realizing that there was no choice, she had to change her name to Winnie. (McLaughlin 1). Similarly, Michelle-Thuy Ngoc is a US born teen
Yangsook Choi’s ‘The Name Jar’ published in the year 2001 is multicultural children’s fiction which deals with the apprehensions of a newly arrived Korean girl Unhie in the United States who is nervous about her name which she thinks kids in her new school will not be able to pronounce or understand. On the first day of her school while giving an introduction she tells the class that she hasn’t picked up a name yet post which a large jar filled with different American English names comes to her desk which leaves her confused as to which name to finally pick for herself. Will she pick up a new American name or continue with her Korean name? The story is multifaceted in its maneuverings of identity politics, culture, multiculturalism
...name Dee responds “I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me” (73). In this statement Walker describes the conflicting views of what heritage is. To Dee she sees her name as a reminder of the people who had oppressed her culture for so many years. It is because of this that she decided to change her name. In contrast Mama tries to explain that Dee’s name is a part of her heritage as it was the name of her ancestors and passed down over time. In comparison Maggie does not seem to share her sister’s views on what their family’s culture is. This could be due to the fact that Maggie has always valued her heritage and never viewed it something she had to live up or down to. It was just a part of who she was. Maggie's base for her heritage is her simple and basic connection to her mother and their home, while for Dee it's the idea of it.
Armand Aubigny took pride in his family name to the point where it influenced his viewpoint towards his slaves. In the story it says “What did it matter about a name when he could give her one of the oldest and proudest in Louisiana” (Chopin 1)? Typically in the South, the aristocratic family name meant everything in terms of identity, wealth, and power. Back in the antebellum period, segregation and slavery was accepted as it was deeply engraved in the Southern culture. To be a slave meant to be of the lowest in the social ladder as they were considered property, while the big plantation and slave owner...
The family name has a special meaning for the Chinese. A Chinese name is composed of a family name and a given name. The Chinese always put the family name first, followed by a given name, which is exactly the opposite of the Americans and some other western countries. The family name has a long history in China; moreover, it is regarded as the most important symbol of blood relationship and continuity of family bloodline. In traditional Chinese family culture, descendants of several generations from the same ancestor lived together and formed a big family system by the same family name. They constructed the ancestral hall and family temple. This kind of autonomous family system was the basic unit of traditional Chinese society. However, from earliest time, the British only had the given name and no a family name. From the 10th century some aristocracy named the family name by their fiefdoms. Until the Renaissance period in Europe, the family...
I have read an account called " 'What's in a Name? " ", which is composed by Henry Louis Gates. This account demonstrates to us a youth experience of the creator that happened amid the mid-1950s. In the article, Gates alludes to an occurrence when a white man, Mr. Wilson, who was well disposed with his dad, called his dad "George", a name which was a prominent method for alluding to African Americans in those circumstances. In any case, Gates' dad needed to acknowledge this separation and couldn't make a move around then. By utilizing sentiment to bring out individuals' enthusiastic reaction, and utilizing suggestion, Gates effectively communicates his claim that name shapes individuals' discernments