What is #MeetMyImmigrants all about?

So, what's #MeetMyImmigrants all about? I started this series to highlight the many immigrant ancestors of mine that left behind everything they knew to forge better lives for their families. I am third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation American. Most of my ancestors didn't step foot on American soil until the early 1900s.

Given all of the discussion at the moment of who should and shouldn't be allowed to enter the US, I thought it more topical than ever to remember that America is a country mainly made up of descendants of immigrants (in addition to descendants of the Native population, as well as of 450,000 slaves that were brought here against their will in the Middle Passage).

A lot of our ancestors wouldn't have made it here if the immigration laws had looked then like they do today. CNN has a great article about the 1917 Immigration Act and its similarities to the recent Executive Order here.

I am a student of history, and I think it's important that we remember it and we learn from it. Our ancestors lived in, were affected by, and shaped these times.

Who were your immigrant ancestors? I can't wait to meet them. I encourage you to share their stories using the #MeetMyImmigrants hashtag. Alternatively, let's work together to find the stories of your immigrant ancestors.