Our opinion/#Mystorystartedthere family immigration histories shared over social media

You’ve come a long way, Baby

Haji Hagopian and his wife Nouritza fled what was once Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1923 at the tail end of the Armenian genocide, Nouritza was three people away from being gunned down by a Turkish firing squad. My Grandfather was merely three months old at the time and the family soon found themselves in Marseilles, France. After Haji's death the family relocated to Chicago in 1939. From there they found themselves in central North Dakota. Haji and Nouritza were the great-grandparents on my father’s side. I wonder what they would think about the state of the world today.

I shared this anecdote over Facebook last week, and a friend I’ve known since childhood suggested we start the hashtag #mystorystartedthere. We are trying our best to encourage our online peers to share their personal immigration histories over social media. It’s a lot more entertaining than sifting through memes and hearing everyone’s two cents on immigration, religion and foreign policy. Whether you are for or against it, please take a chance to reflect and to even learn a bit about where you come from. Who knows, it could even serve as fodder for a Thanksgiving table conversation (perish the thought of setting aside the screen). We’ve come a long way, baby, and there is a lot to be thankful for. This week the HPR would love to share some of the stories collected under said hashtag.

“Great Grandparents on my dad's side are all from Italy. My grandparents were both first generation American born. My family's last name was Delvecchio until a great uncle changed it during WWII. NOT a good time to be Italian American. Two families came to this country, one opened a small grocery story and the other was a stonemason. They raised families, invested in their community (Rye, NY), and worked hard their whole lives. I'm proud to be of Italian heritage, among many other countries, but I'm most proud to be American and keep waiting for everyone to remember that most of us are not that far removed from a boat bringing our relatives over from somewhere else”. - Dayna Del Val, Fargo ND

“My aunt found a really interesting essay written about our first ancestors that came from Odessa. It goes into how they collected buffalo bones for money and lived in a sod house etc. Pretty interesting stuff. Those people back then were so incredibly strong and resourceful. Makes you wonder what you are capable of being you are of that heritage”. - Michael Van Beek, Bismarck ND

“My people (supposedly) crossed a land bridge between what is now Russia and Alaska roughly 10,000 years ago. I am from Cherokee lineage but records have been displaced as most tribal members were displaced during the Trail Of Tears. My immediate family records have been tenuous at best”. - Darin Karnes, Fargo ND

“My grandmother, Christina Ballantyne, was born in Greenock, Scotland in 1889. She grew up, the youngest of 13 children, in a rowhouse that had 3 rooms with windows. Her father, who was apparently completely illiterate (he made an X in lieu of a signature on every document I have seen), worked as an unskilled laborer in a nearby sugar refinery. After the death of her second parent, Christina left Scotland as a 3rd-class passenger on the "Andania." Ostensibly traveling to join a sibling in Ontario, she quickly married a Canadian and--aged 40+--gave birth to two daughters. Christina's life in Canada was tumultuous; my aunt was adopted by another family and my mother became a ward of the province. Mum attended a residential Catholic school and received a scholarship to university, where she met my father. My dad used to joke that he was unable to find a teaching job in Canada because there were so many American draft-dodgers there. Whatever the case, he found positions in Arkansas, Kentucky, and finally Minnesota, which is where we were living when I got my green card”. - Hilary Ray, Moorhead MN

“My maternal great grandfather was an Irish immigrant.In his son's living room there hung a large wooden sign that read "No Irish, No Dogs" which my great grandfather had taken from the wall behind a bar that refused to serve him. It was there to remind his son (my grandfather) of his roots as an unwanted immigrant-- no better than a dog”. - Mara Morken Fogarty, Moorhead MN

“I am so grateful a family member took it upon herself to snail mail regular newsletters to more people than I even know. That is how I am able to share the story of my family "Coming to America"Christina, born in Prague in 1850, married Frank Mackovets at the age of 19. First, he came to America because of the war in Europe, and she joined him later. They went on to have 12 children, including Katherine -- my great-grandma”.- Rita Stadler, Palm Bay, FL

On a completely unrelated note, we are happy to hear that Andrew Mouse was recently selected to serve as Museum Director and CEO at The Plains Art Museum. Congratulations Andrew! It will be interesting to see what your vision is for not only the Plains, but for the art’s role in our community as a whole.