Moms Talk: Your History, Their Future

Inspired by a friend’s recent visit to the Statue of Liberty, as well as the June 7 Asian Heritage Month celebration in Parsippany, this Moms Talk question is about what we do as moms to instill our culture into our kids.

I’m curious as to whether the response will be different depending on the childrens' ages.  

I would say that I know more about why my family came to America because of what I’ve witnessed—the drive for progression, hard-working people determined to better their own lives and those of their children.

My maternal grandfather emigrated with his family at age eight, became a naturalized US citizen, and at age 21 was drafted into the U.S. Army.  After marrying my grandmother, herself the daughter of an immigrant from Sicily, my grandfather graduated from Rutgers University and had a career with lateral progression.

On my father's side of the family, my great-grandparents emigrated from Russia with many of those relatives having perished in the Holocaust. That great-grandfather started a small "butter and egg" business that grew, ultimately providing employment for both of his sons, my paternal grandfather and great uncle.

Do I speak Italian?  Do I speak Russian?  Sadly, no. Those generations of immigrants wanted simply to be known as Americans.

Personally, I love to hear young kids speak English, then turn their heads and launch into a long, complicated-sounding conversation with their parents in another language.  I also think it’s great to maintain that connection to where you came from.

My question to parents: Do you keep your heritage alive in your household?  How?  Do you think that with time that connection inevitably blurs?