In my husband’s hometown, deep within China’s countryside, there is an old man who holds a very special book. This book cannot be borrowed, even for a day, and cannot be taken out of his home. It is the book which holds the genealogy—the family tree—for the Qian family dating back to the dynasties. Our children’s names have now been added to this incredible, hand-written, family tree. When we go back to the village every year at Chinese New Year, we see the book, and hope that our children understand that they are part of a much bigger family.
Growing up in the Mormon faith, I knew about genealogy as a child because my parents were very passionate about it. Mormons—or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, are some of the most active genealogists anywhere because the importance of family history within the faith. My Dad spent years putting together his family tree, researching, contacting distant relatives, and putting the pieces of his history, our history, together. He proudly shared this with my sisters and I, hoping we would understand that we are part of a much bigger family.
A family tree gives context, connects us, and links us to our past. It’s an exercise in humility to look at yourself on a family tree—to see your parents, your parent’s parents, and even beyond. You can look at your spouse, his parents, his extended family. Your children. The interconnectedness can be astounding, and hopefully, comforting, revealing. Sometimes, we can develop an appreciation or a better understanding of ourselves through our history.
Through my Dad’s research, he’d discovered that one of his ancestors had gone to China, and in the late 1800’s had established a treaty to establish formal friendly relations between the U.S. and China. I hadn’t paid much attention when my Dad first shared this with me, but years later, after having built my life in China, I went back through my Dad’s genealogy and felt a connection to this ancestor. I wanted to learn more about what compelled his interest in China and I thought about how 150 years apart, the two of us have made a China a part of our lives
A family tree is about more than simply finding yourself in a chart and looking at the generations. As interesting as that is, the depth, and fun, comes in the research, trying to learn about the people who came before you and seeing what connections might exist and how this understanding can impact and enlighten your life.
You might check out:
This is the best place to start working on your family tree. It’s the most comprehensive, it’s easy, and it’s free! You can search their data bases for information about your ancestors, as well as begin your own family tree. Because it is affiliated with the LDS Church, there are references to temple work, applicable only to members of that faith. However, the site is easy, friendly, and is absolutely open to everyone.
This is also a comprehensive site, also easy to use, but is not free.
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