2007-01-29 00:00:21 · 14 answers · asked by McAtterie 6 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Genealogy
They have no history to speak of and therefore are still trying to find a reason for their being!
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2007-01-29 00:05:00 · answer #1 · answered by ★♥ KillerBea ♥★ 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most americans are immigrants and are aware in some way of their family's history, but they might not know the finer details about where their families came from, and if thjey go looking tyhery end up in Europe - or Africa perhaps, although the records must be much more difficult to trace there. So they go looking. Europeans think they know it all, but their family trees still tend to run out a couple of centuries back. It's disappointing when your family tree hits the wall, but it does for most people. What most people don't realise is that after going back about 6 or 7 generations - a couple of centuries at most - your family tree is too big to ever be fully researchable. If you go back 10 generations you already have 1024 direct ancestors.
2007-01-29 08:18:43 · answer #2 · answered by Alyosha 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To the contrary, genealogy is just as popular in Europe. Some of the great genealogical research libraries can be found there and European nations lead the world in online genealogical databases.
2007-01-29 11:28:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because we are a country of immigrants. Most other nations have some immigration, but the majority of our population traveled here from Europe to better their lives. Emigrating is very hard, leaving everything one knows, friends and family, starting over again with nothing, sometimes having to surrender vast parts of their culture and even their language. I don't think that many Europeans understand this, given the way that they treat their immigrants. For example, France doesn't seem to embrace it's non-french born population that much, given the recent riots.
This looking for roots is not just an American thing, it is popular in Canada as well as in Australia. Europeans just like to fault Americans as having no culture of their own as a reason - in truth, we have many cultures, both our American identity, and the customs and languages that we were brought up with by our parents or grandparents who risked death to get to our shores.
Those of you who smugly deride this are welcome to continue to do so. It does reflect poorly on you though. Your ancestors were lucky enough to not have to flee for their lives. There was no need for them to come to America. Do you feel better looking down on those that did? Our ancestors traveled, yours stayed put. I like the fact that America is such a mixed place. The reason our immigration is so high still is that we are the best melting pot, ever evolving.America has little versions of every single culture on Earth in it, and as a result we are a very open and embracing country. I like the fact that almost everyone I know has a different background.
2007-01-29 17:35:53 · answer #4 · answered by slipstreamer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that since America is such a big melting pot, and has so many more people, Americans have this tendency to feel kind of lost. This lost feeling makes them want to search for someone or something to belong to. Genealogy is just one way for people to feel connected.
Plus, I think that Europeans already know a good bit more about their family lines. They get to hear family stories as children and visit extended family more often than Americans do. Hope that helps out!
2007-01-29 08:11:25 · answer #5 · answered by Crystal L ™ 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Compared to Europe, America is a 'young' country.
This makes it a lot easier to research family history.
A lot of people are interested in genealogy in Europe but it is harder to trace people as their ancestors may well have moved from differing countries.
2007-01-29 08:05:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hi Riff Raff! Love the pic.
It is starting to get bigger in the Uk now with sites likes friends reunited bringing out geneaology branches to their site, also there are lots of cd roms and books you can buy. I know quite a few people who have started researching this lately and it seems to be catching on in a big way.
2007-01-29 08:09:58 · answer #7 · answered by kittycymraeg 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think because Americans pride themselves on being individuals! Most European countries came to terms with their collective identity generations ago....but in America , its important to know who your " people " are because not only does it help us to define our " mixed " culture....but also provides us with a way to be seperate within our culture. I love knowing that my family tree includes at least 6 different nationalities...my husbands at least 4...and NONE of them the same! That means at least 10 seperate nationalities came together to produce my children ! GOTTA LUV THE MELTING POT !!!!
2007-01-29 11:57:53 · answer #8 · answered by RedHairedTempest 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because in Europe, your place in society was determined by who you were related to. In America, many people didn't really care about it or they forgot over time. Now though, they want to know.
2007-01-31 20:01:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Mormons teach us that we could ave our ancestors and relatives if we were Christians. So there's a drive for finding out who our ancestors were.
Among the Japanese, there is a strong linkage to the past, and so they keep the memory of their ancestors in their minds.
2007-01-29 08:08:50 · answer #10 · answered by Benvenuto 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋