Dear Readers,
My aunt recently gifted me a binder with the genealogy of the paternal side of my family. Since then, it’s felt like an episode of ”Finding Your Roots” as I look for connections. It inspired this wider exploration into ancestry and culture.
P. S. If you’re new to In the Mix, here’s what you’ll see in each issue.
IN MY OWN WORDS
The Sea in Me, March 2023: Inspired by a recent trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea, I reflect on my constant yearning for the ocean, and where it may originate.
A Story of Migrations, March 2022: I wrote this piece about the journey of my husband and his family from Eastern Europe to Argentina to the United States.
INSPIRATION
Kailani’s Gift: A vibrant new children’s book about a girl learning the Tinikling dance for her grandparent’s 50th anniversary, by my friend
.”Every Poem Has Ancestors”: Joy Harjo, in the Paris Review, recalls how a poem by N. Scott Momaday’s inspired her poetry, and had me thinking about the ancestry of our words.
Origin: Written and directed by Ava Duvernay, Origin tells the story of Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Isabel Wilkerson, as she writes Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. It’s moving and powerful, about grief, writing, inequity, family… so much.
BONUS inspiration on connecting ancestry + culture:
An article in the latest Magnolia Journal about Joanna Gaines’ trip to Seoul.
A few novels I’ve read recently with generational threads: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, Maame by Jessica George, and Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.
Some (older) films with cultural and ancestral themes: The Joy Luck Club, Possession, The Red Violin, Woman in Gold. I love the journeys and the search!
ENCOURAGEMENT
When I first spoke to author
, we connected over our experiences of people mixing up Indiana and India. Often when I say I am from Indiana, people ask, “Did you say India?” because they can’t imagine I’m a native Hoosier. When Prasanta was growing up in the South, kids told her to “Go back to Indiana!” confusing Indiana for India, a story she shares at the start of her new book, Beyond Ethnic Loneliness.Prasanta thoughtfully writes about the pain of experiences like these. (A bit of my story even made it into the book in Chapter 6.) The “Beyond” is my favorite part of the the book, when she gives us researched and practical ways to work toward belonging together. This book has so much depth, it is for all of us.
CONNECTION
Ancestry + Culture came together in a very special way in my work at The Oaks Academy. The school building and library have a rich history in the African American community, and we are continuing the legacy by re-opening the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library and launching the Mari Evans Residency for Authors and Artists of Color. If you’re local, I’m happy to connect and share more.
What about Ancestry + Culture resonates with you? I’d love to hear from you!
I love this newsletter, Sara! So many great resources! Thank you for sharing my book, Kailani's Gift. You are a gift to me!