Talking to my grandfather on my mothers side, I learned a lot. My grandfather is polish with some ukranian mixed in. His polish side migrated here from Poland five generation ago looking for work opportunities and the atmosphere was repressive with World War 1 looming. They took classes to learn English and my great great grandmother read comic strips to understand the language better. They were able to find plenty of work on farms and in the stockyards. My great great grandfather drove a beer truck for Topaz brewery. They mostly kept the same religion as Roman Catholic throughout the generations.
I also asked the same questions to my grandmother on my mothers side. She is Puerto Rican. Four generations ago My great great grandparents moved here because jobs ere offered in Puerto Rico to send workers to the USA. My great great grandfather painted battleships in new York, then moved to Chicago and started a small business. While he spoke good English, my great great grandmother did not. They started out Baptists and later converted to Methodist.
Grandma
1. Why did your family move to the US? (work, family, political...) How did they move? (plane, boat, train...)
Jobs were offered in Puerto Rico to send workers to the USA Came by cargo plane with seats attached to the sides.
2 How many generations have been here?
Four generations
3 Was there a difficult language barrier and how did they adjust?
For Hayden's great grandparents, yes. Never heard great grandma utter an English word. Great grandpa's English was pretty fair.
4 Was it difficult to find work? what kind did they do?
Sent to NYC to paint battleships, then moved to Chicago, started a small business.
5 Did your family keep the same religion throughout the generation?
Started as Baptists, moved into the Methodist faith.
Anything that is interesting and has to do with his personal identity would be helpful.
Family on grandma's side is mixture Spanish, Taino, Haitian and African people.
Grandpa
1. Why did your family move to the US? (work, family, political...) How did they move? (plane, boat, train...)
Employment opportunities and political atmosphere was repressive with WWI looming.
2 How many generations have been here?
Five generations
3 Was there a difficult language barrier and how did they adjust?
Spoke Polish. Went to school to learn English. Hayden's Great great grandmother read comic strips to understand English better.
4 Was it difficult to find work? what kind did they do?
At the time, jobs were plentiful on farm and in the stockyards. One of Hayden's great-great grandfathers drove a Beer Truck in Chicago(Topaz Brewery).
5 Did your family keep the same religion throughout the generation?
More or less. Roman Catholicism was mainstay from Poland, but generations have slowed down the beliefs considerably.
Anything that is interesting and has to do with his personal identity would be helpful.
There may be a Native American link in the family tree, unconfirmed. My dad, Hayden's great grandpa, told me more than a few times as I was growing up that the family has some Blackfoot tribal blood. They were prominent in the area that they settled in (DuBois, IL). Also have Ukrainian roots as well.
I also asked the same questions to my grandmother on my mothers side. She is Puerto Rican. Four generations ago My great great grandparents moved here because jobs ere offered in Puerto Rico to send workers to the USA. My great great grandfather painted battleships in new York, then moved to Chicago and started a small business. While he spoke good English, my great great grandmother did not. They started out Baptists and later converted to Methodist.
Grandma
1. Why did your family move to the US? (work, family, political...) How did they move? (plane, boat, train...)
Jobs were offered in Puerto Rico to send workers to the USA Came by cargo plane with seats attached to the sides.
2 How many generations have been here?
Four generations
3 Was there a difficult language barrier and how did they adjust?
For Hayden's great grandparents, yes. Never heard great grandma utter an English word. Great grandpa's English was pretty fair.
4 Was it difficult to find work? what kind did they do?
Sent to NYC to paint battleships, then moved to Chicago, started a small business.
5 Did your family keep the same religion throughout the generation?
Started as Baptists, moved into the Methodist faith.
Anything that is interesting and has to do with his personal identity would be helpful.
Family on grandma's side is mixture Spanish, Taino, Haitian and African people.
Grandpa
1. Why did your family move to the US? (work, family, political...) How did they move? (plane, boat, train...)
Employment opportunities and political atmosphere was repressive with WWI looming.
2 How many generations have been here?
Five generations
3 Was there a difficult language barrier and how did they adjust?
Spoke Polish. Went to school to learn English. Hayden's Great great grandmother read comic strips to understand English better.
4 Was it difficult to find work? what kind did they do?
At the time, jobs were plentiful on farm and in the stockyards. One of Hayden's great-great grandfathers drove a Beer Truck in Chicago(Topaz Brewery).
5 Did your family keep the same religion throughout the generation?
More or less. Roman Catholicism was mainstay from Poland, but generations have slowed down the beliefs considerably.
Anything that is interesting and has to do with his personal identity would be helpful.
There may be a Native American link in the family tree, unconfirmed. My dad, Hayden's great grandpa, told me more than a few times as I was growing up that the family has some Blackfoot tribal blood. They were prominent in the area that they settled in (DuBois, IL). Also have Ukrainian roots as well.