I have been doing research on my family for awhile, and it was hard because of my ethnicity. So, I have to write a statement of why it was difficult to do it. Could you help me on how I can write it. Like what should I bring up in my statement? Please help!
You'd need to state what websites you have used to find ancestors. There's www.ancestry.com (fee) and familysearch.org (free), as well as www.findagrave.com and www.billiongraves.com, and many others.
I know that Family Search has a vast crew of volunteers as well as workers who are indexing records from all over the world, including these:
https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/FamilySearch_Indexing:_English_Language_-_Project_Update_Pages
If records from where your ancestors' lived are in countries that haven't sent in photocopied pages to be indexed (typed into forms to make them searchable), then yes, you would have lots of problems. Those records might be in churches or civic buildings in other countries.
If you'll post what you're running up against, maybe I can help you with your statement.
Well my teacher is making us use ancestry but it has not helped me with my ancestors.
Where are your ancestors from? That often makes a lot of difference. One example is that in some countries, the churches don't want their records photocopied ... but you'd be free to write them or go there and see what you can find.
I have one ancestor on my mom's side whom I can trace back to 1867, and I know his birthdate is in Mar 1852. But that's it ... I've dug and I've dug, but I cannot find any trace of his parents or siblings (if there were any), etc. I'm stuck, I think, unless I go to the city listed as his birthplace and get permission to go through church records. There's another ancestor on my dad's side whom I can trace back to his birth somewhere in Georgia in 1805, but that's it. No parents' names or dates or specific places.
Well I am from the New York State and my family/ancestors are from Puerto Rico. That is why it is very difficult for me to get any information.
Be sure to try variations in spelling of names. And try finding people at http://familysearch.org too. Chances are if you can find info at FS, it'll be on ancestry.com, too.
Certainly! Writing a statement about why researching your family history was challenging due to your ethnicity is a great opportunity to reflect on your personal experiences and the difficulties you encountered. Here are some aspects you can consider including while writing your statement:
1. Introduction: Begin by introducing the purpose of your statement and provide a brief overview of your ethnicity and its relevance to your family history research.
2. Lack of records and documentation: Discuss the lack of easily accessible or comprehensive records pertaining to your ethnicity. Explain how this limited the availability of information and made it more difficult to trace your family lineage.
3. Language barriers: If applicable, mention any language barriers that hindered your research efforts. Explain how not being able to read or understand certain documents written in your family's native language made the research process more challenging.
4. Cultural and historical factors: Explore any cultural or historical circumstances that may have negatively impacted the preservation of family records or documentation. Discuss how events like wars, migrations, or political upheavals might have disrupted the continuity of records and hampered your research progress.
5. Discrimination and exclusion: Address the possibility of discriminatory or exclusionary practices in various historical activities such as census recording, immigration records, or documentation processes. Highlight how these factors may have further complicated your research journey.
6. Personal experiences: Share specific experiences or anecdotes that illustrate the challenges you faced while conducting your research. Detail any roadblocks you encountered, frustrations you felt, or instances where you had to overcome obstacles specific to your ethnicity.
7. Strategies and Solutions: Describe the approaches, methodologies, or alternative sources you utilized to overcome the difficulties you mentioned earlier. Discuss how you adapted your research methods or sought support from specific communities or organizations to obtain the necessary information.
8. Conclusion: Summarize your statement by highlighting the significance of pursuing family history research despite the challenges. Emphasize the personal growth, cultural understanding, and appreciation that resulted from your determined efforts.
Remember, this statement should reflect your unique experiences and perspective. Be honest, concise, and ensure that your statement flows logically. Good luck with your writing!